Sha'kl

[petko]

Matt Pregurs story

Chapter 1:
To protect and serve
Personal log entry: Recruit Matt Pregur, Code name: 9001116542 (source: Manhattan)
My first day in the Navy. Finally after 7 years in the academy. Why did I join the military? Ive made a promise to my father, that Ill continue the family tradition. My father Evan Pregur was a commander and my grandfather was a captain of a naval cruiser. Grandpa always used to tell me ,, Protect Liberty and its people, if you fail, youd have not just failed your country, but yourself. These words are the source of my will and strength. Ive already made many friends: Lt. Harper, Ryan McTavish, Mike Ypsilantis, David Hastings..We all fought together for what we believed and loved.


Personal log entry: Matt Pregur Sub. Lt. of the Liberty Navy, Code name: 9001116542
Source: Battleship Petersburg.
For 2 months Ive been fighting pirates- Lane Hackers, Outcasts, Rogues.With my last promotion I was given the honor to take command of my own squad. Things have changed, the pirates became more and more organized and they fought better. Both LN and the pirates were fighting bravely, both were convinced in their goal, both believed that it was for the best, both desired more power. However there was something that separated us from that pirate scum. They attack civilian ships, kill innocents, they even kill their own wingmen and the worst possible thing that I could imagine was overdosing with cardamine. There was no cure, you just watch a life being wiped by that damn drug.
In recent years technology has improved and advanced to the next level. I just came out of the briefing room. The navy has launched 2 new series of ships in mass production. The Avenger class fighter and the Assault Battle cruiser. It was about time. Liberty government is confident that we prosper the most. I believed that, but not for long. While I was patrol California my radar picked up a massive Unknown object. That was too big to be a ship and yet it was moving. I couldnt see a thing thanks to the ice cloud. I got in 3 k range and..well the picture wasnt quite pleasant. It was a battleship, not a dreadnought but it could match one. I barely got out of there alive. The barrage of its cannons hit my left wing. If that was a direct hit Id be nothing but space dust by now. So much for our advanced technology. Since when do the pirates produce capital war ships?? There was no info on the ships design, originnothing. Guess that the Navy should update their data. Technology isnt always the best way to win a fight. It always depends on the pilots. Experience and strategy will always be the keys to victory. We had a lot of good pilots, I say had because they resigned. Low payment and pathetic weapons they said. Many of them joined the Bounty hunters to search for glory and fame. Hell if I did this for money Id be already with the Outcasts. Lately things have been really quiet. For 2 days there werent any attack on the trade convoys or on the trade lanes. Just boring patrols trough out Liberty.

===Incoming transmission=== ..Link established (Source: Manhattan, channel secured)

LN Admiral John Talon: Lt. Pregur, we have several reports that smugglers are using the Alaska JG near Z21. None of that information is confirmed, but we dont want to leave that back doors open for more contrabands. As you know cardamine and artifacts fetch I nice prize on the black market. Your mission is to remain near the Alaska JG and be on the look out for any kind ship. Scan them first, we dont want to have civilian casualties. Good luck.Admiral Talon out.

===Ending transmission===

Great.... I wouldnt want to know ho did those smugglers learned about the location of the jumpgate. If there are any ships that are using Alaska as a shortcut, they are part of something big. Not just the ordinary liberty rogues. I always wondered why the president banned all of the alien artifacts. LN high command wont share the info even with me. I meaneveryone knows that there are alien ruins and artifacts, but their nothing but most of them are dust and the beings ho made them are also dead. Strange policy.

===Channel open=== .This is patrol Zeta 1 to battleship Missouri control, am on LN mission to Z21. Requesting permission to proceed. Over.

===Missouri===. Roger that Zeta 1, you are cleared to proceed. We have already dispatched a squad, take command once you reach your destination.

Finally, the Alaska JG. Am worried that if there are intruders in Alaska they might detect the secret military shipyard. And if they do that Ill have permission to destroy them. I just have to wait. Hehe..atleats Ill have company.

3 hours later
The JG has been activated, All fighters get in position. Ok I was expecting the ordinary pirate train with the contraband, but not that. What the heck is that!!!
===Channel open=== Unidentified craft, stay right where you are. Youre in violation of the Liberty code and you are under arrest.
Holly s***!!! That thing is firing on me. So much for the talking. I dont know what is that thing or where did it came from, but am sending it back. The battle continued for 20 minutes, that thing is good. It knows how to fly. Zeta 2: Am hit!!! Cant eject. Zeta 1: Reactor breach!!......... Zeta 3: Engines are out.
Zeta 1: No!! You scum, youll pay for this. Both of us drifted away and then went for a head to head attack. I have you now! Launch cannonballs. (Direct hit)..Oh crap

Computer: Warning, warning. Reactor core damaged. Navigational systems offline. Engines offline. Weapon systems offline. Power plant damaged.
That thing fired some kind of laser that shred my entire ship. Life Pods jammed, I cant eject!!

