EliteCommander

The Cradle

Marae shrugged and turned her head towards Nirann. “Do you have anything, Nir?”

“Nothing tangible, other than that initial telemetry.” Nirann answered. “I’ve been collecting and analyzing every bit of the data stream coming from that object, checking for patterns, any way it could have been encrypted or corrupted, but…this is a process that deals with the data stream of an entire living mind. That’s a mountain jumbled up data in a programming language I haven’t seen before. Before I can even think of trying to interpret the raw data stream, I need to solve this language issue. Now, I’m good, but it will still take me time to work miracles.”

Marae tilted her head and crossed her arms skeptically. “It’s just a language translation. I could understand the delay if you were restricted to just this ship’s computer, but you have the Core at your disposal. With that kind of power, you should have the translation nearly done by this point.”

Nirann suddenly appeared beside Marae’s chair, just to start pacing around it. “Correction, I have access to the partition of the Core allocated to this expedition. And, as much as I hate to admit it, I can see why the Humans have had trouble with this one. This language is…weird.”

Marae narrowed her eyes. "What sort of 'weird'?"

“Weird…weird.” He answered.

Marae sighed and rolled her eyes. “Very helpful. But I know you have access to more of the Core than that. Just allocate more.”

By this point, Nirann was pacing back and forth around the entire table. “You know I have to get approval for that…”

Before the pair’s bickering could continue any longer, Rareth’Jharn made a quick connection with the outside network and, with just a few thoughts, made a decision to help move things along. “I’ve sent back my approval, with my authorization code. Make the allocation request and you’ll have as much of the Core as you need. Within reason.”

The expression on Nirann’s face could, perhaps, best be described as “giddy.” He clasped his hands together with a wide grin. “Ah, now that’s what I’m talking about. I can practically taste that sweet, sweet processing power. I’ll see what miracles I can work while you deal with this.”

It was difficult to tell if Marae was legitimately frustrated, but nevertheless, her attention was soon back on Freyr. “As for your question Dr. Lang, yes, I think that’s about the only step we have left with this experiment. We know that there is a simulation in there for the programs to observe, at least. It might just be that there’s something interfering with the return transmission. If that’s the case, our program does store a copy of all its observations in its internal memory, so hopefully we will be able to see its findings when we pull it out.”

The Cradle

The abundance of armed individuals, especially the Human soldiers, was a source of discomfort for some of the Rothian scientists. They were accustomed to Rothian authorities, but foreign soldiers could put them on edge, at least subconsciously. Though, Rareth, of course, was perfectly calm. She had been the one to approve the presence of Human supersoldiers, and as a Datius, her own capabilities were legendary. Even a Rahn’Masser agent like Vreta did not truly know how much of their reputation was true, and how much was propaganda.

Now that it was time to get to work, Marae cleared the space around the conference table for Freyr, Rareth, and the others to join her. Rareth stepped up to stand at one end of the table, while Nirann’s hologram appeared in the seat next to Marae. Vreta knew that his presence was not entirely necessary at the moment, but if there was space at the table, he intended to take a seat as well.

Marae was the one to start, once Freyr posed her question. “Yes. Now that the containment shield is in place, we are free to interact directly with the object. While we do not yet know the purpose of this object, I do agree with the approach of treating it as we would the Cradle. Given its location and properties, testing whether or not there is a simulation within is a fair starting point. Nirann has prepared a simplified scouting program. It is designed to carry out its one task, then shut itself down. It is not adaptable in the slightest, but it should be reliable. It is my understanding that your team has a program to try as well, Dr. Lang? I see no reason that we cannot attempt both, and once we have the results, we can decide on our next move.”

The Cradle

The wait for the containment field to be completed felt like an eternity for many of the scientists, despite the fact that the work was eventually done an hour ahead of schedule. For most, there was little to do except wait. Among the Rothians, Nirann had the most important work to complete, as he took one of the harnesses to scan, study, and prepare for Rothian use. Though, it was not a task that took him all that long to complete. With the resources he had at his disposal, he needed only half that time to make sure the Rothians would be ready. With the rest, he started exploring options of how to potentially improve the Human design with Rothian technology, Though, he certainly would not have any results before their first use.

