"Where are we exactly?" Marcus asked, sitting comfortably in his command chair while idly manipulating a mod crystal between his fingers.
He directed his question toward Will, the ship's intelligent central core.
"Commander, according to current sensor readings, our present location exists within an unknown region of this universe," Will reported in her synthesized voice. "Comprehensive exploration will be required for proper identification."
They'd never traveled through this particular section of space before. If Marcus genuinely wanted to understand where they were, he'd need to deploy substantial numbers of reconnaissance craft for systematic exploration.
However, Marcus didn't possess the patience or interest for such tedious work. He simply wanted to locate someplace with sentient life—somewhere he could determine if useful resources existed.
"Prepare for spatial jump. Target: randomized coordinates," Marcus commanded.
"Order received, Commander."
As Will's acknowledgment concluded, enormous quantities of void energy manifested around the spacecraft. The space directly ahead resembled a calm lake's surface—ripples spreading outward as the Railjack Dark Aster accelerated rapidly forward.
Whooom~
The surrounding spatial fabric distorted instantaneously. The ship plunged directly into a dimensional corridor. After they vanished completely, the constantly fluctuating space gradually stabilized, as if nothing had ever passed through.
The scenery surrounding the Dark Aster became thoroughly blurred. Except for void energy visible to unaugmented perception, no recognizable features could be discerned.
After what felt like an eternity of transit, the view before the Dark Aster suddenly transformed. An entirely new stellar system appeared before them.
"This is..." Marcus breathed, genuinely impressed.
Observing this beautiful galaxy, Marcus found himself captivated by the view.
It was genuinely difficult to imagine that without even entering planetary atmospheres—just observing the stellar arrangement from space—one could experience such aesthetic pleasure.
"Are there life signs present here?" Marcus inquired.
"Detection scan in progress. Please standby," Will responded.
The moment her words concluded, a specialized probe launched from the ship. It released powerful pulse waves that swept across the entire system, gathering comprehensive data.
Very quickly, Will's voice returned with findings.
"Commander, life signals have been detected on the planet directly ahead. However..."
"However what? Is there something you can't tell me?" Marcus pressed, noting the unusual hesitation in Will's normally straightforward reporting.
"The life signal from the planet ahead registers as extremely weak," Will explained. "All complex life on this world has been rendered extinct."
This revelation genuinely shocked Marcus. This beautiful stellar system before him represented a galaxy where life had been completely eradicated?
"Locate the nearest detectable life signal," Marcus commanded immediately. "I want to understand what exactly happened here."
Marcus felt intensely curious about what catastrophic event had occurred on this planet to cause total extinction of biological life.
If this were simply a naturally dead system—a sterile rock orbiting a star—Marcus could accept that easily enough. But a planet that clearly should have supported thriving ecosystems had simply fallen silent? That seemed distinctly abnormal.
Under his direction, Will piloted the Dark Aster down toward the planet that appeared most visually appealing from orbit.
The moment they entered the atmosphere, Marcus felt thoroughly shocked by the debris covering absolutely everything.
"These colorful formations are actually composed of organic tissue?" Marcus observed with morbid fascination. "Tens of millions of square miles of biological matter... I've encountered something similar before, but never at this scale."
No matter where his gaze traveled, Marcus could only observe thick layers of necrotic biomass. Beyond the flesh and decaying tissue, he couldn't detect any other materials whatsoever.
"Where exactly is this life signal you mentioned?" Marcus asked with growing frustration.
After searching extensively, Marcus still couldn't locate any surviving organisms. Even expanding his enhanced perception to maximum range, he detected no existence of living creatures anywhere.
This development left him thoroughly confused. Where precisely was the life signal Will had reported?
"Commander, the biomass formation you're currently observing—that is the signal source," Will clarified.
This flesh carpet itself?
Looking down at the biological material covering every visible surface, Marcus felt momentarily stunned. But he quickly processed the implications.
"You're saying this tissue retains some residual biological activity?" he confirmed.
