NationStates Jolt Archive

The ship powered through the galaxy, engines on full throttle, careening heedlessly from system to system, scanning planets and moving on, proeeding with the determined haste of the truly desperate.
It was not a large ship, barely 300 metres long, but was renowned for its speed and durability. The name emblazoned on the side, Nrek, could be roughly translated as Very, Very Fast. In its mission, speed was essential.
It searched for technologically advanced life that had a cure for a disease that had struck the Empire of Garglaux. The Gargl had destroyed their anestral enemy only to discover that, in its death throes, the Kreshin Imperium had unleashed a terrible bioweapon that was quickly spreading and wiping out every Gargl on the planet.
Nrek sped on, still searching madly, all the while, transmitting this message to anyone who might hear:

"Attention all space-going life! The Empire of Garglaux is in desperate need of help! If any receiver of this message has a way to cure this disease, please respond immediately!"

There followed in-depth biostats on the organism that caused the disease.

Slowly, the shadowy silouette of a very long ship floated out into view from behind the shadow of a moon. It emerged, aiming strait at the side of the venturing craft, and slightly positioned above it, aiming down at it.

A transmission came from the ship...


"This is the ARTSCS-177295 'Baracuda'. You are in the Yavin 6 system, controled by the Armed Republic of the Toori. Hold your present position and disengage your weapons or you will be fired upon. You have 15 seconds to comply."

A Conversation

"Biological weapons?"

"Well, yes. Imagine if creatures such as the dark ones could be adapted to serve us."

"And that would be an example of a biological weapon?"

"Of a kind. Most folk would adapt bacteria or microbes to that purpose, of course."

"Why 'of course'?"

"Well, a single larger creature could destroy an entire Carpedian city, and that was under our guidance."

"Very true.... So these aliens have also suffered from 'biological' attacks?"

"Apparently. The transmission we have intercepted describes a microorganism of some kind; one that could be potentially irradiated out, or attacked by antibodies that would be simple to form from a sample of a diseased organism's tissue; our Scientists could easily do that."

"But must we help them? Can they not help themselves or otherwise work without interference from us?"

"That is bordering on the edge of wrong thought."

"Oh."

"Yes. Wrong thought is what we seek to end. And such an environment where many die from biological diseases is a very breeding ground for wrong thought."

"Then it is determined."

"Quite."

A Vision

It looks organic. The strange, pulsating form resembles a living organism itself; its long arms, possibly carrying weapons or sensors, look like natural extensions of the whole form. Yet scans may reveal its hollow interior where the internal organs would be in a living creature; more so, the surfaces that reflect back scans, so craftily that the scanning beams may not realise that they are being reflected and return specs on the ship that deployed the beam in the first place.

It is an example of the kind of technology the Nova supplied the Carpedian people with, in return for Carpedian adherence to the theocratic utopia the Nova had chosen to run. Technology the Carpedians, plucked from a tribal existence in huts to ascend to the height of scientific advancement, regarded more with a religious awe and reverence than a scientific dispassion. A kilometre and a half in length, it looks unmaneuverable, clumsy, and difficult to work with; there is no obvious source of propulsion. Nonetheless, it travels smoothly through realspace at about .75c, leaving only a small ion trail which disappears abruptly at the point where it appeared about five seconds ago.

A transmission is sent to the ship registered as the Nrek and otherwise little-specified, due to the insane velocities at which it is traveling.

>>> This is the Carpedian science and exploration vessel, Salvor Hardin. We believe we may be able to help you. Please supply the co-ordinates of your home system. <<<

<"Attention all space-going life! The Empire of Garglaux is in desperate need of help! If any receiver of this message has a way to cure this disease, please respond immediately!">

For a moment, no one spoke. The crowd that had gathered in the communications romm stared closely at the tall, green, microphone stand-like being at the main communications panel. Lieutennant Je-ni spoke first.

"Are you sure that's what it said?"

The numerous, large black eyes of the green creature's soft, cylindrical head began flashing complex sequences of color as he spoke perfect, accent-less Confederate Cal'.

"I've been reviewing the voice recording for over two hours, and it is a sequence of approximately thirty-one various word sequences. As you know, it only takes my species two words and fifteen seconds to completely translate near any galactic language. I am positive beyond a shadow of a doubt that the message is benign in nature, truthful, and..."

"...An excellent chance to gain some new friends in this strange region of space!"

Overseer Jayce's outburst startled the crew. He had been sitting in silence, supposedley half-asleep, since he had arrived. The bright red of his visor and the yellow of the right half of his mouth that had dimmed was now shining brilliantly against the shadowy, dark blue of the Comm room.

Jayce stood, the gleaming metal of his right face becoming obvious, and also revelead the wide grin that crossed his face. Jayce always wore this smile, but it grew larger whenever something of the slightest interest occured. Jayce clapped his hands together and began delivering orders.

"Galv," He motioned to the green life-form at the panel, "Send back a message expressing our desire to help the citizens of the Garglux Empire. Tell him we will be arrive at his location within a short period of time."

"But sir," an Ensign on the other side of the room stood. "We aren't a medical cruiser, or a scientific scout! We have enough to treat combat wounds and a related diseases, but we can't possibly hope to cure an entire stellar empire!"

Jayce calmly explained his position.

"I'm sure the Confederate parliament will be willing to grant use a few Arrowhead class ships, if nothing else we'll be able to establish a little communication. In the meantime we'll need to contact any medical frigates within a short Negative Jump."

