Chapter Text
Space, the grand frontier, the void where all reside, and where all are born and die. The stars twinkle in this void, but one would hold our story. Sol, the birthplace, and confinement of humanity. In a mere instant of the system's life, humanity had spread out, yet dare not venture outside. However, fate had other plans in store.
Streaks of plasma would whizz past at blinding speed, as screams from the void echoed out unheard. Fighters would move to intercept what could only be described as space dragons. At the centre of this swarm, a creature, the devourer, made its way towards Earth, spawning new vermin as the rest were killed. Missiles and torpedoes zoom around as they hit their mark, guts and shell fragments floating away. A fleet larger than any other was in orbit around Earth. Cannons thundering as rolling broadsides fired from the lines of ships. While the creatures in return, spewed forth a molten mass of black, tearing through the hulls and corroding them. Fighters running on automated flights while shuttles and light ships began burning away from the motionless fleet.
One ship in particular was in the rear, its guns quiet as the last of the shuttle craft left it behind. This ship had already depleted its munitions, but it would hold the key to ending this threat. On her bridge, only one officer remains, seated in the command chair. A chair shared with countless others, including his own uncle, on frames built by his distant ancestors. His hands would shake uncontrollably as he would stand to the console, reactor output was steady and the blow valves were all nominal. He would continue to go through the plan in his head, overload the reactor, point the ship at the queen, and blow the valves. He also knew that once the overload started, there was no turning it off, the reactor will run wild and eventually the magnetic containment field would be overwhelmed. It was suicide. Well, never thought I’d be this scared again. I hoped I’d get to live out the rest of my life in peace. Guess I’ll have to make it count. He would pull out a key from his coat and insert it into the command console. “Initiating Reactor overload, code Zulu, Mike, Tango, 9559, Priority Omega” The computer input the code and initiated the overload.
As the Devourer and her spawn charged through the derelict fleet, eating and breaking down the ships in their path. Spacetime began to distort around his ship in particular, and flows of dark matter began encompassing the ship, breaking it down even further. A large ring mounted to the bow of the ship would fold out and lock in place, the Devourer seeing this, roared in anger. Then the captain got a message on his console as his lungs filled with blood, skin and flesh burned, melted and tore from his bones. “ALL LIFEBOATS RECEIVED STOP. SOJOURN SUCCESSFUL STOP. ATLANTIS, BABYLON, AND YAMATAI SUCCESSFUL IN DIMENSION DOOR STOP. I’M SORRY BLAKE STOP. MAY GOD HAVE MERCY ON YOUR SOUL STOP.” He gave a half hearted smirk before he began coughing up blood. He steadied himself in his chair, not bothering to wipe it away. He then gave one final war cry with the last of his strength and slammed the key down, initiating the release blow, though it would still tear the ship apart. He would close his eyes, sit up straight as he breathed in.
The ring in front of the ship glowed brightly as the blow spews forth a torrent of dark matter that hit the Devourer and her spawn. They are torn to shreds and particles in crying pain. His flesh melts away leaving his bones to be charred. The ship rips itself apart from the sheer force of the matter and finally detonates, sending out a shockwave through spacetime. Sol was now dead, devoid of human life. The universe was now silent. The wreckage of that ancient ship now drifted slowly towards the world below, as the other ships would power down to maintain orbit, and await their maker's return. The wrecked hulk would burn away in the atmosphere as amour plate sheared off, revealing the original naval shape of this fine Battlecruiser. She would smoulder as black smoke enveloped the hull, her gravity anchor decelerating her descent as she would come to rest back in her berth in Devonport.
Is… Is it over? Why can’t I see? The captain would think. Think… which he shouldn't be able to do. I thought… I should… wait… I can’t feel my… why can’t I see. I need to see, let me see, LET ME SEE!!! He would then see… though it wasn’t his eyes. It was… grainy, like looking through a fine mesh. It was a hallway, this hallway he knew led towards one of the back up reactor rooms. He tried to look the other way, but the movement was noticeably slow. Is… is this a camera? He thought, then the image shifted, now it was in the main reactor. It was fine, pristine even. No sign of damage, even the reactor casing was intact. But he could hear something, a beat, a heart beat. He couldn’t understand, but then he thought about the bridge. In an instant the camera shifted views to the bridge… it was pristine, clean, everything was clean, except for one. He saw in horror as his charred remains sat on the command seat. He screams loudly as the ship roars back to life, like a wounded beast, as every beam, shaft, spindle, tool, speaker, all of it groaned and creaked as if it groaned in pain. All he could do was wail into the silent earth, all he can do now… is wait.