Out of bounds

[Sombs]

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Day 50 - Location unknown II

Once more the Apahanta and her crew were facing a leap of faith. The mood was tense. This was different. It was not like the jump from the black hole to this system. This time, it was not depending on luck. This time, it was depending on Nomads. And their creators. Ezrael stood at the railing of the commaning stage, his hands grabbing the rail tightly while he stared at the main screen. The Apahanta was approaching the gate construction, and other than before, it was active. Ezrael figured the presence of an APM ship could be the reason, or the jump drive, or the cruise engine. There was enough technology aboard the ship that was not originating from mankind.

This was creepy, Ezrael felt. For a moment, he looked around. Sherry sat in her seat, behind him, while two other bridge officers were present at their stations. The other three human crew members were in the engine room, doing their jobs.

"Cloak is charged, ten seconds until we are entirely invisible," Sherry sounded. The timing was well. With engine kill the Mako headed for the gate entrance, slowing down as the ship was infront of it.

Ezrael swallowed. This was not an ordinary jump gate. This thing had three power nodes connected to it.

"Initiate jump gate sequence. The same way we used the nomad gates in Sirius," Ezrael ordered, his eyes glued on the shining monster ahead of them. Cloaked, all photons emitted were bent to avoid the Apahanta and then return to their normal course. The ship was invisible. Yet Ezrael knew perfectly well if Nomads were out there, they would feel the presence of humans.

The ship got closer and closer, and it felt like time was passing in slow-motion. From all they knew, those gates were many multiple times more powerful than their human equivalents. Even to this point mankind did not know where exactly Omicron Iota, Omicron Major and Omicron Psi were located. Each of those systems had unique traits uncommon to regular space. Leading experts even claimed Omicron Psi was not part of Sirius, or even of truespace.

Particles, unknown energies formed multiple rings infront of the cloaked ship.

"Fortune favors the bold, they say. I guess we'll find out about that..."

The Apahanta's speed was increasing drastically as the gate opened a rift in subspace. Was it subspace, even? It looked different than the regular jump hole tunnels. Maybe this was a fourth space, next to truespace, hyperspace and subspace.

Ezrael started to count the seconds. 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

...

Thirty seconds were passing. The Apahanta reached the end of the jump tunnel.

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Uncharted System Stories: 18 | 32 | 34 | 37 | 38 | 85

Templates: Character | Transmissions

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