Tyrant

by James K

  ###-iChapter-i1-i--iDescent

  "Red-iAlert!-iRed-iAlert!-iAll-icrew-iproceed-iin-ibattle-istation!"

  A-iloud-isiren-iaccompanied-iby-ian-iexplosion-ishook-itheir-ispacecraft.-iVarious-ipersonnel-iof-ithe-iship-iis-iscrambling-iabout-ito-iget-ito-itheir-istations.

  "Damage-ireport?"

  The-isteel-idoor-iopened-iand-iCaptain-iHeather-iwith-ihis-ison-iimmediately-iasked-iwithout-iwaiting-ifor-ithe-idoor-ito-iclose-ias-ihe-ientered-ithe-ibridge.

  "Rear-ishield-i–-i9%-idamaged,-iAll-itheir-imissiles-iare-itargeting-iour-ithrusters.-iOur-ienemy-iseems-ito-iplan-ito-ijust-iimmobilize-iour-iship!"

  Officer-iLylia-ianswered-ias-ishe-ichecked-ion-iher-imonitor-ithe-idamage.-iShe-inoticed-ithat-iall-imissiles-iare-iaiming-itheir-iships-iaft.

  "15%-idamaged!"

  "Put-iall-ipower-ion-irear-ishield!"

  "Yes,-iCaptain!-iShifting-ishield-ipriority."

  "Maximum-ioutput-iactivated-ion-irear-ishield."

  After-ia-ifew-imore-ibombardment,-ithe-idamage-ireached-i24%-ion-itheir-ishield-iand-ithe-iship's-ishaking-icame-ito-istop.

  "Have-iyou-irecognized-ithis-ifleet?-iHow-icome-ithey've-iclosed-iin-iwithout-ibeing-idetected?"

  "Yes.-iThat's-ithe-inewest-ibattle-icruiser-iof-iMeredith-iEmpire-i–-i'Executor'.-iIf-iit-iweren't-ifor-ithe-imines-iwe-isent-iout-ibefore,-ithey-iwould-ihave-igotten-ieven-icloser."

  As-ithe-icomms-ioffice-ianswered-ithe-icaptain,-ihe-iimmediately-iprojected-iseveral-ifeeds-iof-ithe-ispacecraft-ion-ithe-icenter-iscreen.-iEveryone-iin-ithe-ibridge-inoticed-ithat-itheir-inumbers-iaren't-ismall.-i

  'No-iwonder'.-iCaptain-iHeather-irealized-iwhy-itheir-iradar-iwasn't-iable-ito-idetect-ithis-istealthy-ispacecraft.

  Everyone-iwas-iaware-iof-ithis-inew-ibattle-icruiser-iof-ithis-iinvasive-iempire.-iExecutor-iis-ia-imedium-sized-ivessel-iwith-iexcellent-imanoeuvrability-iand-ihigh-ifirepower-iaccompanied-iby-ithe-imost-iadvanced-istealth-itechnology-iof-ithe-iEmpire.

  Although-iits-isize-iis-iway-ismaller-ithan-itheir-iDreadnaught-Class-iZymeth,-itheir-ispaceship's-icurrent-ifirepower-iis-iat-iits-ilowest.-i

  They-ihave-ijust-ileft-ia-ibattlefield-iand-ion-itheir-iway-iback-ito-iresupply-itheir-imunitions.-iThey-ihave-idiscovered-ia-ifew-irelics-iof-ian-ialien-itechnology-ibut-ibefore-ithey-icould-ileave-ithe-iplace,-ithey-ihave-ibeen-iambushed-iby-itheir-ibusiness-irivals.

  Yes,-ithe-iDreadnaught-Class-iZymeth-iisn't-ia-ipart-iof-iarmy-ifrom-isome-iNation-ior-iEmpire-ibut-iowned-iby-ia-ibusiness-itycoon-iwhich-iis-iCaptain-iHeather-ihimself.

  They-ino-ilonger-ihired-isomeone-ito-iprotect-ithem-ion-itheir-ibusiness-itrades-iin-ispace-ibut-ihave-itheir-iown-iforces-ito-iprotect-ithemselves.

