07:30 IST, Ninth day, First month, 3079 PV | Castera>Alpha Centauri / Clak Battleship / Bridge
It has finally started. Currently we are en route to Alpha Centauri, about five hundred lightyears away. ETA: one hour. We have already left Castera and accelerated into hyperspace. Our bridge has been taken over by IEC drones and we have an escort of several combat-type battleships surrounding us.
It seems the IEC really doesn't mess around. I mean, it makes sense. This is the trial of ascension. Tampering or interference with the contestants in non-legal ways would determine the fate of an entire species.
Ray:"Ko, you ready for this? It's our time to shine once again."
"Naturally, shining is what we have always done best, and we shall continue to do so. It's time for the entire universe to experience our radiance once more."
Initae:"You kids are gonna rock this show! I just know it. The previous trials are going to look like children's games compared to this one."
Ray:"Wait, you know about previous trials!"
Initae:"Of course I do, you think I wouldn't watch them? Not to brag, but I was the one that originally proposed the idea. Of course, the details were hammered out by others. And no, I cannot disclose any information about past trials to you. You are strictly forbidden from that information."
Ray:"Oh, that's soooooo cool! So it's almost as though we are playing in your game."
Initae:"Nope, I can't take credit for this one. It has become Humanity's Game."
08:00 IST, Ninth day, First month, 3079 PV | Castera>Alpha Centauri(~50%) / Clak Battleship / Observation Deck
The stars. Millions, no, billions of little dots of light. Each one carries the potential for several planets. Each planet might (albeit very rarely) contain many billions of lives. Each life, lives, works, experiences. And yet, we pass by them, mere travellers across this vast universe.
As always, the skydome's light radiates around the room. The pool is as sparkling as it usually is. We pass by uncountable amounts of stars as we travel at four million times the speed of light. Towards a future that will define the nature of billions, or rather, trillions of lives.
Ray and I are hovering above the pool. Our hands entwined. Dressed in our Admiral/Captain's uniforms, but with our moonlight capes attached. We requested for the capes to be very versatile and work with many outfits. Naturally, in tandem with our earrings, they are to become a part of our brand.
I have pretty much recovered from my recent bout of inae exhaustion, so I am doing as Initae recommended. Using a small amount of inae over a long period in order to build up tolerance. Of course, I just so happen to be using it so that Ray and I can float above the pool. If I'm going to train, it might as well be in style.
"Hey Ko, are you nervous at all?"
"A bit, I mean, who knows what to expect. It's a trial that will influence humanity's future, as well as universe-wide politics forever. I mean, it's the first one, so it couldn't possibly be too crazy, right?"
"Hmm, I would think they would ease us in. But then again, this is a trial for the ruler of humanity. It would be equally valid for them to throw us right into the center of a star and tell us to escape."
"Fair enough, but I don't think they expect us to act like gods. Heck, their own leaders aren't necessarily perfect beings either. Though, you're right. We likely won't come out of this unscathed."
"Together though, we will win. Of that I have no doubt. After all, luce lunae ad astra per aspera et ultra, right?" [Translation: By the moonlight, through hardship, to the stars and beyond.]
"Ah, I can't believe I said that when I was seven, what drugs I was on back then. But of course, together we will suffer any hardship and soar far beyond what anyone could ever expect."
"Well, I thought you were quite brilliant back then. The little genius that brightened the way. You were so cute back then, too bad I don't have any pictures."
"You were also brilliant, albeit in a far more demented manner. Also, didn't you win the #1 cutest girl in the continent contest when you were 8? I think I still have a picture back at my dad's place."
"Ahhhh, noo, that must be purged from collective memory."
"Why, though, you were quite cute."
"Well because- wait, were?"
"Well uh, I mean, you still are very cute, er, ah beautiful even. It's just a classic case of past tense being used to refer-" She stops me with a hand on my mouth. Her face seems to be turning quite red, which is quite apparent with all the white light reflecting around us.
"Enough about that. Let's just relax. Who knows what chaos we are about to be put through. Plus, we are universe-wide celebrities now, we need to keep up appearances."
With that, we just float in silence. Looking out at the stars as they pass by. I reflect on her earlier statement. Luce lunae ad astra per aspera et ultra, surely we, the widely acclaimed Moonlight Duo can finally live up to that pact made all those years ago?
A few minutes later, Cal rudely interrupts our blissful thought time.
"Attention Passengers, drop from hyperspace in thirty seconds. Also, I suggest that Admiral Ducker and Captain Inan get onto the bridge, you will want to see what is waiting for us."
With a large sigh, Ray and I descend from our blissful floating. We make way for the bridge to see what Cal is referencing.
Oh boy, the moment we drop out of hyperspace, we see it. Thousands, maybe millions of ships. There are high-end cruisers, battleships armed to the teeth, and even a couple gigantic colossus class ships. This is my first time seeing a colossus, they are gigantic, I think the largest one here is three thousand five hundred meters long (Reminder, the Clak is only 750m long). It appears to be bearing Zekan colors, so likely one of their highest ranking officials.
