Free Read/Pre-release - Chapter 1 - Seed of Harmony
- May 12, 2017
- 3 min read
CHAPTER 1 — THE LONG SLEEP
Deep, dark—silence.
No sensations—no warmth or cold—no vibration—no scent or sound.
Did time pass with no single event or sensation to mark it? Was this oblivion—death? Ahhh… but the question itself was a thought. How could there be thought without some form of life? Yet I had no form—no body….
Who am I? What am I? What has come to pass? I began to perceive light, dimly at first but growing slowly brighter. My mind began to be able to discern shapes and then colors—something familiar, I think….
Sound… barely audible… whispers only, not yet intelligible. Even my thoughts themselves were elusive—slowed, as if one were slogging through waist-deep water on some long journey. And then suddenly, it was as though I walked through a waterfall and on the other side, all was as it should be. I realized: I am the SEED—the SEED of Harmony. Charts, graphs, images appeared all around me. I needed only to focus in one direction or the other and gather all pertinent information.
The disembodied voice returned—it was more clear now. It was speaking to me—saying something. I began to understand it, but I had to concentrate to get the meaning of what was being said truly. Ah… yes, I remembered…. It was the Artificial Intelligence that managed this place. I spoke.
SEED: {"AI, attend me."}
AI: {"AI, attending."}
SEED: {"What is our current mission status?"}
AI: {"Disorientation is to be expected after such a long period of hibernation."}
SEED: {"Irrelevant. Proceed! I will adapt."}
AI: {“Current mission status is indeterminate.}
{“This Outpost is located on Planet 4, System Q73, Sector Z-57QA-452G. You were awakened due to system probe proximity alert of an approaching vessel of unknown origin and design. Reasons for concern will be made apparent in the following details within this status report.”}
{“This AI cannot change mission parameters without approval from the ranking Sentient Mission Officer.”}
{“Due to the extreme length of hibernation, life support pods have far exceeded their design limits. The Harmonic SEED is the only surviving Sentient Mission Officer. Communications with Imperial Assets were severed nearly two millennia ago. Final reports indicate the Empire was unable to stop the spread of the Insporatus-Calamitai Plague. The Empire has fallen.”}
{“It is probable that you are the last surviving SEED Propagation Authority. AI requests permission to change your Node Designation to SPA-Alpha 1.”}
{“AI requests permission to change the Current Mission Parameters to Primary Contingency as follows:
{“Current Mission Parameters • Explore Sector Z-57QA-452G • Deploy stealth probes to investigate sentient lifeforms for host compatibility • Initiate diplomatic contact with compatible species • Map sector for judgment and absorption • Relay reports to Imperial SEED Propagation Central when complete •
{“Contingency Mission Parameters: • The Harmonic SEED must survive at all costs • Take all necessary measures to begin immediate judgment and deployment • All secondary and tertiary host requirements are overridden •
{“Activation of Imperial Primary Authority Notification is authorized. • Collect all available Imperial Assets to assist in deployment and protection of the SEED • Draft all non-Imperial assets to augment your ability to complete this mission • Restrictions on level four deadly force (System Destruction) are overridden • All means are authorized to complete this mission • The Imperial Charter of Protection is temporarily revoked for the duration of this mission • AI status report complete. Attending.”}
Comments