Jump to content

Mutants & Masterminds: Galactic League - Starstruck


Ira Sagebrush

Recommended Posts

16 years prior, at the Academy

It started with a small swirl, then expanded as T'aeg manifested inside the auditorium as the sand like particles coalesced into his ten foot tall form. Being on duty and acquiescing to the request from the administration, his uniform was wrapped up and around his form, displaying his Senior Guardian rank on his chest.

His green, crystalline eyes gazed over the large room, pausing briefly to acknowledge the few pupils that were here early for his guest lecture. The room was oval, shaped much like an egg, tapering up and terminating in a hexagonal skylight that was then surrounded by similar shaped semi-translucent mirrors that allowed in yet more light while also magnifying the ambient that was entering from ceiling at fifty feet.

Seating went up 3/4 of the auditorium, stopping twenty feet from the top, the remaining part used as a screen for the instructor, which now simply displayed a welcome.

This will be adequate.

T'aeg reached into his uniform's pocket and pulled out the small thin tablet he used, touching a button and setting it down on the small table that appeared from nowhere. The screen behind him immediately lit up with a new message, 'Galactic Culture 377'.

He then squatted down on his heels and waited for the rest of the cadets to arrive.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Amanda

Amanda was moving though the halls rather quickly, and she entered the room, then blinked as she saw the instructor. It couldn't be who she was thinking, but there was really no one else in the league who looked quite like this.

She'd heard stories about this League Member, who hadn't, he was one of the great heros of the League, and one of the most powerful. According to the stories, he'd saved billions of lives, had been wounded in the line of a duty dozens of times, and have been offered a seat with the High Guard four times, all of which he'd turned down, and he was part of the creation team who put together the D-Tech Cosmic Hyperphase Engine, which powered the fastest ships in the Galatic Cluster, if not the universe.

Uncertain of what protocol to use with him, she bowed and saluted at the same time, a task made easier by the fact that there were three of her at the moment, but the confusion was apparent as the third of her sort of fell over, trying to figure out what to do. With the fall she flashed out, reducing their numbers to two. "Er..." She started to speak, then didn't have any clue what to say, so she closed her mouth, so as not to look more foolish then she already did.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

T'aeg turned his head towards the flustered young women and nodded ever so slightly in acknowledgement of her salute/bow. It still confused him how humans could be so distracted by another being, as though they were somehow better by the things they did or were bestowed upon them.

"Good day, Amanda Joy Terrance, do you have a question? If not, please take a seat." T'aeg said, his translated voice, muted and neutral.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Namiah yawned as she headed for her first class. Last night, she’d been up too late working on an assignment for her Hostile Negotiation class. Shaking her head, she turned the corner, wondering what kind of sadist gave a major assignment on the first day. She hoped it wasn’t a sign of things to come in that class.

She was wearing the uniform of the cadets, the same as last year, but she was very proud of the second year pips on her shoulders. The first year of the Galactic Academy had been hard, far worse than she’d expected it to be. She’d come here expecting things to be easy, but that wasn’t the case. On Rendallen, she was one of the brightest of the Ren, but here, she was only slightly above average on the Galactic scale. While allowances were made in every class to challenge the races with super-intellect and not overwhelm those without, it was still challenging. And it should be. Being part of the Galactic League was a high honor, and only the best and brightest should make it into the ranks. And Namiah was going to be one of the ones that made it.

She was distracted by her self-affirming thoughts the moment she looked to the front of the classroom. She’d never met the being crouching there before, but she’d have recognized him no matter the circumstances. T’aeg, she thought, her eyes going wide and her heart starting to pound.

It was the dream of every Ren to meet the last Builder. She’d hoped she’d be lucky enough to encounter him; he was a member of the Galactic League. Namiah had never dreamed it would be so soon, though.