---

Ultimately, the containment shield was completed around the object without any issues or delays. Laser drills dug down to the object and hollowed out cavities in the rock around it where the shield projectors were placed. The heat became more intense the closer they came to the mantle, but it still remained well-within the operating range of their equipment. Once the shield was ready, more than just the scientist made their way to the lab. Rareth’Jharn made certain to show up in-person to be present for any decisions they might want to make in regards to the object. Vreta too joined them in the lab, though as his presence was not strictly needed, he made sure to mostly keep out of the way at first. He lingered around the observation window, looking out over the ocean floor and the occasional, and sometimes frightening sea creatures that would swim by.

Marae’Ano had taken over what was normally a conference table with multiple holographic displays, including the object itself, the section of the deep crust around it, and pages upon pages of notes she had brought up for viewing and “pushed” aside without closing. Rareth had finally given the approval to begin direct observation and experimentation with the object, so now they just had to decide what to do first.

The Cradle

Marae nodded in response to Freyr. “What you describe does sound acceptable. However, there is one, non-negotiable condition. Any device that scans our technology must remain with us, and you must not be able to access data from it. There is no way I will be able to get approval for its use otherwise. No amount of cooperation is going to make the Rothian people any less protective over our technology’s designs, no doubt as you expected.”

Almost as soon as Marae finished speaking, Nirann chimed in as well. “And if it would upset you to lose your scanning device or your harness, I can just scan yours and fabricate a new one for us. Or, you know, just pay you back or something. Maybe in cash, maybe a…gift card to Etisxa’Maan. Whatever works.”

The Cradle

“That would also be a question for Rareth.” Marae answered. “Though, I would guess that she does. I do know that the first we send in will be soldiers to scout and secure a safe place for us to work.”

Nirann gave a quick glance over to the hologram of the octahedral object. “If this thing is a supercomputer like the Cradle, I definitely want to go in. I’ve never had the chance to learn about something so strange and alien that wasn’t also frustratingly primitive. Even I have to admit that your administrative capabilities on Outremer are impressive with your use of the Cradle, and you don’t even understand the thing fully. And considering that I’m in charge of the administration of Threria…well, you could see how that would interest me.”

“If we can confirm that it is safe, then maybe.” Marae said, narrowing her eyes at Nirann before returning her attention to Freyr. “We will need one of your harnesses to modify to our needs. If there is a simulation, then Rareth wants to make sure she and her people can be properly armed, and I definitely want to be able to use our equipment. We could develop one of our own, but it would be faster to work off of yours as a base.”

The Cradle

While Marae did little to even acknowledge the Agent’s behavior, just as most Rothians would have, Nirann, surprisingly, actually engaged with the comment. He chuckled as his hologram appeared in front of 595, towering over her. “Is it a contest I sense? Are we doing bets? If so, I’ll put a thousand down on my program. There’s not a programmer alive that can best me. You do have the advantage of hundreds of years of study on the Cradle environment and much more familiarity with its software architecture, but…I’m confident.”

Marae let out a sigh and rolled her eyes. “Nir, what did I say about your gambling problem?”

Nirann turned his head back and pointed a finger towards Marae. “Hey, it’s not gambling if there’s a guaranteed profit. I’m telling you, those returns were staying steady at 52.38%, and the margin of error was only 0.43%. That is hardly a gamble.”

Marae rubbed her hand over her head, sighing once more. “Please do me a favor and don’t encourage him. I make that mistake...far too often, as you can see.” She said as she enlarged the hologram of the new object and centered it between them all. “Let’s just focus on the task at hand. Once we are permitted to interact with the object, we can see if the hardware you use to access the Cradle can also access this device. If that works, we can try to send in our scouting programs. If that does not work, then we cannot make any decision that will potentially risk lives unilaterally. I do not know what authority you have been granted by your people, Dr. Lang, but any dangerous experiments will need to be run by Rareth’Jharn first for approval.”

The Cradle

Marae flicked her hand through the air and brought up another, scaled hologram of the Cradle on Outremer next to that of the newly-discovered object. She also reviewed some of the information the Humans had elected to release to them on the Cradle’s simulation. “It is still worth trying, I would say. No offense intended, but the artificial intelligence I have created are centuries beyond your own. Their creativity and complexity can be indistinguishable from a living mind, to the point that the difference between them is merely…hardware. I am not suggesting we send in a complete AI, but I should be able to craft a program advanced enough to keep to its purpose.”