  Unfortunately,-ithey-ihave-ino-imeans-ito-iresupply-iand-iseek-ireinforcement-ion-itheir-ibranch-ithat-iis-istill-ithree-istandard-ihours-iaway-ifrom-itheir-icurrent-ilocation.

  His-itrip-ito-iAsteroid-iBul'Zar-iwas-ito-iretrieve-ia-icertain-irelic-ifrom-iwho-iknows-ihow-imany-imillennias-iago.-iHe-iinvested-ia-ilot-ion-ithis-idangerous-itrip-icausing-ihim-ia-ilot-iof-iloss-ion-ihis-itrade-ibusiness.-iHeather-inever-iexpected-ithis-itrip-ihas-iattracted-ia-ilot-iof-iattention.-iThey-imade-isure-ithat-ithis-iexpedition-iwas-ikept-iin-isecret.

  "To-ithink-ithat-ieven-ithis-iMeredith-iEmpire-iwill-ibe-iinvolved-iin-ithis,-iat-ileast-ithey-iprobably-idon't-iwant-ito-idestroy-ithe-irelic-iwe-ihave-iretrieved"

  Captain-iHeather-ilooked-iat-ithe-iseveral-idozens-iof-iExecutor-icircling-iaround-itheir-iship.-iHe-inoticed-ithat-ia-iflagship-ithat-ihas-ipreviously-ibeen-iin-istealth-imode-iappeared-ibehind-ia-icluster-iof-ithese-iExecutor.-i

  Everyone-iin-ithe-ibridge-icould-ionly-ifeel-ihelplessness-iseeing-ithis-iImperial-Class-iArcane-iStar.-iIf-iit-iwas-ionly-ithese-iExecutors,-ithey-icould-ihave-imaximized-itheir-ishield-iand-ipropulsion-ito-iescape-ithis-ientrapment-iignoring-ithe-ifirepower-iof-ithese-imedium-sized-iCruisers.-iEven-ithough-ithey-ihave-ifew-imunitions-iand-icould-inot-iretaliate-imassively,-ithey-iare-isomehow-iconfident-ithat-ithey-icould-iwithstand-ithe-ishots-iof-ithese-iExecutors.-i

  "What's-iyour-iorder-iCaptain?"-i

  "Let's-iwait.-iThey-iwill-icontact-ius."

  He-iwas-iconfident-ias-ihe-ibelieved-ithat-ithe-iempire-iwants-ito-iacquire-ithe-igoods-iwithout-iany-idamages.

  As-isoon-ias-ihe-isaid-ithis,-ia-icontact-iimmediately-iarrived-iand-ithe-icomms-iofficer-iasked-ipermission-ito-ithe-iCaptain.-iBut-ibefore-ithat,-iCaptain-iHeather-ilooked-iat-ihis-ison-ithen-ito-ihis-isubordinate.

  "Shin,-iexecute-iprotocol-iLast-iCycle."

  He-iwas-ilooking-ivery-iseriously-ito-iShin-ia-iretired-ilieutenant-iin-ithe-iarmy-iwho-inodded-iwith-ithe-isame-idetermination-ias-ihis-iCaptain.

  "William,-ifollow-iShin-iand-ihe-iwill-ihelp-iget-iyou-iin-isafety."

  William-iwas-ia-ibit-ireluctant-ileaving-ithe-ibridge.-iAlthough-ihe-iwas-ionly-i15-iyears-iof-iold,-ihe-icontributed-ia-ilot-iin-ithe-iprevious-ibattle-iat-iAsteroid-iBul'Zar-iwhich-ihas-ia-ivery-itreacherous-ienvironment.-iBut-ilooking-iat-ithe-isituation-iand-ihow-ihis-ifather-ilooked-iserious,-ihe-iknows-ithat-ithere-iisn't-iany-iroom-ifor-iargument-ithis-itime.

  He-iwas-ialso-iaware-iabout-ithe-icurrent-istatus-iof-ithe-iship.-iAside-ifrom-ithe-ishield-ithey-icould-irely-ion.-iThey-ionly-ihave-ia-ifew-imissiles-iand-ihadron-ibeams-ithey-ican-iuse-ibefore-itheir-icanon-iwill-ifail.-iEven-itheir-iMech-iFrame-ionly-ihas-i6-ileft-ifrom-ithe-iprevious-ihundreds.-iThey-icould-inever-iwin-ithis-iupcoming-ibattle.