“Do you mind?” The nasal voice behind her made her jump, and Namiah looked over her shoulder to see a frowning cadet. The human was clearly waiting for her to get out of the way, and she shuffled aside to let him move down the aisle to a seat. She realized that, unlike most classes, the front seats were filling up fast, and she hurried to claim one, setting her datapad on the desk. From this vantage point, she could see the details on the A’fen D’Lan, and she gave him a hesitant smile. Her normal confidence was in short supply around him. His eyes are green, like mine, she thought, absurdly pleased by this nebulous connection.

Speak to him; it’s your duty. Swallowing back her unusual shyness, Namiah left her datapad on her claimed seat and walked to the front of the room, stopping behind the twins who were having trouble remaining focused before him. She didn’t really see them, though; he was swelling in her vision, filling up more of the room than he possessed. In her head, all she could think was, It is him, the Last Builder, whose people gave mine a home after we’d cast off our own.

I am the most fortunate of the Ren.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Amanda

Amanda didn't actually have a question, so she turned to move to take a seat, only stopping as she noticed the woman behind her, who seemed almost as stunned as she was. Well, actually, according to the emtions she was sensing from the girl, it was closer to religious reverance. Putting together what she knew of T'aeg, she realized then who the girl must be. The Ren view T'aeg almost like a god, she must be one of them. she then stepped aside, to take a seat right next to the girl, and then she leaned over. "Hello there, I'm Amanda Terrance, of the Tai Ceti, your one of the Ren, arn't you?"

Link to comment
Share on other sites

"I... what?" Namiah asked, reluctantly pulling her eyes away from the Last Builder long enough to look at the girl. "Ren? Yes, I am. I'm Namiah Daylan. Excuse me, please." She gave the girl a smile and moved closer to the instructor, her stomach fluttering. Silently, tensely, she waited for T'aeg to notice her.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The Ren, Namiah Daylan. No doubt she will attempt to bestow upon me, respect and thanks for a gift that was not mine to give. Humans simply do not understand and give false appreciation to the most inane occurrences.

The jade eyes focused on Namiah, his head turning slightly then nodding in acknowledgement of the young woman vying for his attention. "Good day, Namiah Daylan. Do you have a question?"

Of course she doesn't. Human etiquette is so confusing.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

He knows my name! The Last Builder was talking to her, and Namiah focused on the sound of his voice, his cadence - anything that she could communicate back home about this moment, about him. She literally was hanging on every word as he spoke. He could have been reading the campus directory, and she still would have stared raptly, absorbing what she could.

She quickly saluted, as she was supposed to do to a superior Guardsman. "No, I, uh, yes, I mean, I do," she stammered, something she hadn't done since she was fifteen and faced with a secondary education crush. "I do have a question," she said, "though not about the class. Is that allowed, or should I wait until later?"

She hoped he allowed it. If he did, and if he knew the answer, he could supply an answer that had perplexed every Ren Namiah knew.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It is like a self-imposed malfunction. Their synapses require misfiring to satisfy social expectations.

T'aeg returned the salute and stood up. Saluting seemed egregious, but had been told repeatedly as to its necessity. He was far more comfortable standing, but looking down on humans tended to accentuate his differences and reinforce the fact that he was truly an alien, so almost immediately, with fluid motion, he came back down to sitting on his heels.

"Not all attendees are present, you may proceed." he said, extending an arm as an invitation.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

"On Rendallen, if you dig down more than a foot, the soil begins to smell of ozone," Namiah said, her green eyes wide and borderline adoring. "We have long wondered if that is natural to the planet, something that was added, or part of the terraforming process?"

She fell silent, waiting with her body almost singing with tension. Since she was small, every Ren she had known had wondered of that peculiarity. She wasn't aware, but she was clasping her hands tightly, leaning forward, waiting eagerly for his answer, regardless of what it would be.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

T'aeg answered without hesitation, "The planet you refer to as Rendallen was not yet complete in its Sa D'lan, hence our presence upon your arrival. The ozone is stored within the soil to further oxygenate the oceans and atmosphere as it cycles naturally after our departure. It should be leeched out by the beginning of the next M'nar, or geological cycle. It is difficult to explain in a language so restrictive, but I believe that answer will be sufficient to your inquiry."

