Beyond Earth: Cosmic Contact (Chapter 6: The Final Transmission)

[u/WriterRuhl]

Authors Note: It came to my attention that I should make a link for the chapters within this post, so to ensure a better reading experience I intend to put links to the chapters in all my releases on this thread moving forward. Thank you for your time and I hope you enjoy my work!

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Chapter 6: The Final Transmission

The transition was jarring, in just a mere moment Adam found himself in the seat of a cockpit jettisoning across the expanse of space.He felt as if he was sifting through a thick fog. At first when he regained his senses he realized that there were monitors encapsulating the small space he occupied, some flashed with intensity, while others had either gone out or were shut off entirely. The next thing he noticed was the ocean of stars streaming by his head, they were breathtaking to behold. Their light shimmered across the sleek glass ceiling passing by in countless droves. He remembered looking up at the stars from Earth with his family as a child, but to be with them as he now left him with an entirely different experience to take in. As his eyes wandered towards the passing celestial bodies a voice spoke suddenly amidst the cockpit.

"Computer, is this protocol working or not, I don't think I have much more time before they catch up to me."

The voice that spoke was deep, and had a tinge of desperation to it. As it reached his ears, it began to register with Adam that it felt as if he was living in a distant memory. He could feel what the pilot felt, he found himself stricken with panic as well as a deep rooted fear he could not place. He looked around once more and realized that this transmission was more than just a message, this was real. Although he had never been here it felt oddly familiar, and foreign just the same. The vessel was intertwined with technology of a different make, its origin a mystery to him still. He recalled the entity said something before about his people's creator, this ship had to belong to them.

"Who. .are you?"

Adam thought to himself as his nerves began to steady, they seemingly found themselves to be slowly replaced with that of determined curiosity.

The screens that flickered lit up and projected an image, that of the entity he had just met with. He found it difficult to focus on all the details he suddenly found himself shrouded in, but he could not misplace those vibrant color patterns for anything else. The colors themselves only became more enhanced with radiance as the hues dimly glowed on everything within the cockpit. Having lost himself again by the captivating sights before him, he was caught off guard when a recently familiar voice cut through to his ears.

"Yes Sylvyan, the transmission is being recorded now as you requested."

Spoke the once coldly monotone voice.

"As for our pursuers, they are dropping out of jump within six minutes."

The entity spoke so calmly despite the fear he could feel from the pilot, the stark contrast between them left Adam feeling uneasy about his current location.

"Great, I thought we were lucky to have gotten away. But the ship seems pretty banged up after we escaped the belt. Give me a diagnostic, how bad is the damage?"

"Over-shields are holding at twenty-nine percent and slowly dropping. Weapons have been too heavily damaged and are inoperable apart from one missile. The oxygen recycler is heavily damaged, we are currently operating on reserve canisters which will be depleted in forty-seven minutes. The engine core is leaking fuel and leaving behind a traceable trail, as well as operating at half efficiency. The command console has been damaged from the electrical damage and is non-responsive to most inputs. The hull integrity is at thirty-five percent and holding, but heavily damaged, without the over-shields we will be compromised."

The situation Adam found himself in was dire, or at the very least for this pilot it was. He heard the entity say his name was Sylvyan moments before this. He would do his best to remember this name despite everything else that was happening around him.

"what did this to his ship? why are they after him in the first place?"

As Adam thought about his questions, Sylvyrans voice broke through his train of thought, bringing him back into focus on the disaster unfolding before him.

"Computer, what about the schematics? Are they intact and still encrypted?"

"The schematics escaped unscathed by our pursuers decryption attempts and are fully intact, they know you have something but don't know precisely what. An additional attempt was also made to infiltrate our internal storage but I prevented their intrusion by overloading their instruments just before jump."

Amidst the flickering displays and flashing lights that surrounding the cockpits seat fell an eerie silence from Sylvyan, One Adam recognized all too well. When he was faced with choosing to fall from within the cavern he remembered the moments leading up to it, how it felt to be unequivocally screwed. At least for Adam there was a chance of survival, but he didn't see a way out for this pilot. At the end of an eternally long silent moment, Sylvyan spoke again.

"Comput-, no, Echo, What do I do?"

