Opening Chapter
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Prelude
Located centrally amongst what was otherwise a long since charted and mostly colonized area of the galaxy, a spherical sector of space remained entirely unexplored. It was not for want of trying, and many attempts had been made over many centuries of both the peaceful and more direct variety to press into the darkness that blanketed every known star map. All had fallen short, seemingly without contest, to the enormous star bases that occupied every outlying sector, mega-structures incapable of existing anywhere else but the weightlessness of space, and unrelentingly hostile towards anyone who dared to approach them. They had been there when the first ships discovered them, and remained there today, silently waiting for anyone to be caught in their star's gravity well. Whether they intended to challenge the station, peacefully examine or study it, or merely passing through, did not have any noticeable effect on the response given.
Gigantic cannons that littered multiple defensive platforms would deploy along its outer structures first, followed by much smaller and more numerous guns much closer to its core that many experts theorized to be point defense systems. The offending ship would then receive only one warning, a perfectly placed shot fired with precision and purpose across the starboard side that always narrowly missed, so long as no error was made by the pilot that it was fired upon. Continuing to approach the structure resulted in immediate termination of the vessel. Lingering for too long, a time limit variable dependent on still unknown factors, would result in immediate termination of the vessel. Occupants in the solar system had but one option, to leave immediately.
Within the last 500 years since their discovery, the most progress ever recorded was receiving a second warning shot when they attempted to peacefully establish communication after the first. Their gambit to receive a third had not paid off, birthing another dozen arguments about whether the second miss was intentional or not. Many believed them to be relics of a distant past, a rogue AI program to guard a civilization that had long since destroyed themselves. Others believed the most closely guarded secrets of the universe lay behind those impenetrable Citadels, and whoever figured out how to slip past them first would have the power to rule the galaxy. Still others perceived them as a jailers, constructed eons ago to contain an evil that, if let loose, would devour the universe. Wild stories abounded, as wild stories often do about the unknown, and no two species could agree on their purpose, only that neither of them would be discovering it before their technology improved dramatically.
In truth, what lay beyond was far less fantastical than the wild imaginations of space faring species. Within resided a peaceful and isolated society, relatively young and loyal only to their Goddess, Aquana. Just a mere few centuries prior, their colony ships were among the first to leave Earth in search of a new home, and malfunctions in what was now considered primitive technology had left them stranded in unknown territory as they struggled to find a world with something even closely resembling an atmosphere to land on. They were led by a married couple who had been pivotal in designing such ships and permitting the Human race to expand to the stars, and of course desired to be among the first to leave Earth aboard one. Those that followed knew their best hope of survival lay with the architects of their transportation.
...
“Our civilization began like many others, spearheaded by the bravest and smartest minds of a generation dissatisfied with the status quo and desiring to make a new start, a better start, somewhere far beyond from where they came.” Character gathered her resolve, not to try to remember the specifics of the historical events she was being required to recite, but to look anything but bored to tears while she did it. “Our Colony Ships were among the first to leave Earth, filled with engineers, scientists, musicians, military minds, farmers, doctors, and those willing to follow them into the vast unknown. Two stepped forward to lead the fleet, a married couple, both pivotal in the design of the vessels and soon to become the first of Aquana. They did not know where they were going, only that it was to become a better place than the one they left behind.
“Weeks passed by without results. The systems they were directed to visit were devoid of any habitable planets, some not having any planets at all, leaving many to wonder how these systems were chosen. When supplies started running low and ailing machinery forced half of the ships to be cannibalized to repair the other half, uncertainty dissolved into anger. Not at their leaders, but at Earth, who they could only now surmise as having grossly misinformed them about their chances in what was likely an effort to see how the colony ships would perform, regardless of actually finding anything. Their jump drives that now appeared like they procured them from a high school science fair were dropping them in random places of chosen systems, and each time they had to spend dwindling resources to regroup, draining the last fraction of life of more and more components that could no longer be coerced into function. Frozen moons, scorched surfaces, and gas giants were all their sensors ever picked up until one day, the vessel where both leaders were stationed was dropped under the shadow of a Citadel. By the time either of them arrived on the bridge, its defenses were already deployed, and they could only look on in horror as they stumbled across what they believed would be their final jump. Seconds turned into minutes, which turned into hours, their vessel close enough to stare down the barrels of cannons that their entire fleet of ships could likely fit into.