  "Yes,-ifather.-iPlease-ibe-icareful"

  William-icould-ionly-iabide-ito-ihis-ifather's-iorder-ileaving-iwith-ihis-iUncle-iShin.

  After-ithe-idoor-iclosed,-iCaptain-iHeather-iheaved-ia-isigh-ibefore-inodding-ito-ithe-icomms-iofficer-ito-iaccept-ithe-iaudio-visual-icall-iof-ithe-ienemy-iship.

  "Mr-iHeather,-iwe-imeet-iagain."-iA-ideep-iand-icalm-ivoice-iechoed-iin-ithe-iroom-ias-ithey-isaw-ithe-irepresentative-iof-itheir-ienemy-iship.-iThey-iall-ilooked-ito-ithis-istern-isoldier-iin-ihis-imid-thirties-isitting-ion-ithe-icaptains-isit.

  "Solon,-iso-iit-iwas-iyou!"-iCaptain-iHeather-ilooked-iat-ithe-ifamiliar-iperson-ion-ithe-iscreen.-iEverything-inow-imakes-isense-ito-ithe-icaptain.

  "I-inever-iknew-iyou-iwere-isuch-ia-ihigh-iranking-iofficer-iof-iMeredith-iEmpire."

  The-icaptain-igritted-ihis-iteeth-ias-ihe-itried-ito-icontain-ihis-ianger-iand-idisappointment-iin-ihis-ivoice.-iSolon-iwas-idelighted-iseeing-iHeather-icame-ito-irealization.

  "You-iknow-iwhy-iI'm-ihere-iHeather."

  'I-iwill-inever-ihand-iit-iover-ito-iyou-iSolon.'

  Captain-iHeather-isaid-iin-ihis-imind-ias-ihe-ilooked-iat-ione-iof-ithe-ismall-isurveillance-iscreen-ion-ithe-ibridge.-iHe-inoticed-ithat-ithe-ipreparation-ifor-iLast-iCycle-iProtocol-iwas-ialmost-icompleted.

  'I'll-ibuy-itime-ias-imuch-ias-iI-ican.-iIt's-iall-iup-ito-iyou-iWilliam.-iFarewell,-ison.'

  ***

  "Uncle-iShin,-iwhat's-iwith-ithe-iprotocol?"-i

  William-iasked-ias-ithey-iwalked-ialong-ithe-ihallway.-iHe-inoticed-ithat-ithey-iweren't-igoing-ito-ithe-ishelter-ibut-iactually-ito-ithe-iwarehouse-iwhere-ithe-irelics-iwhere-ileft-iin-istock.

  "It-iis-ito-isafeguard-iyou-iand-ithe-irelic,-iWilliam.-iYou-ihave-ito-isurvive-iin-ithis-iplace.-iThe-irelic-icould-inot-ibe-ihanded-iover-ito-ianyone.-iThis-irelic-iis-ithe-ifruit-iof-iyour-imother's-iresearch."-i

  Uncle-iShin-ianswered-ias-ihe-iopened-ithe-idoor-ito-ithe-iwarehouse.-iSeveral-itied-icontainers-ican-ibe-iseen-ion-ithe-iright-ipart-iof-ithe-iroom.

  William-iwas-iastounded-ithat-ithe-irelic-ithat-ihis-ifather-itried-ito-iobtain-iat-iall-icost-ihas-isome-irelation-ito-ihis-imother.-iHe-inever-iexpected-iit.

  He-iwas-ionly-iaware-ithat-ithe-irelic-icould-iearn-ithem-ia-ihuge-isum-iof-imoney.

  'It-iseems-ithere-iare-istill-ia-ilot-iof-isecret-iin-ithis-irelic.'

  He-iwould-ilike-ito-ias
k-ia-ifew-imore-iquestions-ibut-ithey-iobviously-idon't-ihave-ienough-itime.