The ensign still had more to say, "What if the disease is communicable? Couldn't we all be at risk?"

"We have at least a two-hundred Mechanicals aboard, I'm sure they'll have no qualms with meeting a single, diseased old alien. Now then," Jayce tapped his right hand on a control panel, signalling the bridge. "Overseer Red1, prepare to Jump to the designated coordinates, maximum speed."

Message:
"Attention, citizen of the Empire of Garglaux, this is the Confederacy of Kyle Black War-Machine "Vangaurd." We are more than willing to supply you with our medical technology, and will be moving on your ship's coordinates shortly. Please be patient, we will be there withing the hour."

Gnegerl, the Nrek's captain, blanched at the reception of the first message. He hastily stopped in his course, grumbling bitterly. Here he was on an urgent mission and some 'Armed Republic' was threatening to attack him for tresspassing. He didn't have time for this!
To his surprise, two more transmissions arrived, both much more helpful than the first. His anger placated slightly, Gnegerl sent a polite thank-you to the Vanguard and a set of coordinants to the Salvor Hardin. To the Barracuda, he transmitted a furious reply.

"I am on an urgent mission to save the very lives of an entire species and you threaten violence because I have enroached on your precious space?! Your priorities are skewed and you will kindly let me be on my way.

For a moment the Salvor Hardin hangs there motionless in space. Inside its complex computers are calculating, matching the set of co-ordinates with Carpedian star-maps and inputting them. Then the ship simply vanishes. It's as though it had never existed. There will be plenty of time for introductions and explanations later; right now the Carpedians need to save lives.

Agol of Clan Kiaar turns back from the controls. "We ought to arrive within an hour or two. Yakkesh, you have the cultures ready?"

"Yes, Kiaar-el," the science officer equivalent (a Chaplain Scientific) calls from across the ship. It's almost surprising how little organisation seems to exist on board the vessel; virtually everything is left in the hands of a higher power, the Nova, represented by the computer consoles and controls that keep the ship running smoothly. Every officer on the bridge is also a priest, hence the suffix "el".

"Once we arrive, the Glorious Computer tells us we are to obtain a diseased organism, extract its tissue, and use medical solutions to create an antibody that can attack and destroy the evil infestation of disease," the Chaplain Scientific says. "Subsequently we are to distribute this antibody amongst the general populace."

"What if no antibodies can be synthesized?" asks one of the Subchaplains, seated at the communications console.

"If the Computer tells us to synthesize antibodies, it means it is possible to synthesize antibodies," the Chaplain Scientific says gravely. "Nonetheless, it may not work the first time; we are only flesh, after all,— made by Nature*— and thus fallible."

Agol half-smiles. "Perhaps the Computer in its infinite wisdom can synthesize the antibodies for us; simply by identifying the infestation's weakness and developing a molecule that can exploit it?"

"Perhaps," says the Chaplain Scientific. "But, Kiaar-el, remember that the weakness of evil is already inherent; wrong thought; and perhaps the infestation does not think."

"In that case, how can it be evil?" argues Agol.

But there is only silence as his response.

The ship continues through the great void outside the Universe, sealed in a bubble of spacetime to prevent its annihilation, and protect it from the Beings that live there; and within only a short time, it has reappeared in existence over the Garglaux Homeworld, and slowly begins to move into position to communicate with the devastated planet below. The Subchaplain steps back, allowing Agol to speak.

>>> Greetings, to those who may hold high authority on this world. I am Priest-Scientific Agor of Clan Kiaal, commander of the Carpedian science vessel Salvor Hardin. We believe we may be able to help cure the evil infestation that devastates your people; if it does not violate your laws, we would like to transport one who died of this infestation on board our vessel, to obtain tissue samples and create antibodies that would defeat and destroy the infestation. <<<

Even as the message is sent, a small metal ovoid detaches from the vessel, swiftly growing a thicker outer skin resembling that of the ship itself and elongated at one end, which attaches to the ship like an airtube. It should be obvious to anyone on the ground that this is some kind of shuttlecraft, or a chariot in Carpedian terminology. The chariots aboard warships are armed, but this one instead contains instruments of science and research, and a more advanced life-support system.

* Before the arrival of the Nova, aliens whose technological advancement made them seem like Gods to the agragrian Carpedians (and who now rule over the planet), they worshipped Nature as a goddess, a belief they now find primitive.

Agol's message is met with silence. No matter how long they wait, no answer is delivered. The planet is full of life. The surface is teeing with lush vegetation and millions of nonsapient species. Large areas are set aside for agriculture upon which sentient creatures farm as if there is no deadly disease threatening to destroy them. There are several hundred cities floating high above the biosphere, each one home to many of the same people who frm below, although the number of city-dwellers seems unusually sall for metropoli of their size. Whatever is happening, no reply is forthcoming.

The third explorer fleet, a distinguished fleet that has made first contact with several nations, has found another nation to open relations with. A message came through saying "Attention all space-going life! The Empire of Garglaux is in desperate need of help! If any receiver of this message has a way to cure this disease, please respond immediately". The admiral of the fleet ordered a message to be sent in return.
"Empire of Garglaux, we, the Interstellar Empire of Waterhelper, would like to render assistance to your nation in your time of need. However, we require the coordinates of your nation to continue." In the meantime the lfeet proceeded to the origin of the message.