6 (DSV Nautica) Into the Ruins Part 2
Flare was worried. Very worried. She paced back and forth, biting her lip, trying to think of something to do. There must be something..."Sit!"The head of the medical bay, May'ael, had a kind demeanor and a good heart, but not when patients disobeyed orders. Flare sat. The woman was every bit a protector as she was. Just a different kind. "Your team and the science team are fine. No radiation damage. But do that again and she shields wont protect you.""Thanks May." Flare nodded and headed out into the hall. Morphing her suit back onto her bare skin, feeling far too exposed without it, and for good reason. Without her suit, she was nude.Aki sat in the briefing room just off the bridge, the head of the science team briefing her on their findings. Al'eeh was a good scientist, although he sometimes got too involved for his own good. That's why Aki chose him. He seemed excited."At first we thought they were just untested nuclear device...but that was wrong. They were directional radiation emitters for a purpose. They washed large areas with massive amounts of radiation."
Aki frowned. "So...instead of nuclear bombs...radiation poisoning?""Exactly." Al'eeh grinned."We chose a different entry point and touched down. The radiation on the surface was...quite dangerous. Any person exposed to that much by our standards would need extensive hospitalization and treatment. And of course they lived in it."Aki felt it was finally falling in place."So...there was a war?""Yes. A cold war to be exact. Until one of the 'combatants' launched this device, and several others, intent on poisoning their enemies to death. But it backfired. The isotopes used were highly unstable, highly penetrative." His eyes gleamed with thrill. "The radiation poisoned the earth of their enemies, and by natural geological processes, weather and such, was all washed back to their doorstep. This and a number of failures, including what looks like a cyber warfare attack on the satellite. Eventually the system poisoned the entire planet."Aki shivered. It was appalling what certain races were capable of. She knew the horrors of radiation poisoning, and what a horrible species it must have taken to do something like this.
"Analysis of the archives and a DNA sequence, though mutated, has helped us greatly. The race appears naturally sociopathic. Its amazing that they got this far as a race. Though they did band together out of sheer necessity for awhile. When they got to this point of advancement, they lost control . It cost them their race and planet.""Thank you Al'eeh. "Al'eeh left the room, no doubt to get in contact with the team members still on the planet. This time Aki had ordered full radiation protection shields with specialized shielding. They were combing
the databases of the race even as she sat here. The council had assigned them to stay until they had learned all they could. They were to periodically update New Ayr with a packet with their data they had collected.Aki let out a large sigh, getting up and heading out of the room, ducking into the bridge."De'an, you have the bridge."A nod from him was all she needed.Aki made her way to the lounge, laying in a pile of pillows and closing her eyes. Chills ran down her spine, a sadness filling her. This entire race was destroyed because it was in their DNA to be sociopaths. The thought appalled her.
The thought that had haunted her ever since her youth came up again and again throughout her life. And it popped up again.-70 standard years ago.-"Aki! Keep up!"Aki startled to her feet and ran to her teacher, the soft patting of her bare feet against the forest floor."Sorry! I was thinking..."Her teacher chuckled. Teacher was a kind man, passionate about learning and passing that knowledge on to others. He always had some words of wisdom for her or anyone else who needed them."Thats good Aki. You have a strong mind. Keep using it."Aki smiled at the compliment."Sorry teacher, but I was wondering...where did we come from?"Teacher smiled. "Aki, this is New Ayr, so there was an Ayr before that. WE evolved there and took to the stars, coming here when our world died. You know this, child." He ruffled her hair.She giggled. "I know...i meant...who created the stars? And the planets? And us? Someone had to make them."Teacher looked surprised. "Already thinking about such things? Goodness Aki, you are headed towards greatness indeed!"
Teacher took a seat, sitting facing Aki. She did the same facing him, leaning forward eagerly."The truth is, we dont know for sure what created this universe, Aki. Science tells us that the universe exploded out from a singularity many billions of years ago. But many will tell you that was too random, and the universe as we know it is too organized for that. Its a great debate that takes place even now. Some think that this universe was created by something intelligent. Something beyond us. Something that galaxies are nothing but play toys to.""Like a god?"Teacher smiled."Yes. Some say that. Others say an extremely advanced race that reached its singularity and surpassed us many billions of years ago. And yet others say nothing, and that everything is random. The truth is, we dont know yet child. We just dont know.""But we will, right?""Yes child. We all will find out someday."Aki shivered, staring at the stars. The more she thought
about it, the more random it seemed. But at the same time, the more she felt there was something more.
A hand slipped across her belly, and she felt a warm body press against her back."Hey, Zhi..."Zhi smiled. She always knew. He was terrible at hiding his presence from her. He didn't mind"What are you thinking about?""The universe."Zhi was well aware of her uncertainties in this area, and unlike her, had his answer."We wont know, nor will we likely know for sometime Aki. What matters is this life now. If you knew, right now, the answer. Would it change anything?"Aki rolled over and ran her hand through his hair, admiring his figure in the dark."No.""I know you will keep wondering, and that's good. But don't dwell on it. You don't want to forget the important things. Not even the matriarch knows all the answers."Aki smiled and nodded, pressing in close to him. She raised her hand toward the door, closed it and locked it for a little privacy.Outside, a satellite slowly lit up from its dormant state and began to rotate.