  His-iuncle-iShin-istopped-imomentarily-iand-ipressed-isome-ifew-icontrol-ibuttons-ion-ihis-iwrist-iguard.-i

  Whoosh~

  A-iroom-iwas-iseen-iafter-ithe-iwalls-ion-ithe-ileft-ipart-iof-ithe-iroom-iwas-isplit-iopen.

  What-iWilliam-isaw-iis-ia-ivery-iimpressive-iship.-iIt-iwas-ia-ismall-iship-ithat-ilooks-ilike-ia-iluxury-iCorvette-class-ispaceship.-i

  Uncle-iShin-iurged-ihim-ito-igo-iin.-i

  William-iobediently-inodded-iand-istarted-ito-iget-iin.

  "Let's-iwait-ithe-iothers-ihere-ithen?-iHmm..-iI-ididn't-ithought-iwe-ihave-ithis-iship."

  He-ichecked-ithe-istatus-iof-ithe-iship.-iThe-iship-iis-ialready-ion-istandby-imode-iand-iready-ito-itake-ioff-ianytime.

  These-ikinds-iof-iship-iaren't-ifor-ilarge-iscale-ibattle-ibut-ieven-iif-ithat-iwas-ithe-icase,-iwhen-ilooking-iat-ithe-idesign,-ihe-icould-isee-isome-iadvance-itechnology-ifrom-ia-ipowerful-iempire-iincluding-ithe-iexquisite-ipropulsion-itech-ithat-ithis-ispaceship-iwere-iusing.-i

  "How-iabout-iyou,-ifather,-iand-ieveryone?"-i

  As-ihe-irealize-ithat-ihis-iUncle-iShin-ididn't-ianswer.-iWilliam-iasked-iagain.

  He-iknew-ithat-ithey-icould-inot-iall-ifit-iin-ithis-ispaceship-iin-icase-ithey-ineed-ito-iescape.-iHe-iis-iaware-ithat-ithere-iis-ia-ispecific-ishelter-iwith-iseveral-iescape-ipods-ion-ithe-iship.-i

  There-iis-inothing-iwrong-ito-iretreat-iwhenever-ithere-iis-iextreme-idanger-iahead.-iAfter-iall,-ialthough-ithe-icrew-ithey-ihave-iare-imostly-iretired-iofficers,-imercenary-iand-iprofessionals-ion-itheir-ifield,-ithey-iaren't-ipatriotic-isoldiers-itrying-ito-iprotect-isome-icountry-ibut-iall-ihere-ito-isupposedly-iearn-ia-iprofit-ion-ithis-iexpedition.

  He-ibelieves-ithat-iif-itheir-iship-icouldn't-ihandle-ithe-ibattle,-ihis-ifather-imay-iorder-ito-ihandover-ithe-irelics-ito-ithe-imarauders-iand-iwill-inot-isacrifice-ihis-imen's-ilives.-iBut-iif-ithese-imarauders-iaren't-isatisfied-iwith-ijust-ithat-iand-iwants-ithem-ito-ibe-isilenced,-ihe-ibelieved-ithey-icould-ionly-iretaliate-ias-imuch-ias-ithey-ican-iand-iorder-ian-iescape-iif-ipossible

  But-iwith-ieverything-isaid,-iit-iseems-ithat-iWilliam-iis-istill-iignorant-ion-ihow-iimportant-ithis-irelic-iis.

  "You-iwill-itake-ithis-iship-iand-iescape.-iWe-iwill-ihave-iour-iown-iescape-iroute."

  ***

  William-iimmediately-iwoke-iup-iafter-ihearing-isome-inoise-icoming-ifrom-ithe-imonitor.-iHe-ilooked-iat-ithe-iscreen-iand-ihe-inoticed-ithat-ihe-iwas-inearing-ito-ia-icertain-iplanet.

  The-ibuzzing-isound-iwas-idue-ito-imultiple-ierrors-ior-iwarning-isign-itelling-ihim-ithat-ithis-iplanet-iis-inot-iincluded-iin-iany-idatabase-ithat-ihuman-icivilization-ihas-ireached.-i

  It-iwas-ialready-ihis-isecond-iweek-iwandering-iaimlessly-iin-ithe-ispace.-iHe-iset-ithe-idestination-ito-ithe-icoordinates-iof-ithat-iplanet.