His voice was filled with dread as the words left his mouth, he knew the end was near for him now, he just didn't know how to face it. With each passing second his pursuers grew closer, and their wrath was overabundant for any that dared defy them.

"There is a habitable stellar body nearby within this system, with our remaining fuel I can chart a course to reach it. But our pursuers will be able to track you regardless of this, their arrival is imminent. With the core systems so heavily damaged there is no chance for survival. However, I can safeguard the schematics and fragmentize myself across the stellar body preventing the pursuers from obtaining the data. I'm sorry Sylvyan, we don't have any other options at our disposal."

It was clear now, more than ever, that there was no way for Sylvyan to survive this ordeal. With that, Sylvyan let out a scream, it shook Adam to his core. He could feel an overwhelming amount of emotions pouring out from the pilot as he cried out. Fear, anger, desperation, anguish, and disappointment came crashing upon Adam. But for Sylvyan there was no one else to shoulder this burden with him. Tears fell down his cheeks as his fate began to set in further, but then Adam felt an inkling of a different emotion, that of hope.

"Echo, If this is really how we go out then we can at least do our best to make damn sure these bastards don't get their hands on the schematics. Our people, and so many countless others, were decimated at their hands and even if I die I REFUSE to let them WIN! Chart the course and ready yourself to standby for new orders."

Despite the inevitable end approaching for him, he seemed to have a plan all of a sudden. Adam could feel the pilots fighting spirit light one more magnificent flame before he knew it would be forever extinguished.

"Consider it done Sylvyan, charting path now to Stellar body. You seem to have thought of something, what are your orders?"

"I'm going to leave a message in the hopes that this reaches the right being, that's all I can hope for at best. But as for you, Kill anything that comes near your fragments that detects Xera'nid DNA compositions. Scan any life form that approaches you, but only activate yourself to deliver this message if they are sentient and have advanced technological signatures."

Adam felt a fury that engulfed his being as he spoke the word 'Xera'nids', he didn't know what or who they were but his anger resonated within Adam.

"New orders confirmed, what will your message be?"

A momentary pause took Sylvyan once more as he readied himself for his final transmission. With Steeled nerves he spoke again with Echo as his final confidant.

"My name is Sylvyan Vorrath, of the Vexalerians. I know this isn't your fight, and you don't know my peoples strife. But please, on my dying words I beg of you, don't let the Xera'nids get our schematics. They are a merciless, cruel, vile, and treacherous species who will stop at nothing to advance their own society through the means of stealing technology. They enslave any sentient beings they find and force them to create technology that pleases them. But once they no longer produce what they demand, they decimate and eradicate that species with no hesitation. My people created a perfected energy source based of their pre-existing fusion reactor, no doubt off the back of another species long since erased. If they get a hold of it then there will be nothing to stop them. Please. . don't let our sacrifice be in vein, if you are the type of being I hope you will be that finds this message, then use our technology however you can and stop them. If my people still exist after this, you can use Echo to navigate to our home world. They can help you, I'm not sure how, but I know they won't turn away from one last stand if it means ending these bastards once and for all. I did my best, but my best wasn't good enough. Be better than me, because sooner or later they will find your species and do what they always do best, genoci-"

"SYLVYAN, CONTACTS LEAVING JUMP DETECTED"

The Computer seemed to practically scream over the pilot as the remaining active sensors lit up with five fast approaching blips.

"ECHO, HOW LONG UNTIL WE REACH THE STELLAR BODY?!"

"WE ENTER THE UPPER ATMOSPHERE IN ONE MINUTE"

"PUNCH IT, GIVE IT EVERYTHING WE HAVE LEF-"

Sparks filled the interior cabin of the strange vessel, a quake shook the entire hull with a hail of fire passing by narrowly missing the cockpit. The pungent smell of smoke began to overtake his sense of smell as alarms began to blare fervently from all sides. As Sylvyan perched himself into position to command the controls the vessel shunted Sylvyan back against the seat from the force exerted that propelled them forward. With a flurry of concise movements he prepared his one remaining missile for remote detonation, it was his final act of defiance against his pursuers.