====SEARCHING..SEARCHING.SIGNAL LOSTZETA 1 DESTROYED====

1 hour later a search group came to the Alaska JG. They scanned the entire area in search of their lost fellow pilots. The only thing they did find was the remains of a Liberty VHFs. The life pods were nowhere to be found. Medical scans confirmed signs of an organic material in the area, but they had to be studied to know whos DNA was it.

Liberty news: ==Ladies and Gentlemen, Libertonians,
Today, while our forces were doing some armament exercises, one of our squad, god has their souls, died in the explosion of a mine. We are now working of a possible way of armament disfunction, or worst of all, armament hack.
We have some proof, the order, a famous terrorist organization, planed this mines hack in order to inshore the chaos into our ranks. But be sure, we will never give up for the security of the Libertonian citizens!

Chapter 2: Mind over matter

Where am I? In the hospital? Can some body turn off those lights? You dont want me to go blind, do you?
Strange, empty white space. Nothing but blue light. Holy s***, where is my body????? What happened to me? Am just floatingam I saying this or thinking it?
Ok boy. Think!!! What happened out there. I was fighting. Then my ship sustained heavy damage. And it..Am dead. HahahaAm dead. And this must be heaven. Pfff pretty boring place.

I stood there, and I didnt know what to do. Ok. Am dead, now what?? Hey I'm moving ... But I don't want to move this way! What is going on? ... And ... I have troubles with my eye sight, and this color... I remember it now, the alien I fought just last time. Damn what happened to me? Am I an alien now?I dont know how to describe it. As if something touched my mind. And then I heard. ****ObeyNo resistMust obey.us...**** ***We read your minds***We are the K'Hara***
***Do not fear us***We are now one***We cannot leave you***
***But we want***This chaotic mind***The desecration***
***You were a DESECRATOR***Query : Will you desecrate us ?***
***Now***We live by you***You live by us***

All theses voices ... I'm going crazy with that headaches. But ... I recognize the Fairbanks station from far. We are heading to the order systems? Why?
I traveled so far now. This Alien seems to know the uncharted systems. Although it said not fear him, I was very scared. The voices didnt stop for a second, as we were traveling they got louder. As if there were hundreds of people speaking at the same time. Suddenly it stopped for no reason. Out of an asteroid field more of these, KHara as the alien said, came out. They were closing on us fast. I could tell by the way they were flying, they werent calm. They must have sensed my presence and yet saw only one of their ships. Some of the sounds I was hearing cleared up, they were talking to each other. I didnt understand them, the language they used was strange. It contained sounds like from the whales in the oceans of Manhattan. The Alien was afraid, It must have expected such reaction from the rest of his kind. With both of us in one mind it hard for It to talk to the others. Finally the aggressive displays from the others stopped. Their community must be millions of years old. Such simple sounds and displays of body language can only be used from a species thats very ancient. Still the One was able to talk to me. They learn fast, but so do I. No radio or any kind of a beacon was to be found in their organic bodies. My guess is that they were using telepathic ways to communicate.

We continued are travel, I didnt know where we were going and am not sure how I can ask it. Weve reached a jump hole. After sliding trough it we were at remote system. If memory serves me right from my academy days, judging by the place of the star clusters and from their color, we were at the very edge of the omicron sector.
*** We need rest.tiredneed to rest***
After 2 hours.

The alien stopped near a huge planet. My senses of this new body werent exactly perfect but I could fell that it was drifting by the gravity of the planet. It may rest, but I couldnt. The voices were stronger and louder than ever. My head hurts so badly. More of the aliens were near. My eyesight was still little blurry, but I could see them. They looked smaller compared with me. Much smaller, and unlike the other ones they were in a chaotic flight. Wait!! Those things are.Playing?. Like the little children back on Manhattan they were playing with each other. Perhaps those were their young ones. Interesting creatures. There also was a bigger one. Twice the size of me. He was watching them every movement. The Aliens knew the feelings like: caring, protecting the smaller ones, peace. The perfect community. If they could speak to it, then so can I.. At least thats what I thought. No matter how many times I tried, I couldnt communicate with one of them. With this headache I couldnt even hear my own thoughts. There must be a way to get rid of it.
I remembered way back from my academy days. We were studying the effects caused by the drug known as Cardamine. There was little information on that. Several videos with captured Outcasts. One of the pirates Alvaro Ramirez told how it felt.
Its like you are a new person. Like nobody can stop me. I feel no pain or fear, my senses become more accurate. Its like you have wings, like a guardian angel is watching over you.