  "About-isix-istandard-idays."

  He-imurmured-ias-ihe-inoticed-ithe-inumber-ion-ithe-iscreen-iwhen-ichecking-ithe-iETA.

  There-iis-ino-ichoice-ibut-ito-itry-ito-icheck-ithat-iplanet-iand-itry-ihis-ichances-ithere.-iThough-ilooking-iat-ihis-isupplies-iwithin-ithe-iship,-ihe-idiscerned-ithat-iit-iwould-ilast-ihim-imaybe-ian-ientire-iyear-ibut-ihe-iwould-inever-iknow-iif-ihe-iwould-ieven-isee-iany-iknown-iplanet-iin-ihis-icurrent-ilocation.-iDuring-ihis-ientire-ijourney-ithe-iship's-iA.I.-itried-iall-ipossible-icalculation-ion-iits-ihuge-idatabase-ibut-ithey-icould-inever-iidentify-itheir-icurrent-istar-isystem-ior-igalaxy.-i

  This-iall-ihappened-iafter-ihis-iUncle-iShin-iordered-ihis-iquick-ideparture.-iThe-iship's-iA.I.-iwho-ihe-icalls-iAvalon,-ias-iits-iwritten-ion-ithe-iscreen,-iwas-iactivated-iby-ihis-iUncle-ias-isoon-ias-ihe-iwas-ion-ipilot-iseat.-iAvalon-iactually-itook-iover-ithe-iflight-iand-iWilliam-ionly-iwatched-ias-ihis-ismall-iship-ithat-iis-iin-istealth-imode-iescape-ithe-ientrapment-iof-ithe-ienemies.-i

  He-iwas-iactually-ishocked-iduring-ithat-itime-ias-ieven-ithe-iMeredith-iEmpire's-ilatest-itechnology-icould-inot-idetect-ihis-iship-iwith-iall-itheir-iradar-iand-isensors.-i

  He-iremembered-ithat-iwhen-ihe-ilooked-iat-ithe-imonitors-ion-ithe-iscreen-iand-iobserved-ithe-isituation-iof-iZymeth,-iit-ilooks-ilike-ithey-iwere-iabout-ito-ibe-ibesieged.-iBut-ias-ihis-iship-imoved-iaway-ithe-iencirclement-ihe-inoticed-ithat-ithere-iwas-isome-ichanges-ion-ithe-icenter-iscreen-iand-iquickly-ilooked-iat-iit.

  Last-iCycle-iActivated.

  It-iwas-ithe-ionly-iwords-iwritten-iand-iafter-ithat-iwas-ibright-ilight-itaking-iover-ihis-ivision.-iHis-ivisor-iimmediately-iactivated-ito-iprotect-ihis-isight.-iHe-ilooked-iat-ihis-iback-iwhere-ithe-ilight-icame-ifrom-iand-inoticed-ia-icube-ithat-iwas-ijust-ithe-isize-iof-ifist-ionly-iafter-iseveral-iadjustment-iof-ihis-ivisor-idue-ito-ithe-ibright-ilight-iit-idischarges.

  He-ithought-iat-ifirst-ithat-iit-iwas-ijust-ia-idecoration-ibut-ilooking-iat-iit-inow,-iit-iseems-ito-ibe-ione-iof-ithe-irelic-ithey-iretrieved-iand-ithe-iplace-iit-iwas-iattached-ion-iwhat-iseems-ito-ibe-ilinked-ito-ithe-iwhole-iship-ias-ihe-isaws-ilines-iof-ilight-iwebbing-ithrough-isome-ipart-iof-ithe-iship.-i

  Is-ithis-ia-inew-itype-iof-ienergy-ithat-imy-imother-iis-iresearching?-iThis-iwas-iwhat-ihe-ihad-iin-imind-ias-ihe-inervously-iwaited-ito-isee-iwhat-ithis-iphenomena's-iabout-ito-ido.