“Aquana immediately knew She had found Her people, but their resolve needed to be tested. She would wait and see what their reaction would be when faced with impossible odds. We responded as She hoped, lowering our guns to approach the situation logically and scientifically, and without further delay She withdrew the cannons. Floating beacons, otherwise invisible until their lights flared to life, offered direction, a path to follow to fly carefully towards the Citadel and, for those ships still stranded on the far end of the expansive debris field around it, a clear way through. She would not abandon any vessel, ensuring everyone made it safely and no further harm could come to them.”
Character took a deep breath and checked herself to make sure she still looked as lively as ever. Her teacher could see right through her on most days anyway, but she would endeavor today to pretend to be more interested in this history and less so in her study of agriculture.
“Once the entirety of the fleet was regrouped and situated in their normal formation beside the station, She seized control of the jump drives across every ship, kicking them to life without the need for input coordinates, and they were jumped to Her home world, an Ocean world that would come to be called Aquana’s Sanctuary. She carefully placed their ships in orbit, but having no way to directly speak to them away from Her Sanctum, She could only look on in sorrow as they had to learn which of them was allowed in this system, and which was not. It had taken a moment for some to regain their footing, as jumps were often best done in the seated position, while others who were lucky enough to already be steadied were recoiling away from the windows and shielding their eyes, crying in pain. Those that were unaffected quickly escorted those that were to the centrally located infirmities, where whatever ailed them cleared up without incident or intervention. As Aquana knew, they once again did not act rashly, putting a stop to all activity on their ships while they organized a meeting to decipher everything that had transpired over the last few hours.
“While they were all masters of their own fields, it did not take a team of rocket scientists to realize that only those with blue eyes could be exposed to the star and not appear to be affected by it. Those without were always left reeling in agony and partially blind until removed from its sight. The exact reason for such a phenomenon warranted a deeper study, as Aquana hoped they would endeavor to explore someday, but more pressing concerns would force that to wait. Aquana’s Sanctuary would only be habitable by those with blue eyes, and there was a brief moment of dissension between allowing those who could land leave, and staying together to seek another home. Aquana had already planned for this sudden disagreement, and spun to life a sensor that had been malfunctioning and shut down weeks ago in an effort to get someone's attention. She showed them another Ocean world just one system over with a much more amicable and familiar Class K star, and an agreement was reached shortly afterwards. Everyone with blue eyes, including the two leaders, would not waste the opportunity to put at least part of their fleet down and establish a home here, while the rest moved on to the other world. They could communicate by modifying a few ships to act as relays, and their new civilization could start with two worlds instead of one.
“Aquana knew that at their current level of technology, they would require some amount of land to set down on, and had already prepared a tiny fraction of Her world, raising Her temple from the depths of the waters to create an island. It gave them little room to work with, which was ideal enough for the small amount of people that were able to come, and they directed their descent to the highest point of the island to get the clearest view of the surrounding area. But this hill became more misshapen and odd as they approached, it's features sharp and rigid rather than smooth and gradient, and only one flat area presented itself as a safe area to deploy their landing gear.
“The expected soft thud of soil was replaced by a jarring metallic hum as struts put them on solid ground for the first time in weeks. The leaders, ever cognizant of their surroundings, fired the Reaction Control Thrusters that lined the bulkhead underneath them to wash away the overgrowth that covered what they had landed upon, such that when they exited and stepped foot on Sanctuary for the first time, they were perched on a metal platform, circular by design and elevated above the surroundings.”
“You know, repeating your history book verbatim is impressive, but does little to convince me that you understand it.” Her teacher frowned, tapping a pencil in the book where she had been cut off at. "I know you dislike it, but rest assured I do not wish to hold you back from your duties any longer than I have too."
“Then what else is required, Ma'am?” Character whined, fidgeting uncomfortably. Instead of being elevated to a Disciple, something that typically should have happened a few months ago when she turned eighteen, she was instead undergoing week after week of rigorous tests. There was something holding her back, something her instructor remained steadfastly silent on, and would only offer the platitude that she simply wasn't ready yet. “None of the other Disciples had to spend so much time in history. We all know what happened. Specificity of details is inconsequential.”
“Not to you, Character. I will not have my pupil shirk important details. You will need to know them someday.”
“Will you tell me for what? My passion lies in agriculture. We are so close to developing sustainable ocean based farms that would increase our food production and allow the populations of our colonized systems to multiply three fold. It would revolutionize…”
But she was cut off there. “Your peers will make that breakthrough with or without you. Now, I think this history lesson is over. If you’ve managed to memorize the entire book, then I’ll assume you can recall any chapter at will, and that will have to suffice. We are short on time.” She pushed her glasses back up her nose and stood, motioning for Character to follow her. “I have only one more more test for you.”