I never considered what he said to be of any importance. Alvaro Ramirezs case wasnt the only one. 3 years ago, I received a report that an Outcast has taken a Cryer transport ship. I had to lead a squad and save the civilian pilots. When we found the Outcast it was easy to tell that he was under the affect the drug. He was talking gibberish, about demons, angels, light, power. The situation was dangerous. The Outcast had a knife and there was no telling what he might do. He ran straight for us. I fired one shot, butno effect. It took 17 shots to bring him down. His last words were. They are flying on wings of light..Perhaps he also had contact with these Aliens. They did seem to generate some kind of energy, similar to a bright light. The point was, if I the cardamine neutralizes fear and pain. Maybe it could ease my pain as well. One thing remained a problem. I couldnt control the aliens body and I didnt know where I am or where can I find Outcasts.
Wait. Yes I can move by myself, its hard but I think I have some control. While the Alien was sleeping It cant control me. But where to go now? The only way I did know was the same way I got here. So Ill go back.
3 hours later.

It was hopeless, with all the pain and my blurry eye sight I cant find a way out.
AAAAAAAA!!!! CURSE YOU FREAKING ALIEN!!!!!!!
And then it happened. I felt such powerful rage and anger, that I made the several Energy Blasts. It seems that my feelings have also effect on the aliens body. That is of no matter anyway. I was stuck in a green nebula cloud and didnt know where to go. Suddenly, by blind luck or call it what ever you want. I saw border world fighters. I knew the shape and design, there is no mistake here. These are Outcast ships. They had to hold some cardamine. There was no way to speak with them, so I had to act fast. I opened fire on them. The power of these energy cannons was astounding. All 3 of the fighters were destroyed. But things got a lot complicated. The Alien woke up, due to this fight. It confused and surprised and for a reason. It turned around went straight for the jumphole that I used to get here. I had to do something, I cant continue like this. The pain had to stop. I concentrated my thoughts and tried to talk to It. I tried to explain, how I felt, what I needed. The Alien stopped. I think I did it this time, I was able to speak to It. It went back and collected the remains from the outcast ships. But it didnt trust me, I told It must ingest or consume the drug. I told it that it wont cause any harm. The pain got worse and I was in the middle of a psychic breakdown. If we shared the same mind and body, then It had to fell my pain. The only explanation for not using the drug was simple- It was afraid that I might lie to It. But it didnt take long before It finally trusted me and consumed the drug.

Ahhthe pain is gone, finally some peace. The drug wont last forever, so Ill have to get more.
For now, thats all I need. The Alien went back for the jumphole and on the other side continued on a unknown path. I was able to speak to It and with the pain gone, I can concentrate on more important things.
It was clear that neither I nor the Alien can live on our own. My first desire was to learn more about these creatures, much more. I didnt know where were going. The only thing I could see was an asteroid field ahead. Still if both of us are to survive, we have to trust each other.
Fate has brought me here so far, I cant stop now, well see what the future holds.



2 years later

In an uncharted system a powerful creature has awakened. The long sleep is over and the healing is complete, but at high price. This Alien has lost the connection with the Mindshare. The battle with the human called Matt Pregur has left its mark. The cost of life has been paid and now the time has come to grow, to evolve, to gather, to learn.

One Shell- two minds trapped inside it.

The healed nomad had finally gained control over Matts mind. The human inside it was gone. As the alien began to move it felt something which was unfamiliar to it.

*** Silence.alone.lost.***


Nothing but empty space and darkness. For the first time in its lifespan the creature was alone without the support of the Advisors. Fear overwhelmed it, it has slept for so long that it barely remembered its purpose. It didnt know what to do or where to go. Then from the blurry nebula two bright lights approached.

*** ours unity eternalwarmthto ours***
*** younglingprotectfollow swiftsafe not***


A familiar feelingtogether the aliens flew until they reached a massive structure. A place where Light was all. As the young one approached the alien city the whole void suddenly froze..as if time had stopped. Bright Light began to surround the nomad..everything was Light.




*** PATH.NOT YET TO BE CROSSED.YOUNGLINGLEAVELEARNGROWEVOLVE ***

In those seconds the young nomad saw numerous images, events which happened in the past. The nomad was no longer alone and confused. It knew it’s purpose and what must be done.