“The source of the psionic activity is here,” Tolukei said looking at the windshield of the bridge. “I know it is.”
“EVE?” Williams said facing her blue and white hologram.
“The storm over that region is creating moderate interference for sensor scans, Commander.”
“Probes?”
“I advise against that due to the severity of the storm, Commander. A transport may be more suitable assuming its shields remain active.”
“In other words, if the shields fail.”
“Then the transport may become damaged.”
“Send me,” Tolukei offered.
Williams grinned at their four-eyed Javnis crew member. “Ballsy.”
“I can teleport down and keep a psionic barrier around me to stay safe.”
“By yourself? Don’t think so.”
Williams admired Tolukei’s willingness to help, but knew that if something were to happen to him they were out of a psionic, something they were going to need in their search for the Captain. Case in point, Tolukei knew something was up with this particular region of the planet, something that could be related to their search.
“I can extend the barrier to protect others, if you wish,” Tolukei said.
“Hmm, that works for me,” Williams said. “Chang, have Rivera meet us in engineering.”
Chang grimaced and faced Williams as he and Tolukei proceeded to exit the bridge. “With all due respect, Commander, we lost the Captain and our Hammerhead CO and XO already.”
“I understand, but all of our exploration teams are focused on the colony and other parts of the world. We don’t have any teams available to investigate this. Besides Tolukei is coming along, if we get into trouble he’ll teleport us out.” Williams faced Tolukei. “Right?”
“If we run into a combat situation I may be forced to use my powers offensively,” Tolukei said.
“But you can still get us out, right?”
“If my mind grows tired from heavy psionic use, then no.”
Everyone on the bridge winced at his words. “But that’s a big if, so . . .”
TROPICAL RAIN FOREST
SA-139, Sirius A system
May 21, 2050, 11:13 SST (Sol Standard Time)
The darkened forest briefly lit up with the flash of blue light from Tolukei’s teleportation. He used his psionic powers afterward to cast a protective bubble around himself while Williams and Rivera kept close to him and inside of it. The bubble consistently shimmered and flickered purple as the howling winds and torrential rain crashed against it from all angles. Next to Rivera was a probe they brought along with them, it was the only means of getting it to the surface without the winds above damaging it.
The winds were also the only sounds Williams could hear other than tree branches and leaves flailing about, while the trees that they were a part of struggled to remain in their place. A flashlight attached to Rivera’s and Williams EAD lit a path for them to traverse through the soggy land below them. Rivera input a string of commands onto her holo pad that sent a signal to the probe for it to activate and rise into the skies, not too far up of course, the winds were still rough.
“EVE, are you receiving us?” Williams transmitted, however there was no reply. His EAD also revealed connection to the EVE and the Carl Sagan had been lost.
“It’s the storm,” Rivera said as she fingered her pad more. “Give me a sec, I’ll try and reroute our signals through the probe, it should help clear things up.”
The probe above them flew around searching for a sweet spot it could use to transmit data. After several frustrating minutes, it found one and began to relay data back and forth between EVE and Williams and Rivera below, data regarding the layout of the forest, data the Carl Sagan wasn’t able to accurately get due to the storm’s interference. There was a structure of some unknown design further up.
A quick trek past upturned trees, and through winds that should have knocked them over, led them to the structure, one that was overrun by the vegetation around it and seemed to have been for thousands of years. Williams couldn’t get a good look at it due to the darkness and rainfall, but according to his EAD and the probe above them, it was massive with towering pillars around its base, and a central spire in the middle.
“This is it,” Tolukei yelled over the noise of the storm. “This is where the psionic power is coming from.”
“Any idea where that power’s going?” Williams yelled back.
“It’s transmitting outward, to an unknown location.”
17 WILLIAMS
Ancient construct, Tropical Rain forest
SA-139, Sirius A system
May 21, 2050, 11:26 SST (Sol Standard Time)
“I got a bad feeling about this,” Rivera said.
Williams too had an uneasy feeling as he, Rivera, and Tolukei walked into the structure. Lights illuminated the darkened hallways as they entered. They shined down from the three or four-story-high ceilings held up by ivory pillars lined with azure-colored orbs. The walls and floors were smooth to the touch, and were made of the same ivory material as the pillars. Strange markings were on the floor below them. They looked like lines and circles that formed a pattern; a welcome mat Williams had hoped.
Pearlescent white flowers were placed along the sides of the walls, probably as a form of decoration. Williams’ EAD revealed that the flowers were still alive despite the lack of water or light. The petals of the flowers moved in sync with Rivera’s hands as she waved it over them. On closer inspection they found a large cerulean-blue orb within the center of the flower, EAD scans were unable to determine what it was made of, or its purpose.
“EVE, anything in the Radiance database regarding this?” Williams asked as they walked further in.
“Please stand by,” EVE said with static interference in her voice. “The composition and designs of this structure are consistent with Lyonria ruins, Commander.”
“Lyonria?”
“The Lyonria is an extinct ancient civilization heavily studied by Radiance,” EVE said. “Major ruins of their culture have been found in the Linl home system, the Barnard's Star system, Alpha and Proxima Centauri, and the Morutrin system. Other systems within the Radiance Union have uncovered the presence of smaller though less significant ruins.”
Williams looked up. “Do they always build their ceilings so high?”
“Unknown, Commander, this is the first largely intact Lyonria structure found according to the Radiance database.”
“Oh, really?”
“Please keep in mind, Commander, we have been disconnected from the UNE and Radiance for seventeen years, it is possible more ruins have been uncovered since then. Furthermore, this region of space is considered to be an unknown frontier to both the Hashmedai Empire and Radiance Union. Barnard's Star, Alpha and Proxima Centauri, and Morutrin as well as Earth and the Sol system are all considered to be located at the start of that region of space.”
“And Sirius?”
“Sirius too is part of the realm. It is entirely possible that additional traces of the Lyonria civilization exist deeper into this unexplored region of space.”
The group stopped at the end of the wide hall in front of an alcove that had a blue-colored pad below it and a small holographic screen beside it. Rivera examined it up and down with her EAD. “EVE, what about this?” she inquired.