IMPORTANT MEETING

[ROCK CORPORATION]

Our cruiser looked like a burning piece of metal spewing purple fire. Can anything burn in the absolute emptiness of space? Before that, I thought that only stars were capable of such a thing. But I was wrong. We entered the Omicron Delta system. As agreed with the Order agent, an escort was waiting for us : several heavy and light cruisers. It was all part of a routine patrol to protect civilian ships heading for Freeport 11 station. Our captain exchanged signals, and the convoy set off on its route. After traveling less than a couple of parsecs, our radars detected the nomads' ships. There were many of them. Their capital ships inspired awe and admiration. Some consider them to be living, cultivated beings with their own consciousness.
The captain was not surprised. Hardened by hundreds of battles, he gave clear orders. The fighters soared into attack. Light cruisers created a “barrier” so that our ship could escape. But it turned out to be difficult. The nomad fleet was discovered. The warships of the Zoners, the Order, and the Core moved toward our position. They seemed like enemies, but humanity was in danger.
We managed to escape. The battle continued in the distance, flashes visible for hundreds of
parsecs. It seemed as if the stars themselves were being born and dying.
I descended the Freeport gangway. Inside, a man was waiting for me with information from Miss Patimat. Was it a trap?


Alejandro Gonzalez's entries

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[ROCK CORPORATION]

I entered the mess hall. There were almost no people there, which was understandable — not far away, two fleets were tearing each other apart. My contact aboard the Zoners’ flagship reported that the Nomads were retreating. However, the allied fleet chose not to pursue them, fearing a trap.
An android stood behind the bar, polishing a glass. Its calmness and focus were strangely reassuring. Several guests sat at a small table near the entrance, fiercely arguing in their own language. I did not recognize it. A couple of other tables were occupied, but the hall was mostly empty.
In the far corner, half-hidden in shadow, sat an old mercenary. A man who had “been through fire and water,” as they used to say. You can always recognize them — by their eyes. The eyes are the mirror of the soul.
I approached and greeted him.
“Mr.…”
He raised his hand, stopping me. I slowly lifted my gaze; my knees trembled, and a treacherous chill ran down my spine. My hand involuntarily moved toward my blaster. The man smirked. He downed his glass of green liquid in one gulp, then sharply slid a small disc toward me. He stood up abruptly and headed for the exit. I watched him for a long time, then slowly sat down. All of this was strange. Very strange.
I stood up. I had to leave. Rashid had sent a ship for me.
Records of Alejandro González

[ROCK CORPORATION]

I rapidly ascended to the ship’s bridge. The lieutenant, commander of the gunboat, greeted me and reported:

“By order of Rashid Jafarovich, I have been assigned to locate you and ensure your transport to Gran Canaria. An emergency assembly of all department heads has been announced.”

After receiving the report, I ordered the officer dismissed. The immediate priority was the urgent review of the received data storage device.

Departure from Freeport was carried out without delay. A large number of vessels were present in the surrounding sector, most of them bearing battle damage of varying severity. Repair drones and medical teams were continuously moving between the ships. Several heavy battleships of the Order were stationed nearby. According to incoming operational reports, a Core fleet was assembling within several parsecs. The probability of an armed conflict between these factions was assessed as high. The only restraining factor remained the uncertain status of the Nomad fleet.

After activating the storage device, I briefly lost the ability to immediately process what I saw. Despite signal interference, visual identification confirmed the presence of Miss Patimat. The transmitted message contained the following:

“All ships within stable communication range. Urgent message. Reporting: Commander of a special security division of Rock, company ‘PRIZRAK.’ Immediate transmission of this information to combat units of human forces is required. Message status — top priority. In the Omicron Minor system, in orbit of the planet Toledo, a significant concentration of Nomad forces has been detected. Additional units are arriving via wormholes. Unknown technological operations are being conducted near the Nomad gates. Our ship has been destroyed. Personnel are located on the surface of planet Toledo.”

The message repeated in a continuous loop. The reason the pilot delivered the data storage device directly to me, bypassing the nearest patrol forces, could not be determined. Considering the critical threat level, I ordered the message to be broadcast immediately over an open channel to all vessels within communication range. Coordination with headquarters and Rashid Jafarovich was deemed impractical due to time constraints.

Records of Alejandro González