Character could not help but let a sigh slip past her lips. Her plan this morning was to finish her school work early and race down to the laboratory to assist harvesting the samples after the last batch proved much more promising. Instead, she was blindsided by tests, one after the other, challenging her to unearth things she learned years ago. It was exhausting, further exasperated by being kept in the dark about the reasoning, and she had to cling to the Fourth Directive to establish some solid ground beneath her feet.
“Where are we going?” Character inquired as they left the classroom and began heading down a paved path towards the water. There wasn’t anything in the direction they were traveling but a secluded beach, often used for festivals and celebrations but rarely otherwise.
“Eighteen years, Character. Eighteen and you still do not listen to me.” Her instructor rolled her eyes dramatically, stepping aside to let the much younger and more lively body advance down the steps quicker than her. “Like I said, this is my final test.”
“For today, right?” She added, obediently following the path while trying to urge her instructor to quicken the pace. It was late in the evening now, but if she hurried she might still make it over to the greenhouses before sunset.
“There will be many more tests in your future, but yes, your final test for today. Now, no further questions. It looks like I held you too long and they beat us here.” She motioned ahead towards the beach that Character, who had been walking backwards, failed to notice. It was more empty than usual, occupied by two towering Guardians, stoic as ever as they maintained a silent vigil nearby. Beyond them stood the only other person visible, an elderly woman standing in the water a few dozen meters out, looking out over the setting sun as her robe rippled in the breeze. “You have been a wonderful student, Character. Remember, if you ever need anything, you know where I'll be.”
The sudden appearance of sincerity from her instructor that she rarely witnessed took her off guard, as did the distance the voice was heard from, causing her to stop on the sandy shore and turn around. Her instructor had not followed her past the wooden steps leading down. “Have been? Surely you aren't so tired of me that you plan on passing me off to another?” A chuckle forced its way past her lips to try to break the rising tension in the air as she suddenly felt three sets of eyes on her. “You can’t go soft on me now, not after all these years.”
Something was fought back behind her instructors face, but as usual she hid it well enough to be just out of reach. “Go, Character. Go speak with her. I will wait here for your return, as the conversation you are about to have is private.”
“I got that impression from those two brick walls standing over there.” She tried to joke again, but it sounded more anxious than anything else. And when her instructor only returned an expressionless stare, she had no choice but to turn away and approach the woman at as slow of a pace as she felt she could get away with. Passing by one of the Guardians, she bowed her head respectfully and greeted him, to which he did the same before motioning her to continue onward and stop procrastinating. Well, it had been worth an effort at least.
The woman was already ankle deep in the water, and Character had to take a moment to remove her shoes and roll her pants up past her knees, as to bring anything but oneself into Aquana’s waters was forbidden. She took careful and purposeful steps until they stood shoulder to shoulder, her mind racing in so many different directions that trepidation managed to get the better of her and seize her voice. “With whom do I have the pleasure of speaking with?” If she was escorted all the way to the surface by multiple Guardians, an odd gesture for a society in pursuit of pacifism, she must of been of some importance.
“Hush, my child. When was the last time you enjoyed a sunset?”
Character had to reach back nearly eight years to find such a moment, and it had only been spent at the behest of her instructor. “Nearly eight years ago I think.”
There was a long pause, perfectly timed to unsettle her without giving her opportunity to speak again. “Yes, I was afraid of that. You have been so focused on your studies that you have failed to stop and appreciate the beauty that Aquana has given us.”
What part of this was a test? “I have aspired to follow the Sixth Directive, Ma’am, and my studies have reaped plentiful rewards for our civilization.”
The woman sighed, lowering her gaze. “If we do not take a moment out of our lives every day to enjoy the beauty around us, then we will one day wake up and wonder where it all went.” She began to turn to face her. “Promise me, you will not miss a sunrise ever again.”
The request was odd, as in her opinion, time wasted watching a sunrise was time that could have been spent over a microscope. “Yes Ma’am, I promise. But…” As she turned to meet the others gaze and inquire what purpose there was in such activities, she quickly realized who she was speaking so casually with. The force of the epiphany knocked her backwards a couple steps and dropped her to a knee hard enough that water splashed up into her face. “Chosen!” She exclaimed, eyes wide and glued to the now shaky reflection below. “What are you doing off of Aquana’s Sanctuary? Is it not forbidden for you to leave?”