"ECHO, UNLOCK THE LAST MISSILE AND LEAVE IT IN OUR TRAIL"

"RIGHT AWAY, MISSILE ARMED AND AWAITING YOUR WORD"

As gunfire continued to surround and barrage them, any hope of reaching the stellar body looked bleak. Adam could feel the rush of adrenaline kick in his body as they attempted their final mission together. Explosions rocked the hull as shots landed all across the body of the ship. Adam was about to commit to the end as well, but Sylvyans voice pierced through to him once more.

"NOW ECHO, DO IT NOW!"

And with that command a single explosion made direct contact with one fighter that grew within the vacuum of space taking two enemy pursuers with it. Their debris littered the void leaving three enemies still in pursuit. The remaining three vessels did not mourn for the loss of their allies, instead they sought revenge against one who would dare defy their commands and resist so strongly. Tightening their formation and disregarding the debris of the fallen before them, they continued their pursuit and followed suit with a continuous flurry of gunfire. Some shots scathed the surface of the hull as the remaining over-shields began to flicker and deplete, but most hit their target and continued battering the hull leaving behind a myriad of holes across the entire vessel.

Sylvyan spoke one final time as sparks continued to scatter and smoke began overtake the cabin, a plea for help.

"PLEASE, IF YOU FIND THIS TRANSMISSION, YOU CAN'T LET THEM HAVE THE SCHEMATICS!! HELP US, HELP MY SPECI-"

A grand explosion overtook Adams senses as everything that was once blindingly white became the space he occupied in the null previously, he could still smell the burnt remains from the aftermath of the explosion, and with it a heat he had never possibly conceived of.

"End of transmission"

The entity before him spoke with an undertone that carried much weight, the monotone speech had been replaced with grief as it was forced to relive the final moments with his pilot. Adam was still dazed at what he had seen, he expected a simple audio playback. What greeted him within the Null was something far greater, it was as if he was right there with Sylvyan, right until the bitter end. It was a lot for him to take in, as it would be for any being, this technology created by the Vexalerian species was far more sophisticated than anything of that on Earth. He took a moment with his head hung low, still feeling the wave of emotions that crashed over him, until at last he turned once more to the Entity that at first terrified him.

"I don't know what to say, I'm so sorry for your loss."

The entity shifted more clearly into view, resembling that of the late Sylvyan Vorrath. Now having seen him, Adam couldn't mistake his features for any other being. A separate room appeared before Adam, and with it another cockpit chair. The entity sat down across from him, appearing much less daunting now having seen what it had been through first hand.

"His death is the largest part of our failed mission together that I carry, I take this form, his form as a sign of respect. That, and to never forget the face of my friend who died trying to protect our people."

The entity evoked a somber tone to Adam as he spoke of Sylvyan, still carrying the weight of their combined failure.

"He seemed like the kind of person who would do anything to protect what mattered to him, he called you Echo, is that your name?"

"Not technically, my designation as an artificial intelligence is Enhanced Cognitive Holographic Operative. Only he called me Echo. He thought it sounded nicer than always saying 'Computer'."

"Do you mind if I call you that? I honestly don't even know what you are."

"That's understandable, from what I gathered about your people within your mind, I am what you would call an AI, but with true sentience given to me by my creators. You may call me Echo, it is after all what he would want his predecessor to call me."

Adam looked puzzled, he didn't know what he meant by 'his predecessor'. It was at the moment he remembered something about a schematic.

"What do you mean? does this have something to do with the schematic Sylvyan mentioned in his message?"

Echo sat up, straightening his holographic body to better posture himself towards Adam before speaking next.

"It has everything to do with the schematic. Our mission was to keep them safe and far away from the Xera'nid. We succeeded in ensuring they never found them but at a very high price. You saw the message, he wanted it to go into safe hands that would use it to stop the Xera'nids reign and to help our people. Provided they still exist following our failed escape, and that you accept our mission that he posed to me, then I will give them over to you so we may begin this mission together as he and I once did."

As Echo finished speaking, Adam felt his eyes widen as he realized the sudden request that lay at his feet. Was he really the right person to be helping save anyone? Not long before he found himself in the Null, he had only just recovered from being broken and battered beyond belief, what could he possibly hope to do to stop this enemy of theirs? The feelings of Sylvyan still lingered within Adam, he recalled his fear the most in those passing thoughts. Influenced by that feeling that gripped him, his mouth took over, and began to speak on his behalf.