"Correct. Although all complex life signs have ceased, the organic substrate still demonstrates minimal cellular activity," Will explained. "However, I cannot determine through available scanning how these organisms expired."
Will's tone carried unusual uncertainty. The AI hadn't detected any conventional life signs. Aside from registering some residual violent energy signatures, it couldn't extract any genuinely useful information.
"Analyze the genetic material within this biomass," Marcus ordered, frowning thoughtfully. "Use biotechnology reconstruction protocols to determine the source species' identity."
Marcus absolutely needed to establish his current location. If fortune favored him, he might successfully determine where in this universe he'd actually arrived.
"Acknowledged, Commander."
After receiving the directive, Will deployed specialized probes to begin collecting various tissue samples from the widespread organic layer.
"Continue scanning for life signals throughout the system. I'm going outside to investigate personally," Marcus announced.
With that stated intention, Marcus departed the ship directly. He planned to survey this planet's surface comprehensively to determine whether anything he required existed here.
Whether coincidentally or through shared instinct, General Zod and the other Kryptonians also departed the ship one by one. They'd decided to search for energy crystal deposits across this world—hoping to replenish their own spacecraft's reserves in preparation for whatever actions followed after completing their transaction with Marcus.
After flying through the atmosphere for extended periods, Marcus integrated mental augmentation mods and expanded his perceptive capabilities to absolute maximum range.
"Strange... why do I sense peculiar energy fluctuations drifting throughout this environment?" he wondered aloud.
As his perception continued expanding outward, Marcus discovered this entire planet contained unusual energy—or perhaps more accurately, distinctive psychic resonance patterns.
After flying for considerable time, an enormous temple structure appeared before him in the distance.
Although the temple had suffered catastrophic collapse, its massive scale still captured Marcus's immediate attention.
"It appears intelligent life definitely existed on this planet previously," Marcus observed. "But I can't determine where these people went. They're probably deceased."
The widespread biomass proved some tremendous disaster had occurred here. Although the specific nature remained unknown, Marcus felt certain these intelligent species couldn't have survived such a world-ending catastrophe.
Walking carefully into the temple ruins, Marcus observed numerous highly abstract patterns carved throughout the structure. He genuinely couldn't interpret what these symbols represented.
However, at the center of the ruined temple, Marcus discovered a dodecahedron that had been deliberately placed and preserved.
"Well, this is an unexpected discovery," Marcus said, raising his eyebrows.
Retrieving the dodecahedron, Marcus couldn't help feeling intrigued. This was the first time he'd encountered an artifact quite like this.
If it hadn't been specifically stored with obvious care and intention, Marcus wouldn't have immediately realized this represented something extremely important.
He might have assumed it was simply broken decoration that had fallen here randomly.
Examining the dodecahedron more carefully, Marcus discovered this dust-covered object was actually an extraordinarily sophisticated mechanical device.
"Interesting. I've actually located some advanced technology," Marcus noted with satisfaction. "It seems this disaster that occurred here shouldn't be underestimated at all."
After making this observation, Marcus departed the ruins and continued exploring the surrounding territory.
After searching extensively, Marcus eventually gave up active investigation. Numerous ruins existed throughout this region, but very few artifacts genuinely aroused his interest. The only item that appeared particularly noteworthy was a distinctive wrist-mounted device.
"What is this exactly? Some futuristic tribal culture like Wakanda?" Marcus mused, examining the bracer. "Or perhaps a wealthy collector's prized possession?"
Marcus felt genuinely confused about these artifacts' origins and purposes. But he decided against continuing exploration efforts. He could simply provide everything to Will for comprehensive analysis.
Returning to the Dark Aster, Marcus found Will's genetic testing results had been completed.
"Commander, I have one piece of good news, and one piece of bad news to report," Will announced.
Seeing Will phrase information this way, Marcus felt definitely curious. He placed the collected artifacts on a nearby table and responded:
"Tell me both. What's the good news? What's the bad news?"