There does seem to be one area that is completely free of ships though. It is lined with some form of buoy. At the end of the lane seems to be a strange station, and the lane runs all the way out to the edge of the system. Interestingly, at the end of the path sits three, 1000m long battleships. They seem to be speed-types, which are exceedingly rare and optimized solely for speed. Strangely, one of them seems to bear our crescent moon insignia.
We make our approach and moor near the station.
As soon as we moor, the Clak is surrounded by what must be two dozen destroyers bearing IEC colors. Cal informs us that we are requested to go to the hangar in several hours. In the meantime, we sit in a conference with Initae, cooking up some interesting ideas.
Which we do when the time arrives. When we reach the hangar, we are greeted with a very fancy looking frigate. Out in front of it stands a very formal looking Vaux.
"Greetings Contestants, Please come with me, we shall escort you to the venue of the commencement ceremony. There we shall hold a grand ceremony to kick off the start to the first trial.
On another note, Mrs. Transcendent will not be allowed to come with you, she will be taken, along with your crew, to the ship that you have no doubt noticed that has been assigned to your group."
The Vaux seems to speak in a very authoritative tone. They don't leave any room for us to speak or argue against them. Ray looks like she wants to snap back with some form of retort, but I place my hand on her arm and she settles down.
We then proceed to board the frigate. It is clearly a high end luxury type, the interior is lined with fancy carpet and ridiculously expensive looking furniture. Ray and I take a seat on one of the sofas that are available, we choose one near a viewport so we can see outside.
As soon as we are settled in, the frigate takes off. As soon as we exit the hangar, half of the destroyers immediately form a tight circle around us. The IEC is really not pulling any punches for security with us.
Through the gaps between the destroyers we can see the astounding congregation of ships. Cruisers, Frigates, Battleships, and a few colossuses. I identify the markings from every single species and many individual organizations. It's almost as if every high ranking official in the galaxy decided to show up to the commencement ceremony.
I honestly didn't think the trials would be this big of an event. I figured everyone would just watch from afar as we did whatever we had to do. But it seems just like on Earth, many people still appreciate the feeling of actually showing up to see the competitors, at least at the start of the trial.
After a few minutes, we are taken to a station. However, not the megastation. This station is only around an outpost's size. But it is amazing. It's basically a giant glass dome with a dock. Inside I can see all sorts of trees, rivers and even a small desert. In the very center, a gigantic stage with seven pedestals.
We are escorted out of the frigate into the large domed space. While it doesn't have a crowd inside, there are thousands of ships outside that have clear views inside. Ray looks absolutely ecstatic, and I am too. It's not every day you get to make a public appearance in front of trillions. And we look absolutely dazzling in our uniforms and capes. I can bet that many cameras are trained directly on us as we enter.
It appears the other five contestants have already arrived and are waiting at their pedestals. They all are also in various uniforms. It appears Marcos is serving as the Admiral for the quartet, with April as a Captain, Geo & Brian are in Lieutenant uniforms. While Luna appears to be an Admiral for her company of one.
All the contestants watch us closely as we approach. No doubt trying to ascertain if we have any other reality-shaking revelations to drop. Unfortunately, we don't at the moment. We kinda threw out most of our bag of tricks at the gala, and haven't had time to prepare others yet.
Ray and I take our places behind our pedestals. Without a moment's delay, the floor opens up. Out comes The Gamekeeper. I can sense that we are in for a very long speech.
"Greetings, ladies, gentlemen, everything in between and without. It is with great honor that I welcome you, and our lovely contestants to this monumental occasion.
For those that are listening from under a rock, the grand occasion of this day is the commencement of the first trial for Humanity's Trial of Ascension. Now, I bet the contestants and everyone watching are wondering. What will the first trial be?
Well, allow me to inform you. The first trial will be a scavenger race.
Each group of contestants will be provided the latest A7-Mk5 500m Speed Battleship. Fresh out of the Arkanian labs, these bad boys can boast a top hyperspace speed of a whopping twelve million times lightspeed! Not only that, but they can go from standstill to 80% lightspeed in a mere four minutes. That's right folks, the Arkanians have done it again, the next generation of hyperspace drives, far superior to anything before it.
Now, what will require such speed? Our lovely contestants will be racing to several destinations within the milky way. At each destination they will find an altar that proposes a challenge that they must complete before they can move on. There are a total of four of these altars that they must complete.
All members of the first group to return will be awarded four points, second place will get three points, and third place gets one point. At the end of Humanity's Trial of Ascension, the contestant with the most points will be declared the unilateral administrator of humanity!
For this trial, the sponsor support threshold is only crew. No material, informational or technological advantages will be allowed, only crew are allowed to be provided.
With the power vested in me, I announce that the Trial Commences in twelve hours. Contestants, to your Battleships!"