The wistful jest in her voice vanished. “Tell me child, where does it say that?”
Character rapidly jogged her memory, always prepared to meet a question she was certain she knew the answer too. Yet, she found no recollection of that rule explicitly being stated, anywhere. Instead, it was only a connection she had made, a correlation between being the voice of Aquana and needing to be on Her planet at all times to receive it. It never occurred to her that Aquana might allow Her Chosen to leave briefly for matters of extreme importance, and it was a painful realization that her assumption had just cost her a mistake. “I-It doesn’t, Chosen.” She was finally forced to admit the error, the first one she had made in longer than she could remember.
“And here I was assured you were ready. Have I been misinformed?”
That comment snaked under Character’s skin so effortlessly she did not have time to register the intrusion, and subsequently couldn’t stop a snappy ego fueled retort sent blazing past her throat. “Ready for what, Chosen? I have dedicated my life to the eventuality that I would become a Disciple, and despite the accolades from my peers, I have not earned that honor yet like all those before me when they come of age. I made an incorrect assumption based on a combination of factors that I put together internally without all appropriate information to do so. A careless mistake for anyone, more so for a scientist, and for that I am sorry.” She had managed to regain some of her composure near the end of her thought, taking some of the edge from an otherwise inappropriate tone.
She chuckled, dismissing the remark with a wave of her hand, a bit of humor returning to her voice. “Goodness, they informed me that you were feisty. That's good, don't let go of that." Her throat cleared. "And you should never compare yourself to others. You have proven to be exceptionally valuable in the research projects of this world, and if it were up to me, you were ready to become a Disciple two years ago after that dissertation on ocean based farming that will one day revolutionize our society.” She paused, reaching down to cup the bottom of Character’s chin and bring her eyes up so that she could see them. “Even our best and brightest make mistakes sometimes, and it doesn't make them any less worthy of their posts. What I came here to find out, is if you are ready to become the Chosen.”
Character suddenly found herself bounced relentlessly between speechlessness, astonishment, terror, excitement, confusion, and the one most apparent on her face, shock. Never once in her studies had the thought occurred to her that she might one day become the Chosen. She wasn't certain she ever wanted to be, having so thoroughly been engrossed in her agricultural pursuits to even consider it. Additionally, there were tens of thousands of Disciples for Aquana to choose from at any time for any reason, why had She chosen her, who wasn’t even officially a Disciple yet? A million questions jumped to mind, and as they all vied for control to be asked first, none of them made it out.
“What’s the matter? They said you were sharp as a tack, impossible to sweep off your feet. I seem to have accomplished it with just one sentence.” She smirked, sliding her hand away and gently swatting Character’s nose as it left her face. “Stand up, Aquana requested that I not be gone long. So if you would, please cut the formalities so we can wrap this conversation up and I can return to my duties, as short lived as they are about to be.”
Character wasn’t sure what was off balancing her more now, the prospect of becoming the Chosen, or the lackadaisical attitude about it coming from the current holder of that title. “Y-Yes, Ma’am.” She stood on shaky legs, but still stood. “But, why me? I'm not even a Disciple yet.” The most important question muscled its way to the front.
“Shush shush. You were a Disciple by law the moment you turned eighteen. And we do not question Aquana’s decisions, only trust that they are the right ones as they always have been. She predicted your ascension eighteen years ago, and I’ve been watching you closely since the day you were born. Now, tell me what I’m supposed to tell you before I leave. That is your test. Then you may go.”
Finally, something she could dig her footing into, an academic question. “Second Directive of Aquana. The Chosen must look presentable at all times to both Aquana and her Disciples. Therefore, you must have been told how I am expected to dress myself prior to arrival.” She sounded like a machine, both from reading the Directive almost word for word, and still processing what was happening.
“Very good. I expected no less from someone so talented. Your command is to be ‘Bathed in blue’. Interpret it how you like." She turned to leave, throwing one last comment over her shoulder as she walked away. "And do not forget your promise.” Her Guardians awaited to escort her back to the spaceport, leaving Character standing alone in the water, where she stayed for the next few minutes until her instructor beckoned her return before the tide started to come in and rise above her knees. Character obeyed mostly on autopilot, and once clear of the water she was met with a warm hug, the first and only time her instructor had done so.
It was precisely what she needed. "Did you know?" Character mumbled into her ear.
"Since the day I saw you. Now, I believe this has been enough excitement for one day. Come and rest, we can discuss all relevant matters in the morning."
Work in progress. Please refer to other tabs for more completed thoughts.
