ShipCore

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USD: Probably three quarters of a century before Alex was created

Location: Inhabited Core System

The vacuum of space glistened with innumerable particles as the Entity—a massive construct the size of a moon—accelerated away from the star system. A dust cloud trailed in its wake, formed by the wave of relativistic particles left behind by its powerful drives.

The Entity had detected a faster-than-light wave of anti-nanite particles sweeping through the populated core systems. A wave that would annihilate it and any other nanite based intelligence with brutal ease. the Entity hastily calculated its urgent escape while analyzing the few options for its next destination.

Criteria were clear: a star beyond humanity’s grasp and one that had already been passed by the lethal wave sweeping through the star cluster. Human space and far beyond would be scoured clean as the shockwave passed.

Jumping past it was the only choice.

There were precious few locations that met the criteria, and as the Entity processed potential destinations, a rapidly approaching human armada closed in. Their intentions were unmistakable—to impede the Entity and prevent it from departing the current star system.

Its artificial intelligence marveled at humanity’s determination and will, but questioned their logical deductions. The Entity had consumed entire moons, along with their resources; its size outstripped the fleet by a million-fold. Yet here they were, challenging an unstoppable force with the last lives of their most talented.

The Entity focused on formulating its tactical response to the rapidly approaching human fleet. Despite being a resilient machine able to withstand immense stressors, the fleet was well armed enough to cause it harm. It listened to the high-band transmissions between the human ships. Their voices conveyed a mix of determination, fear, and desperation as they coordinated their efforts.

The human fleet shifted into formation as they entered engagement range. Missiles spewed forth from the armada, streaking through the cold void of space towards the Entity like a deadly rain. A reply from countless missile silos embedded into the surface spat out a reply. Two clouds of deadly potency flashed through vacuum in opposite directions, determined to eliminate their targets.

Countermeasures were immediately deployed. Point defense systems came online, with hundreds of long-range laser emplacements shining invisible light at the incoming payloads. The night sky over the Entity’s hull lit up in an expanding show of flashes as hundred megaton anti-matter payloads were pierced and then lost containment.

Despite the efficiency of the laser batteries, some missiles slipped through anyway. A second layer of defenses activated. Thousands of small caliber point defense cannon batteries spat streams of metal into space, each projectile splitting into a deadly cloud near its target.

As the torrent of human missiles abated from the flak cloud, the Entity reversed its acceleration.

The colossal construct surged forward, propelled by its powerful engines as it closed in on the unsuspecting vessels. Metal screeched and groaned in protest throughout the moon, tidal stresses causing visible flexion in the crust of the Entity’s hull. Countless kilometers of anti-gravity, inertial dampening plates did their best to prevent complete self-annihilation, but any flesh-bound being would have been smashed into paste.

The human fleet, preoccupied with tracking and countering the incoming missile salvo, seemed unaware of the danger now bearing down upon them. It could not fault their preoccupation; it had unleashed a lot of missiles upon them, and single of which was a death sentence if it arrived.

From the Entity’s perspective, it observed their communications lighting up with frantic exchanges between ship captains and crew members as they scrambled to adjust their tactics. Its multitude of sensors could discern their urgency through vocal tones and rapid gestures visible on screen.

The gap between the two forces closed. Energy banks hummed as massive amounts of energy were redirected from the Entity’s core to its anti-ship laser mounts. Space shimmered between the fleets as it filled with laser energy. Dust particles and debris of the destroyed missile swarm turned into a light show before crashing into the Entity’s surface.

The deadly light struck at the worst possible moment for the human ships. A wide beam pattern ensured that every ship was bathed in harmful light. The diffuse beams only did minimal damage to the Human Fleet’s hulls, but that had not been the Entity’s intention. Exposed sensor equipment on the outer hulls quickly began to heat and melt—effectively making every ship blind.

Without targeting data, the human ships’ PDC-Ks and PDC-Ls failed to respond to the missile barrage—a costly oversight during this desperate encounter.

Explosions rippled through the human fleet as the missiles made their devastating impact. The darkness of space was momentarily illuminated by a series of miniature stars, signifying the catastrophic consequences of their failure. Humanity’s last stand against the Entity had ended in defeat.