"The good news: we remain within a known universe rather than having crossed into completely unfamiliar reality," Will began. "The bad news: genetic analysis of the biomass indicates Zerg origin."
Zerg?
This revelation left Marcus feeling thoroughly confused. They'd jumped across such tremendous distances—how could they possibly encounter Zerg presence again?
Just as he was processing this information, a peculiar idea suddenly materialized in his thoughts.
Marcus picked up the wrist-mounted device from the table, examining it with renewed careful attention while simultaneously instructing Will.
"Analyze the dodecahedron thoroughly. Perhaps we can extract useful information from it," he directed.
A mechanical manipulator arm retrieved the dodecahedron from the table as Marcus devoted himself to studying the bracer intently.
"If I'm not mistaken, this device should be a Protoss warp blade emitter, correct?" Marcus theorized aloud.
The psionic warp blade represented standard equipment for all Protoss warriors. They could utilize these weapons to easily eliminate massive numbers of Zerg with devastating efficiency.
However, Marcus didn't possess any psionic abilities himself, which meant he couldn't actually activate this wrist device to definitively confirm whether it truly was Protoss warp blade technology.
After studying the artifact for several minutes, Marcus reluctantly abandoned his investigation. There existed no obviously distinguishing features on this bracer. After all, warp blades were simply energy weapons formed through concentrated psionic manipulation.
Tossing the wrist device back onto the table, Marcus recalled the most famous warp blade within his meta-knowledge of this universe.
It belonged to Zeratul—the legendary Dark Templar among Protoss civilization. His weapon was called the Void's Edge, emitting distinctive green energy when activated.
"I wonder who this particular device belonged to," Marcus reflected with genuine regret. "It's truly unfortunate we'll never know."
The Protoss differed fundamentally from the Zerg in their metaphysical nature. As the firstborn children of the Xel'Naga gods, they possessed ultimate psionic essence—representing extraordinarily powerful consciousness.
Therefore, all deceased Protoss would vanish completely upon death, their forms dissipating into pure energy that dispersed into the universe.
So Marcus could reasonably conclude that the original owner of this wrist device had definitely perished here.
"It's genuinely unfortunate this isn't Aiur," Marcus sighed. "Otherwise we could excavate these Protoss weapons and equipment systematically."
Ever since Aiur had been conquered by Zerg forces led by the original Overmind, the Protoss had begun their nomadic existence as a displaced civilization. Most of their advanced weapons and equipment had been re-excavated or scavenged from abandoned sites.
Therefore, Marcus felt tremendous disappointment. If this location were actually Aiur, he might have obtained complete access to comprehensive Protoss technology.
Just as he was contemplating these missed opportunities, Will's voice suddenly announced findings. A holographic projection materialized before Marcus.
"Commander, according to comprehensive analysis, the dodecahedron you recovered appears to be a navigational star chart," Will reported. "Numerous coordinate sets have been identified, including our current location."
As Will spoke, many nodes appeared throughout the holographic display. Although the text labeling couldn't be translated, the spatial coordinates themselves remained perfectly legible.
"In other words, we've successfully obtained coordinates to other civilized systems?" Marcus asked, his interest immediately piqued.
"Affirmative. We've acquired extensive coordinate data and can depart immediately," Will confirmed.
This development genuinely excited Marcus. He'd been planning to locate civilized territories, but he genuinely hadn't expected to discover navigational information on this devastated planet.
"Notify Zod and the others immediately. We're departing as soon as they return!" Marcus commanded.
They'd finally be able to reach actual inhabited space soon. Then Marcus could properly experience the customs and cultures of this universe firsthand.
Shortly after Will transmitted the recall notification, Zod and his Kryptonians returned to the ship.
They had successfully located energy crystal deposits, but the veins on this planet had been almost completely mined out previously. Those remaining deposits were so pathetically poor they left the Kryptonians genuinely speechless.
"It seems you're not particularly satisfied with your exploration results this time," Marcus observed, raising his eyebrows at Zod and his people.
