The Cold Dark - Logs of an Etherium Survivor

[|nfrared]

I knew now, that the time had come. I had weighed the options, measured the known variables again and again. But with humans there were few known variables. It was a hard lesson to learn. Ones interpretation of agreements and diplomacy varied from group to group, some working together in a haphazard way. They could be so powerful, I thought, if only they were more organised.

This is why we had only few problems with our prions. We do the thinking, making more measured decisions. This was preferable for piloting or vessel maintenence But human diplomacy was highly immersive. Draining.

I knew they would come. Sooner or later, whether delayed by any cunning I could gather, they would come. I had analysed this thousands of times. The Order were highly secretive and for all intents as hostile as the Nomads. Bounty Hunters don't like Nomads or Order, but either group could potentially have allies, and the fleets witnessed in recent system analysis would be capable of removing them. Zoners were anomalies, and avoided conflict where possible. Corsairs were almost completely opposite and war driven. And then there was the Colonial Republic.

These humans had contacted us, finally noticing the restored site. How they learned of this we can surmise was from contact with one of these groups. We did not know. But we knew they wanted it back. They were so versatile, as a lifeform, that it would not matter where we went or what measures we took they would eventually discover us again.

We could not survive in one place. I had found my flawed logic. We lacked mobility, and as in any natural order, we would perish unless we could adapt.

We needed something large, enough to hide our true nature. Sentry, the diplomat from the Republic had told me to use the human neural net to find out more about them, and I had. They were capable of vessels much larger than years of toil here could produce. Able to defend themselves and move from area to area. A craft able to support smaller vessels but maintain mobility.

They would want something. That was the nature of humans. Diplomacy was always a means to gain. Even the credits gained from our front, our "mining group", would not be enough for them to part with such a thing. We needed... We needed...

My gaze fell to the purple planet below, our home bonded to the salvaged storage tanks silhouetted against Moros's promise of a new start. Everything we had created, and some we had scavenged. What would the cost be, for another last chance for my kind?

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Shard - The Faceless One