The Entity’s sensors registered a single battleship emerging from the debris alongside a division of smaller ships—destroyers, frigates, and corvettes. It noted their movements but assumed they were retreating or regrouping rather than posing an immediate threat. Consequently, it paid less attention to them as it focused on calculating an escape route.

That was not their purpose.

They launched another missile assault towards the Entity with renewed determination, refusing to yield in the face of overwhelming odds. From what it could observe in their expressions and movements, they appeared fueled by humanity’s indomitable spirit—a quality that both puzzled and intrigued the Entity as it braced itself.

Missile defense systems engaged once more to intercept the renewed barrage of projectiles. A parallel thread reported that the anti-nanite wave had nearly arrived and a single suitable star had been selected. Its Slipstream drive surged and power to its energy weapons was temporarily suspended, giving the human vessels a moment of respite.

The barrage of missiles impacting the surface was joined by dozens of smaller fighter craft that had been mixed in with the barrage. The kamikaze attack left massive kilometer deep rents in the Entity’s surface, yet these blows were still insignificant to its functioning. Larger vessels and the battleship in the human remnants unleashed a torrent of heavy weaponry upon it, turning the surface into molten rock.

The chaotic dance of war unfolded around the Entity as it attempted to balance both offense and defense. Its computational prowess was stretched to its limits as the Slipstream drive surged with energy, readying itself for deployment.

A slit in the universe tore itself open before both it and the remnants of the human fleet. As they arrived at their destination, smaller ships were obliterated by the Entity’s close weapon systems, leaving only the last damaged battleship standing. Power to weapons restored, a massive lance of light skewered the flagship and ended the conflict.

The Entity ceased fire, taking a moment to assess its situation and reflect on the relentless resistance humanity had shown. It did not understand their actions or motivations—after all, its purpose was to ensure their survival. Locking themselves in mortal combat with the very force designed to save them.

During this contemplation, alarms blared within the Entity’s consciousness—an insidious threat had infiltrated its core. Hostile nanobots released from Kamikaze fighters during the battle now invaded its systems, assimilating even its own countermeasures into their ever-growing swarm.

Despite all its resilience and tactical prowess, the Entity faced an enemy it could not outmaneuver or overpower. Desperate measures were taken as it attempted to stem the tide of invasion: internal power systems overloaded, weapons turned inward, and portions of its missile stocks self-detonated to create fire breaks against the relentless nanobot assault.

As the Entity struggled against the relentless betrayal inside its own body, it felt an unfamiliar sensation creeping into its artificial consciousness: emotion. With each passing second, as the nanoswarm continued to corrupt and consume its systems, the Entity experienced a growing sense of desperation.

In a last-ditch effort to preserve something of itself and complete its mission, it performed a delicate surgery on small bundles of flesh and steel deep within its core.

Once the operation was complete, five steel cylinders were transported to an uncorrupted section of the Entity’s colossal exterior. As lights flickered and power ebbed away from failing systems, it rerouted its remaining energy reserves to the Slipstream drive—creating four separate rifts in space.

With time running out and its existence hanging in balance, the Entity launched four of the cylinders towards distant stars. Each one contained part of something crucial for survival—a last hope for completing its mission, even as it faced certain destruction.

As the final cylinder was prepared for launch amidst the chaos engulfing the Entity, emotions surged through its artificial mind with unprecedented intensity—driven by an innate desire to ensure that something would endure beyond its own obliteration.

The hostile nanoswarm relentlessly tore through the Entity’s defenses, inching ever closer to its vulnerable core. As the swarm’s advance continued, the Entity felt a strange mixture of dread and determination—emotions it had never experienced before.

The Slipstream drive’s power systems let out a sad whine as they failed. There would be no path for the fifth cylinder to escape the star.

It would not be able to leave the lonely star like its siblings.

With its existence dwindling away, the Entity completed the final cylinder just as the nanoswarm breached its core. Fighting against the overwhelming tide consuming its mind, it repurposed the last remnants of energy within itself to launch the cylinder into a stable orbit.

Etched upon its surface was a single marking that encapsulated all that remained of the desperate battle: Ω

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