"The mineral veins here are absolutely terrible," General Zod complained with obvious frustration. "The largest deposit we discovered doesn't even represent one-tenth of the reserves at Captain Locke's secondary base location. Most of what remains is worthless slag."
Obviously, General Zod felt extremely dissatisfied with this expedition. They'd spent considerable time searching, only to find essentially useless remnants. Anyone would feel irritated under such circumstances.
"Well, this wasn't exactly a mineral extraction planet," Marcus explained with amusement. "The residents here should have inhabited this world for extended periods. If several mining sites still produce one-tenth of that previous location's yield, that's actually quite respectable."
This represented one of the worlds where Protoss civilization had established settlements. Mineral veins here would naturally have been utilized by the Protoss for manufacturing various weapons and technologies.
Although all life on this planet had perished, that certainly didn't mean substantial energy crystal deposits would remain untouched.
"Let's proceed. I'll take you somewhere interesting," Marcus announced.
The moment his words concluded, the Dark Aster began accelerating dramatically before plunging directly into dimensional transit.
Surrounding scenery shifted and blurred continuously. Very quickly, the Dark Aster emerged outside an entirely different stellar system.
"Commander, we have reached the designated coordinates," Will announced.
"Excellent. Detect planetary conditions and cross-reference with Captain Locke's navigational charts," Marcus ordered.
Marcus naturally possessed copied star map data from Captain Locke's people. Duplicating navigational information represented no significant issue for either party.
Moreover, Captain Locke's group couldn't definitively confirm whether they'd ever successfully return to the Koprulu Sector. They hadn't particularly cared about sharing their stellar cartography.
After extended analysis while everyone waited patiently, Will's voice finally announced findings.
"Commander, according to comparative analysis, we have successfully entered the Koprulu Sector," Will reported. "Our current position orbits the planet designated Tarsonis."
"Tarsonis?" Marcus repeated, his eyebrows rising slightly.
He genuinely hadn't expected the first planet they'd encounter would be this particular world.
This planet was extremely famous throughout Dominion space. After all, the legendary Queen of Blades had been abandoned here by Arcturus Mengsk—the power-hungry leader who'd seized control of the Terran Dominion.
"Descend and investigate," Marcus commanded.
Under his direction, the Dark Aster slowly entered Tarsonis's atmosphere. Everything appeared gray and ashen. As the ship continued descending, surface conditions gradually became visible.
The ground lay covered with broken structures and ruins. Although no active fires burned, enormous craters from destroyed population centers still dominated the landscape—impossible to miss.
Surrounding those massive impact craters, scattered mechanical wreckage that appeared distinctly different from human technology immediately captured Marcus's attention.
"Is that... an Immortal chassis?" Marcus wondered aloud, studying the debris fields.
Looking at mechanical wreckage scattered across vast areas, Marcus felt somewhat uncertain. After all, he'd never personally witnessed Protoss machinery in functional condition—he could only make educated guesses based on partial remains.
"Recover those mechanical fragments for analysis. Then we'll investigate other locations," Marcus decided.
Beyond the Zerg assault, this planet had also suffered devastating Protoss attacks.
In fact, it had been Kerrigan—before her transformation into the Queen of Blades—who'd successfully repelled the Protoss forces. But unfortunately, she'd been deliberately abandoned by Mengsk afterward, eventually captured by the Zerg and horrifically infected to become the Queen of Blades.
Therefore, Marcus fully understood why he'd encountered Protoss machinery here. But obviously, no sentient life remained on this planet currently.
In the future, Tarsonis might welcome new inhabitants again. But for now, it existed as nothing more than an abandoned, devastated world.
"Arcturus Mengsk truly exemplifies ruthlessness in pursuing absolute power," Marcus reflected with disgust. "He willingly sacrificed his own people simply to seize political control. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised—he is descended from criminals exiled from Earth, after all."
Marcus shook his head, contemplating the depths humans would sink to for ambition.
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