  He-iheard-isome-ibuzzing-isound-iand-ilooked-iat-ione-iof-ithe-iscreen-iand-inoticed-ithat-ithis-iship-iwas-ilocked-iby-ithe-ienemy-iship.-iIt-iseems-ithat-idue-ito-ithe-ienergy-iof-iactivation-iof-ithe-icube,-itheir-istealth-iwas-iseen.-iBut-ithe-ibright-ilight-ididn't-ilast-ilong-iand-iit-ionly-itook-iover-i15-iseconds-ithen-ihe-ialmost-ilost-ihis-iconsciousness.

  It-iwas-ibecause-iafter-ithat-ibright-ilight,-ihis-iship's-iAvalon-icontinued-iit's-iflight-ibut-iin-iunimaginable-ispeed.-iIf-iit-iwas-iseen-ion-iothers-ipoint-iof-iview,-iafter-ithe-iship-idischarged-iit's-ibright-iwhite-ilight,-iit-ijust-idisappeared.-i

  It-iwas-ithen-ithe-istart-iof-ihis-iaimless-ijourney-iin-ian-iunknown-ilocation-iin-ithe-ispace-iuntil-ihe-ifound-ithis-iunrecorded-iplanet.-i

  Haaa~

  William-isighed-ias-ihe-iremembered-ihis-ifather-iand-ihis-icrew-ion-ithe-iship.-iHe-iwondered-iif-ithey-iwere-isafe.-iHe-itried-icontacting-ithem-iand-ieven-itried-ilogging-ito-ithe-iDark-iNet-ibut-iafter-imultiple-iattempt-ieven-iwith-ithe-ihelp-iof-iAvalon-ithey-iare-iunable-ito-iconnect.-iEven-iDark-iNet-iwho-iboasted-ito-ihave-iconnection-iin-imore-ithan-ia-ihundred-igalaxies-iis-iunusable.-iHe-icouldn't-ibrowse-ior-iget-iany-iinformation-ionline.

  ***

  William-iwas-inow-iwearing-ia-icombat-isuit.-iIt-iwas-ia-iblack-ibio-armor-isuit-ithat-ifitted-ihis-ientire-ibody.-iYou-iwouldn't-isee-ihis-iface-ias-iwell-iwith-ihis-isolid-imatte-iblack-ifull-iface-ihelmet.

  He-iwas-inow-ilooking-iat-ithe-iplanet-iwhich-iwas-ithe-isame-isize-iof-iplanet-iEarth-iand-ias-ithe-iship-igone-icloser-ihe-ialready-iprepared-ihimself-ion-iwhatever-ihe-iwill-iencounter-ion-ithis-ijourney.-iHis-ifirst-iaim-iof-icourse-iis-ito-icheck-iif-ithe-inatives-iof-ithis-iplanet-ihave-ihuman-icivilization-ior-ifriendly-iwith-iit-ibut-iif-ithey-iaren't,-ihe'll-icome-iup-iof-isomething-ito-iescape.-iHe-iwas-iconfident-ion-ihis-isurvival-iskills.-i

  William-iwas-ia-ibit-iworried-iof-ithe-ilanguage-ibarrier-iif-ithere's-ian-ialien-icivilization-ibelow-isince-ithis-iplanet-ishould-ibe-iundiscovered-iuntil-itoday.-iHe-icould-ionly-irely-ion-iAvalon's-istored-itens-iof-ithousands-ilanguages-ion-iit's-idatabase-ithat-ihuman-icivilization-iaccumulated-iin-ithousands-iof-iyears.-i

  His-isecond-iaim-iis-iof-icourse-ito-ifind-ia-iway-ito-icommunicate-iwith-ihis-ifamily.-iWhatever-iwill-ihappen,-ihe-iwill-ifirst-idescend-ion-ithis-iplanet-iand-itake-iit-ifrom-ithere.-i

  "Avalon,-istart-idescending."

  The-iship's-iA.I.-idutifully-iobeyed-ithe-iinstruction.-iHe-ialready-iwaited-ifor-ialmost-i12-ihours-ifor-iany-iform-iof-icommunication-ithat's-icoming-ifrom-ithe-iplanet-ibut-ino-ione-icontacted-ihim-iso-ihe-icould-ionly-icommand-ito-idescend.