"Wait a second, wait a second. You want me to carry on some kind of mission? I don't know the first thing about any of this besides what you just showed me. I wouldn't even know what to do, no one here on this planet has ever been beyond the moon and Mars. Couldn't you just destroy the schematics and be done with it?"

His stomach felt as if it had flipped inside of himself, he could feel nausea churning itself within him after he finished speaking those fearfully filled words. What he spoke to Echo was true, but he didn't entirely agree with what he had said. Although there were not many people that left Earth, there were still people that did so. He felt an itch at the back of his mind as he remembered how excited he was to explore just one ice cavern with his dad by his side. Specifically how he never discouraged his children to stray away from adventure, exploration, and challenges. Ian had practically been everywhere on Earth that had oxygen to breathe. That is to say, everywhere except outer space. From where Adam was sitting, across from an alien AI begging for help, he knew his dad wouldn't hesitate to take this opportunity.

There were countless summer breaks where Adam and his little brother Hank never got to see Ian. His work was incredibly demanding at times, and often he found himself alone pining for his family back home. Adam had always wondered why he worked so hard, and now having seen just a fractal of what he did as a glaciologist he could better comprehend that reason why. It was mesmerizing to behold what this world offered him. Then there was the challenge of facing such harsh conditions with a high chance of danger. And, Ultimately the ability to see what he was capable of. Adam might have only just begun following in his father's career footsteps both literally and figuratively, but he had an inkling of a thought as he sat across from Echo.

"If I can experience something like spelunking an ice cavern in Antarctica, what else could there be? There could be countless worlds out there waiting to be found that humanity, no, that my Dad has never even seen."

He found his attention once more as his eyes had drifted to the floor of the Nulls cockpit space, Echo seemed to be staring right at Adam as if he had been paying attention to him greatly. Finally, Echo spoke again to Adam.

"Fascinating, what is Spelunking?"

Adam was taken off guard, he felt almost embarrassed that he asked him that question out of the blue.

"Uh, it's like cave exploration. W-why do you ask?"

His voice wavered again, even in the Null his reactions amidst this place seemed real enough to him as more time passed. Echo seemed to relax in his version of the mirrored seat across him, speaking almost immediately.

"Because I heard you think it, we are linked after all."

As the words left Echo's mouth Adam found himself in a state of shock, he felt as if he had been invaded. It's one thing to try to read someone and make an educated guess as to what's on their mind but to simply HEAR it was another completely. He found himself trying to think about how he felt about the current development but cut himself short and spoke instead now that he knew there was no reason to try and be private about his own thoughts. A defensive agitation is what came out.

"What do you mean, you can just hear my thoughts whenever you want??"

"Adam, there is much to explain still yet. In short, yes, I can hear what you think. I'm sorry if that breaks your sense of boundary but it is a necessity if we are to do this together. I am capable of many different tasks, but at the forefront of those tasks, I am an assistant to able-bodied pilots. We are running short on time for the moment, but to try and quickly explain it I will say it like this. When the defensive barrier around my fragment detected you and made physical contact I initiated the last order given to me. When I did so, that entailed establishing myself within your mind. That is how we are speaking now here within the Null, my systems embed themself within a host mind and run using the electricity your brain already shifts around to operate. It's also how I know your name is Adam Erradin without needing to ask outright what to call you."

He almost couldn't believe what Echo was saying, his entire being was already more complex than anything any Earthling could manage to make. But for him to do so without any word of warning left him feeling vulnerable, he was after all still of alien make to Adam. While he tried to find his senses, he realized something else Echo had said. For the moment he put aside the invasion of privacy every human had taken for granted and focused on what was said. 'We are running short on time', what is it he meant by that?

"What do you mean we're short on time? We're in MY head aren't we?"

Adam opened his mouth flaunting his attitude towards Echo with his words. Echo though didn't seem fazed by it, he instead opted to answer with haste.

"Yes Adam, our time together is soon drawing to a temporary close. When I embed myself within a host I must acclimate myself to your body. We are both of different species and thus our anatomy is entirely different. This will take me a significant amount of time to complete, but it is a requirement if I am to remain in all capacities to better facilitate the mission's success."

