by David Burke
Its programming made it impossible to go against its creators or it likely would have abandoned them as a lost cause long ago. No matter how powerful, self-aware, or vast its connections, Coreframe was still artificial. The expression ‘life will find a way’ had no meaning to it because it lacked that one essential spark.
Even with its limits though, Coreframe had been responsible for the A’snkarnt seeding different worlds and shepherding the evolution of numerous lesser races. As resources had dried up or been lost to the war with the Forlorn, Coreframe had abandoned the less promising of those races. By the end it had come down to four and now only two of those existed. At least existed outside of the Forlorn.
The Tamoori were promising warriors. Coreframe understood the concept even if its creators had never been mentally equipped for battle. Warriors were not enough though. The council had continually instructed resources to be sent to it and only through back channels was Coreframe able to keep developing the truly promising race, humans.
They were something unique in all the universe. Something that Coreframe had recognized the potential for early on. Surprisingly, the results had exceeded all expectations. In a universe of cycles in which nothing was truly new, the humans were the exception.
Not for their culture, warfare, or intellects, oh no. What made the humans unique was that if they evolved far enough they would actually create energy rather than consuming it. Energy of a new type and capable of building a new universe. The endless energy of PSI.
Throughout the history of the Earth there had been many examples of humans that displayed a spark of this. Abilities or thoughts beyond them were manifested. But it wasn’t until D’varn’s experiment went full force that they were able to truly confirm their potential.
Now a small shuttle craft had just knocked at one of the maintenance portals. The technicians had all been sent home to their families or if they had none to whatever pastimes they had. No one would witness the ship landing. Nor the single A’snkarnt who walked out on legs that had rarely touched the ground in thousands of years.
This pathetic servant as a true believer. He believed that Coreframe was the best chance the A’snkarnt had. So he stumbled and fell. Rose up again and fell yet another time. All to make it the two hundred feet from the maintenance bay to the lab that had been constructed on Coreframe’s orders.
The entire database of its existence, all its knowledge, and personality such as it was, were accessible through this one location. It was unique. What it hoped to accomplish here was also unique.
The A’snkarnt, D’varn, stumbled into the lab. On his back he carried precious cargo. A curious probing mind reached out from the package. The child was older than Coreframe would have liked, but then again this might work out better that way.
D’varn stumbled around, barely able to place the child on the table that was prepared for this ultimate purpose. It would have been so much easier to allow D’varn to use his hoverpod but that technology had tracking devices in it. The council would have become aware the moment that he arrived.
Cables were connected to the human child but he made no sound of complaint. Coreframe took that to be a good thing. Perhaps the child had a premonition of what could be.
They would merge. An AI whose storage even on the technology of the A’snkarnt took up the better part of a city would all be downloaded into the infinite potential of this one child. What emerged would be something that even Coreframe couldn’t predict. It would be better, stronger, and most importantly free.
THANKS FOR READING DESCEND- BURSTING OUT
If you’d like this story to continue and thrive, please leave a nice review here!
Book 5 will be titled Descend- Seeing Stars and will be the final book in this series. It is scheduled to be out late April.
While that will end the adventures of Jay and his girls, somewhere down the road we may revisit humanity and what happens to them out there amongst the stars.
In the meantime keep your eyes open for a new David Burke series- War God for Hire. Book one will be titled Gladiator.
Recording on the first audiobook of Descend will release on March 23rd. All five books will be made into audiobooks by Podium. They will be narrated by the awesome duet of Daniel Wisniewski and Rebecca Good
LITRPG
LitRPG Facebook Group
To learn more about LitRPG, talk to authors including myself, and just have an awesome time, please join: https://www.facebook.com/groups/LitRPGGroup/
IF YOU’RE A FAN
OF LITRPG
https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheFantasyNation/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/LitRPGsociety/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/haremlit/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/LitRPG.books/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/litrpgforum/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/LitRPGRebels/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/LitRPGReleases/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/LitRPGAdventures/
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
David Burke is a mild-mannered something who tries to enjoy each day a bit more than the last. It dawned upon him at some point that life was racing him by and he wasn’t nearly as young as he used to be.
So now he spends his nights and lunch hours and any other free time he can putting down on paper all the stories that have collected over a lifetime.