In an instant, Nirann’s hologram flicked out of existence from in front of Freyr and reappeared next to Marae, with his hand on her shoulder. “Now, I think you’re overthinking this. We don’t need to send in the most advanced programs. In fact, I think we might try sending something very, very simple. We can send in the most basic, barebones program we can write that can still accomplish some the minimum level of scouting. We just give it some simple, hardcoded instructions and lock them down from being modified by any source, for any reason. It won’t be the most capable construct, obviously, but it could still give us a basic idea of what the simulation is like. At least enough to know if it is safe to send in a person. And if it fails, then nothing of value has been lost.”

With a grin, Marae leaned in and nuzzled her snout up against Nirann’s with closed eyes: a show of romantic affection similar to a hug or quick kiss. Being that he was appearing as a hologram, there was nothing for Marae to physically touch, yet it still seemed quite convincing that she was. Granted, even among Humans, the technology was readily-available for sub-dermal implants that could provide haptic feedback from holograms. After the brief exchange, she turned to Freyr once more. “I think he may be right. Simplicity might be the key here. Does your Cradle provide any resistance to uploading simple programs, or will we need to pack the program in a façade of a living mind, Dr. Lang?”

The Cradle

As 595 and Freyr argued, Nirann’s hologram soon appeared in front of them. “Sorry, but no one is doing anything with the object until we have the containment shield fully established. Rareth-Jharn’s orders. Whatever we do decide on can wait another six or so hours. Anything you want done to the object before then will have to be ran by her. Just don’t ask me to ask her; she scares me. And I’m all the way in Threria right now.”

Marae rolled her eyes with an impatient look towards Nirann before turning her attention to the Humans. “Unfortunately, my husband is right. We will have to be patient. We can still decide what we intend to do, though. I’ve read through all of the information you provided on your Cradle. Connecting one’s mind to this object is a dangerous prospect, for anyone. We have no idea if the simulated environment within this object is something our minds could even survive. Or if this object even creates a simulated environment at all. I do agree that this object is most likely of the same technology as your Cradle, but we do not know its purpose.”

Marae turned and looked for a few moments in silence across the lab at the harness the Humans had brought. Any Rothian, herself included, would have preferred to use their own technology exclusively, but she could admit that it would be more time-efficient to use the already-built, well-tested harness from Outremer. “Can we investigate the nature of the simulation without sending anyone in? Presuming it is a simulation, of course. We could, perhaps, connect an artificial mind with a simple scouting program.” She suggested.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

As Ahnasha’s titan was starting to come around for another pass, the Breton ghost had finished her painful fusion to the strange Daedric crystal. The flesh on her hand looked like it had melted to become one with the crystal’s surface. The Daedric magic had scarred her body, especially her arm, as if she had been struck by lightning, but somehow, despite all of her pain and injuries, her spirit remained in one piece.

The Breton lifted her arm towards the sky, shouting in a rage at the titan above. “Traitor!” She screamed, her magicka flowing into the crystal, and from which the resulting spell surged forth. Any technique or subtlety she might have shown in the previous fight was replaced with pure, raw power as a storm of lightning surged forth into the air from the crystal. The spell was quick and sent a booming sound like thunder echoing across the valley. The sheer magical power of the spell could be felt far and wide, and for those fighting in the battle around her, even their hairs would stand up on their ends from the charge in the air. In terms of raw power, no spell Meesei, or even Neesa, had ever shown could match it. For the titan, the lightning’s power surged through its body from snout to tail in an instant. Once could not tell from the ground if it was immediately lethal, but instead of making another pass, it plummeted from the sky like a meteor, smashing into the side of the mountain at full speed.

The Daedric crystal’s power was now unrestrained, and its enchantment showed its full power. Though, it was not power that came without a cost. Just as when she had fused with the crystal initially, crimson-glowing lighting arced back down her arm and across the rest of her body. She dropped down to her knees with a shriek. Her simple clothing had mostly burned away, so the disfiguring wounds that the crystal’s power inflicted upon her were easily visible. Scars and burned flesh marred half of her body, to the point that it seemed remarkable that she was still “alive”.

In any case, the Breton spirit did not stop at the titan. She stood back to her feet and moved her gaze down from the sky to the battle before her. From her position higher up the hill, the warpath of Meesei’s pack was hard to miss. They were sticking close together, cutting through the center of the Daedra to the point that they threatened to split the Daedric lines in half. However, the spirit did not care for her Daedric allies, nor even Hircine’s champion. As soon as she laid eyes on one person, she was fixated on her entirely.

