“Entering orbit around the planetoid sir,” said the helmsman.
“Good. ELON notify chief Riggs that he and his team are free to begin repairs and tell him to make it quick. We’re on the clock here.”
“Sir, we’re picking up something,” the sensor officer sitting at her station across the bridge reported, her voice tinged with curiosity. “There appears to be some sort of feint energy signature on the surface.”
“ELON give me a view of the planetoid.”
“Yes Admiral. Data is on your screen now,” the AI answered.
Clarke frowned and leaned forward, studying the readings flashing up on the screen. The dwarf planet was small, its surface pocked with craters and debris. But more intriguing was the clear sign of human habitation. He directed the ships telescopes to focus on the site. Sure enough, several structures came into view. A colony.
“It appears to be two square miles in size. I am detecting no comm traffic and the habitat structures appear to be severely damaged. I am also detecting a very feint signal,” ELON said. “It appears to be a repeating distress call.”
“A distress call?” Clarke muttered, suspicion lacing his tone. “That’s strange. What’s the source?”
“It’s coming from what appears to be the remnants of a large, centralised habitat module.” ELON replied.
Clarke’s frown deepened.
“It could be a trap,” one of the officers suggested, echoing Clarke’s own concerns.
“Could be,” Clarke agreed. “If there are people down there, we can’t risk being detected and them informing the Red Brotherhood.”
He glanced at the screen again, carefully weighing the risks. The dwarf planet was isolated, uncharted, and had no record in their databases. Yet, the signal persisted, calling to them like a whisper in the dark.
“Is there any sign of other vessels in this region?” he asked, his voice tinged with caution.
“I’m detecting no other vessels,” ELON replied. “However, as we encountered at Site Alpha, there may be stealth units out there. I’ve translated the distress call. The colony is Luminist.”
“Luminist?” Clarke raised an eyebrow in surprise.
“Yes, sir. As you know, many of the defeated Luminists from the Crusade of Illumination fled into Wild Space after their defeat at Titan.”
“That was over two centuries ago…”
“Two hundred and sixty-seven years, to be precise,” ELON corrected. “It’s possible we’ve stumbled upon a colony established by their descendants.”
Clarke’s mind raced as he considered the implications. “What does the distress call say?”
“It’s a plea to their prophet for salvation. The message indicates they came under attack, apparently from another sect. From what I can surmise, it was an inter-sectional conflict. If we send an away team to investigate the colony and retrieve any data, we could uncover a significant intelligence boon for the EF and the other star nations.”
Clarke stroked his stubbled chin thoughtfully, contemplating the potential ramifications. The threat posed by the Luminists had been a persistent concern for many of the star nations. The destructive, almost apocalyptic Crusade of Illumination had nearly ended humanity’s burgeoning space ambitions. To now discover that descendants of those fanatics might still exist in Wild Space would be crucial information indeed. The thought of a remnant of the old conflicts surviving out here, forgotten by time, sent a chill down Clarke’s spine. But the opportunity to gather intelligence that could prevent future threats was too valuable to ignore.
“We can’t pass up this opportunity and besides it’s going to take a few hours before repairs are completed. Prepare a landing party,” Clarke ordered, his voice firm. “We’ll approach cautiously, but we can’t ignore this. If there is intel down there, we need to find it.”
Matthews paced the briefing room, his footsteps echoing in the tense silence. With him were Carbin, Captains Valdez and Marcell, Commander Sung, Doctor Colter and Goode. They all turned as the doors opened with a soft swish, and Admiral Clarke entered. Matthews halted his pacing and moved to the side of the room, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed.
“Sir, can we really afford to waste time investigating some uncharted rock when the Red Brotherhood must already know we’re coming?” Valdez asked, her frustration evident.
Clarke nodded, acknowledging her concern. “I understand your concerns, Captain. But the Code of Space Navigation dictates that all distress calls must be investigated. That’s why I’m tasking the seven of you with this mission. You’re the best I have, and I trust you to get in, investigate, and get out quickly. The Camelot will enter orbit around the planetoid, and you’ll shuttle down to the surface.”
“What exactly do you expect us to find, sir?” Sung asked, his tone measured.
“Little is known of the Luminists,” Clarke began, before ELON’s voice smoothly interjected.
“Indeed, the Luminists were colonists who ventured into Wild Space three hundred years ago. Sixty years later, they launched the Crusade of Illumination, a devastating holy war that claimed millions of lives. It took a combined alliance of the burgeoning star nations to stop them at the Battle of Titan. Any intelligence on this group would be of significant importance, both from a practical and historical perspective.”
Clarke continued, “I’ll give you three hours on the surface. Gather what you can, but don’t take unnecessary risks. I don’t want to linger here any longer than necessary. Get to it.”
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