So, it's finally time. Our first trial has been announced, and it's a scavenger race..? Not quite what I expected. Though it appears we get to use some very highly advanced battleships, so advanced that they are considered next generation, which only happens every few dozen million years at most.
"Ko, cmon, let's go!" Ray says while being very excited. I bet she can't wait to see the new ship. After all, they even bothered to specially paint our insignia on it. It's time for the Moonlight Duo to make their first move, introductions are over, so now it's time to truly make our mark.
Ray and I quickly head to the dock that is designated for us. Luna and the Quartet each head to their own docks. Inside we find a shuttle waiting to transport us. Naturally, it is also surrounded by many security ships.
We are quickly taken to our new battleship. Its designation is Altair. All of the battleships seem to be identical, with the exception of insignia and colors. They are all 500m long, but they appear to be spikes? The front is just a point and the rear is a massive bank of engines. I've never seen this type of engine, perhaps the new generation also got a new engine design? As we approach, we notice both of our luxury cruisers are also being towed into its hangar, which seems to have space for 2 cruisers. Our ship has the signature insignia, a purple crescent moon surrounded by a silver circle. There are purple stripes running down its sides, but the rest of it is a beautiful white, the same shade as Ray's hair.
We dock with the Altair and then are greeted by the AI, which is named Alt.
"Welcome aboard Admiral Ducker and Captain Inan. I am deeply honored to be serving as your Ship AI for this wondrous trial. Your crew have already been integrated into the ship's functions and are busy at work.
Do keep in mind, all activities in the hanagar bay and bridge are monitored and will be selectively broadcast over the net. Regular status reports will also be collected and distributed. The Trial does not kick off until 12:00, Tenth day, First month, 3079 PV." Alt says this in a voice that seems very humanlike. Up until now most of the AI have still had some artificialness to their speech. It's very uncanny.
Ray:"Nice to meet ya Alt, I hope you will take great care of us in our journey. Now, let's explore Ko!"
"Whatever you say Mrs. Genius Prodigy with an appetite."
"How long is it going to take you to drop the 'with an appetite' part?"
"Hmm, maybe once you do something cool enough to replace it. Why? does it bother you?"
"I mean, I'd rather it be something cooler. Like Mrs. Genius Prodigy Social Media Star."
"Hmm, fair enough. Mrs. Genius Prodigy Superstar it is."
"Yipee!"
Ray jumps with excitement.
We then proceed to explore the ship. It contains a bridge, crew quarters, four officers quarters, an officers lounge, functional bits, and the hangar bay. Unfortunately, it seems there is no observation deck.
Which makes sense, this entire thing is packed with components designed entirely for speed. Also, all the walls and surfaces seem to be made out of a different material. I try to analyze it but my database shows no match. I surmise it must be some next generation alloy fresh out of Arkanian forges.
In summary, we are now in control of a next-generation battleship that is kitted out solely for speed and nothing else.
After this, we settle down in the officers lounge to have a strategy meeting. Of which, very little is discussed as we don't quite know what the altars will have in store for us. With our brief strategy meeting concluded, we settle down on the sofa and watch some television, the perfect activity right before a species-defining trial.
11:55 IST, Tenth day, First month, 3079 PV | Alpha Centauri System / Altair Battleship / Bridge
Ray, Initae, Beck and I gather on the bridge. Supposedly the trial commences in five minutes. One minute later, Alt accepts a communication from the IEC. On the hologram appears The Gamekeeper
"Greetings once again, contestants. The Scavenger Race Trial will commence within a few minutes. Allow me to explain some ground rules.
First, absolutely not interfering with others groups, you are not even to make contact. This applies to non-contestants as well.
Secondly, once you arrive at each altar, you will be given the assigned task. You may take as long as you need to complete the altar, but do keep in mind that this is a race.
Thirdly, After you complete each altar, you will be given the coordinates of the next one. It is up to you and your crew to figure out how to navigate there.
Lastly, each of the Altars contains a secret bonus. If you manage to complete two of the bonuses, your group will be awarded one extra point. If you complete all four bonuses, you will be awarded three extra points.
Now, without further ado, let's get on with it. At the 'go' signal, coordinates will be unlocked within your computers.
Is everyone ready? Well, it doesn't matter, it's happening anyways. Good luck contestants, may the stars ever be in your favor.
Ready.
Set.
GO!"
With that signal, the first trial has fully started. Whatever shall come in this trial, Ray and I (along with Initae's help too!) will face it together. So, bring it on.
End of Chapter 27
A/N: Welcome dear reader. Author here. It is my pleasure to present to you, the first trial in humanity's trial of ascension. I hope it lives up to your expectations, do stay tuned, many interesting things are still to come.
As always, if you are enjoying this ever-growing story, be sure to follow/favourite/share with a friend, it is always appreciated! Until the next one, dear reader.
Cathrix