”YOU!” The Breton screamed, raising up the crystal straight towards Sabine. “Unworthy cur! That staff is mine! GIVE IT TO ME!” She screamed with an unmatched, unfettered rage. There were more than a few Daedra in between the mage and Sabine, but their fates did not seem to concern her.

The Cradle

Once more, Vreta could not help but to laugh. It seemed his confusion would not end up being resolved in this conversation, but he did still accept the drink. “That does mean I shall continue to not fully understand you, but…I suppose that has worked for me so far. I will just say that, all my teasing aside Agent, I did enjoy our evening together. I would invite you to join me any time, should you want to repeat the experience.”

Vreta moved on from the topic as well and was the first to finish his meal. For a few minutes, they stared to return to other small talk as they shared Kalax’s champagne, but it was hard not to notice the sudden change in Freyr’s expression. Even Vreta could see that something was wrong, and he was the first to address is. “Is everything alright, Freyr?”

---

It had taken just a day for the detailed sensor sweep of the Humans’ provided coordinates to yield results, though it took a few days longer before the expedition was in a position to bring their scientists on-site. After they had confirmed a positive result on the sensor scans, they had to plan and requisition the proper equipment to reach the object. At the very least, what they had found did provide an immediate explanation as to why it had never been discovered throughout the Rothians’ explorations of their own planet. It was small at only about ten meters in width, the rock around it partially hid its signature on sensors, and above all, it was located extremely deep within Rothia’s crust. Not only was it under an ocean, but it was in a subduction zone near the edge of a tectonic plate. It had been pushed so deeply into the crust that it was nearing the planet’s mantle. Its location did present problems that would require specialized equipment to solve, but to the Rothians, it was nothing their technology could not overcome.

For the purposes of the excavation, a forward research outpost was being built from modular components at the bottom of the ocean. Scans had identified a suitable location close to directly above the object, at which specialized, prefabricated structures were being brought down from the surface to be assembled. Once completed, their research base would be able to hold all of their needed equipment, with plenty of space left over for to comfortably hold every member of the science team and maintenance crew. Until then, they were making use of a Rothian exploration vessel. It was a corvette-sized ship intended to scout newly-discovered planets and other celestial objects. As it was meant to be able to explore even hazardous environments, such as the atmospheres of gas giants, the vessel could easily survive the intense pressure at the ocean floor, and it had all of the sensors and instruments needed for the team to at least begin their research ahead of the completion of their base. Though, between the ship’s crew and the science team, the vessel did feel a bit crowded, and they had to make due with military-style barracks for their accommodations.

Nevertheless, neither the Rothian nor Human science teams intended to waste any time, so the vessel was already parked at the ocean floor directly above the object, performing a deep sensor scan in an attempt to non-invasively determine its material composition. The ship’s lab was crowded with all manner of equipment and people, both Rothian and Human like. Depending on their specializations, not all had much to do at the moment, but they were all preparing just the same. Their lab did afford them the opportunity for a wonderful view, as there was a large observation window that took up the majority of one of the walls of the room. There was, of course, no natural light that penetrated so deep into the ocean, but artificial lights had been placed all along the area, in addition to the powerful floodlights that could be found all across the exterior of their ship’s hull. Deep sea creatures that were not repelled by the lights could frequently be seen swimming or scurrying around outside.

Marae’Ano stood just next to the observation window, watching the laser drills being moved into place to start the first steps of the excavation. “How soon until we can send in probes for a closer look?” Marae asked aloud. Soon after, a full-sized hologram of a Rothian man appeared next to her. Compared to many of the more creative scale patterns of some of the other scientists, and Marae herself, his scales had a much more natural pattern with dark green scales and brown stripes.

“Rareth’Jharn has ordered a containment shield to be placed around the object before we do anything to the object directly. The object is deep, but luckily not too big, so it shouldn’t delay us by any more than six hours.” He answered.

Marae shrugged. “Yes, well, I suppose there’s no harm in being safe. Have the latest scans at least been completed, Nirann?”

“They have. One moment, I’ll bring them up.” He answered, motioning his hand through the air as he brought up another hologram between them, showing a distinctly octahedral object among deep, hardened rock.