  The-ireasons-ihe-icould-ithink-iof-iis-ithat-itheir-itechnology-iis-iso-ibackwards,-ior-ino-iintelligent-ibeings-iliving-iin-ithe-iplanet-ior-isome-iother-ipossibilities-ithat-icould-istop-ithem-ifrom-ima
king-icontact-iin-iouter-ispace.

  He-iwas-iworried-iof-ithis-ipossibility-ibecause-iit-imeans-ithat-ihe-iwon't-ibe-iable-ito-icommunicate-ito-ihis-ifamily-iif-ieven-ihis-iship's-ismall-ipiece-iof-icommunication-idevice-iwere-imuch-imore-iadvanced-ithan-ithe-itechnology-iof-ithis-iplanet.

  He-ilooked-iat-ithe-inow-idimmed-icube-iat-ithe-icenter-iof-ithe-ipilot-iroom-ijust-iat-ithe-iback-iof-ipilot-iseat.-i

  "Whatever-iyou-iare,-iyou're-imost-ilikely-ione-iof-ithe-ireason-iof-ithis-ientire-isituation."

  William-italked-ito-ithe-icube-ibut-iimmediately-ishook-ihis-ihead.-iHe-iwould-ifirst-ihave-ito-iset-ihis-ipriorities.-iUncovering-ithe-isecrets-iof-ithis-icube-iwould-icome-ilater-ionce-ihe-isettled-ihis-icurrent-ipredicament.

  *****

  William-iwas-inow-iseated-ion-ithe-ipilot-iseat-iand-iis-imonitoring-ithe-idamage-ireport-ipopping-iout-iof-ithe-iscreen-ias-ihis-iship-idescended-ion-ithe-iplanet.-iHis-iship-iobviously-iwasn't-iin-ia-igood-icondition-iand-ineeds-ito-ibe-irepaired.-iIt-ihad-ialready-iaccumulated-idamage-iwhen-ihis-iship-iwas-itransported-iby-ithe-ilight-ithat-icame-ifrom-ithe-icube.-iThis-idescent-iadded-ito-ithe-idamage.-iHe-iwould-iobviously-ineed-ito-irepair-iit-ifirst-iif-ihe-iwants-ito-itravel-iback-ito-ispace.

  It-ican-ialso-ibe-iseen-ithat-ithe-iA.I.-iwas-imultitasking-itrying-ito-iget-iphotos-ior-irelevant-iinformation-iit-icould-iget-ion-ithe-isurface-iof-ithe-iplanet.-iThe-iship-ihas-inow-itrying-ito-ifly-isafely-ion-iits-iatmosphere-iand-iWilliam-ican-inow-isee-ithe-isurface-iof-ithis-iplanet.-i

  "It-idoesn't-ilook-ithat-idifferent-ion-iEarth"

  William-imuttered-ias-ihe-ican-isee-ithis-ibeautiful-iscenery-iof-inature.-iThe-iship-iwas-icurrently-iflying-ion-itop-iof-ithe-iocean-ibut-ilooking-iin-ifront-iwas-ia-iland-iwith-ilush-iforest-iand-imountain.-iThe-iland-iseems-iso-ienormous-ithat-ihe-icouldn't-isee-ithe-iend.-i

  Damage-ihas-inow-ireached-i82%-iand-iexceeded-ithe-ithreshold.-iRecommending-ifor-iimmediate-idescent.-i

  A-irobotic-ivoice-iwas-iheard-ias-iWilliam-iwas-iviewing-ithe-iscenery.

  "Permission-igranted"-i

  Scanning-ifor-isafe-ilocation-ito-idescend.

  It-ionly-itakes-ifew-isecond-ifor-ithe-iAI-ito-iscan-ithe-isurroundings-iand-ifound-ian-iisolated-ismall-iisland-inear-ithe-imainland.-iThe-isystem-istarted-iits-icountdown-ifor-iits-idescent.-iWilliam-isaw-ia-ifew-idozen-iof-ismall-iislands-inear-imainland.-iThe-ichosen-iisland-iwas-iabout-i5km-iaway-ifrom-ithe-imainland.-iAs-ithe-iship-ineared-ithe-iisland-iand-iafter-ia-ifew-ishakes-ion-ithe-iship,-iit-ihas-isafely-idescended.