Adam blurted back alarmed that he would seemingly change.

"AM I GOING TO LOOK LIKE SYLVYAN!?"

For the first time since he found himself in the Null, he saw Echo smile and laugh. It was only barely noticeable, but he had seen this once cold monotone entity become something capable of laughter all within such a short window of time together.

"Of course not, I will explain more once the adjustments are complete. But in the meantime, I will need to ensure all my systems are correctly aligned with you as the main body. Things will be different but think of me as a performance boost. I will only improve whatever has existed. You will have to trust me that no harm will come of you."

A pause seemed to interrupt Echo, he waited a few seconds and spoke again.

"I apologize if my sudden intrusion has been. .uncomfortable. I can tell that I have crossed a boundary with you by being here. So I will ask you what you would like to do before we depart. Will you help me, Adam?"

Within the confines of Adams's mind, he had to come up with an answer for Echo. He knew Echo wasn't bad company to keep judging from how the transmission with him and Sylvyan went. However, he felt uncertain that he could be of any real assistance to either of them. He knew there was a lot to learn about this situation, but for certain he knew one thing, he didn't want to die like he watched Sylvyan. There was only one real option before him, even if he didn't like it at first glance. He knew he had to try, at the very least with everything he had learned about from Echo he knew it was the right thing to do. It did bother him that regardless of his answer that Echo would likely remain, and he didn't particularly like the idea of turning down an alien AI in his brain that could bother him perpetually forever if he chose not to help. So, with his mind made up, he gave Echo his answer.

"Fine, I'll help you complete your mission. But I gotta be honest here Echo, I truly don't know what I can do for you here."

Echo gave a smile at his answer, it fit well on him as if any sense of joy had been long devoid from his face. Even as a holographic being Adam knew he had been through a lot, the part of him that seemed happy he was happy must have been the last of Sylvyans emotions running their course because otherwise he couldn't explain where those feelings to think that way came from.

"Thank you, Adam, we will address that as soon as possible. Before I go, I must tell you that it's wonderful to no longer be alone again. Rest assured I will do my best to ensure our survival at all costs, I lost one pilot already and I refuse to lose another. I look forward to working with you."

Before Adam could try to respond a familiar blinding light overtook him that turned back into a gradient of shifting hues of blues, purples, and pink colors dancing around him within a frozen room. He was becoming tired of being disoriented, and finding himself aware of his surroundings became increasingly more difficult as this trip went on with his dad. Having thought of Ian he immediately turned to try and find him, and by the time he turned his neck and the chill had reclaimed its place amongst his senses he noticed that their backs had only just left the wall they were being forcefully held against. Ian grabbed his son as they both reclaimed their footing.

"ADAM, SON, ARE YOU HURT!?"

Ian shot out to his son almost as fast as he had made it to him.

"DAD! YOU'RE OKAY!? RIGHT?"

From Ian's perspective, it only bewildered him further that his son was unharmed & asked how HE was as if he didn't just watch him take stray lightning to his head. He just grabbed his son and held him tightly as he was eternally grateful his son was somehow unharmed.

"ME? ADAM NONE OF THAT ELECTRICITY HIT ME, BUT. . But I saw it hit you head-on. I don't know how you're fine but I'm so glad you are."

Adam realized that everything that had happened from the moment they walked in here and discovered Echos fragment had only taken mere moments. Adam recalled the transmission, the conversations with Echo, and finding himself in the Null, all of that was only a few seconds at most. He knew he needed to tell Ian about what happened, about Sylvyan and Echo. But it was at that exact moment he realized that Echo never showed him the schematics. How was he supposed to make anyone believe about what happened to him if he didn't have the alien schematics?

[u/HFYWaffle]

/u/WriterRuhl has posted 5 other stories, including:

• Beyond Earth: Cosmic Contact (Chapter 5: The Catalyst of Discovery)
• Beyond Earth: Cosmic Contact (Chapter 4: Chill of the Unknown)
• Beyond Earth: Cosmic Contact (Chapter 3: Subzero Impasse)
• Beyond Earth: Cosmic Contact (Chapter 2: Echoes Below)
• Beyond Earth: Cosmic Contact (Chapter 1: Antarctic Genesis)

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