Link to comment
Share on other sites

"More than sufficient," Namiah said, a peak of excitement rising in her voice. Hearing her lack of control, she felt the inside of her mouth. The total focus for a second returned her to the meditative state of mind and restored her natural calm. "Thank you," she added, bowing her head in a sign of respect.

Slightly giddy but suppressing it as hard as she could, she returned to her seat, sitting next to Amanda Terrance and plugging her datapad into the desk. She resisted the urge to write her aunt and tell her about her discovery. Instead, she drew up the program for the class and settled into her seat.

After a moment, she looked at the blond woman next to her and nodded to her. "I apologize for being so distracted a moment ago. It really is nice to meet you."

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Amanda

"It's no problem, it is a bit overwhelming to met a legend after all." She gazed at T'aeg a moment, then leaned over and spoke a lower voice. "I hear that they offered him a seat with the High Guard and he refused... said it wasn't his path, or something like that." There was naked admiration her voice as she spoke of T'aeg. "He's remarkable, I think some of people signed up for this class just to meet him. And it's a nice to meet you also." she held her hand out to Namiah.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

As the last cadet floated up to the last seat, the image on the screen changed, shifting to a broad view.

galacticculture377.jpg

T'aeg stood up and his translated voice emanated from the podium.

"Galactic civilizations take time to form. Alien civilizations come and go. Systems almost never have more than one intelligent species naturally, usually with no more than one planet in the habitable zone. Microbial life permeates the universe, but sentience is far more rare. The technology of races varies to a certain degree, but generally can be categorized in a set pattern.

M'ar Fen are usually limited to a single planet; they evolve via natural selection in a planetary gravity well and become sentient. They have never used space travel to colonize or explore other worlds either technologically or in person. Some civilizations never seem to need to venture beyond their home worlds; these civilizations are not the norm. They can be deceptively simple, and since space travel cannot be used to measure their capabilities, caution is advised when contacting these civilizations.

They usually suffer a cataclysmic event, a planetary collision by a large massive body such as an asteroid. Their existence is generally short lived on the cosmic time scale.

Most civilizations however, tend to advance with each milestone; invention of language and recorded communication, use of tools, agriculture, architecture, industry, computers, rockets, self-directed genetic modification, nano-construction and so on. Each technological revolution leading to the next, building upon the foundations of the previous.

M'ar Sin usually have intra-system travel between nearby planetoids and might attempt interstellar travel to a nearby system. A technological singularity is sometimes reached near this time, which is a convergence of technologies leading to a point, beyond which, there is maximum change and advancement is so rapid it becomes unpredictable to the species itself. For some individuals of the species this can lead to a condition, referred to by humans, as 'Future Shock', resulting in a backlash to technology or causing a temporary setback.

Once a M'ar Sin has achieved the significant milestone of star travel, contact is usually made. The civilization may have been under close clandestine surveillance for a long time, with the League, or others, awaiting this significant event. Unfortunately, this time is a very dangerous one. Many civilizations become highly unstable, self-destructing under the pressures of the constant accelerating change of technological progress, sometimes resulting in a total extinction event, or P'uul K'tan.

This could be global war, an engineered plague, runaway climate change, or a nano-replication disaster, such as was witnessed with the Katow."

There were murmured agreements, though most only new of it from history. The Katow had been wiped out nearly 300 years ago. Or would have been, if the League hadn't stepped in at the eleventh hour and saved the last handful.

"The dangers are many." T'aeg continued, "This is why it is best to avoid contact until M'ar R'dan status is achieved and the civilization is deemed stable.

If a natural extinction event has occurred, it is not unusual for another M'ar R'dan civilization to reclaim a habitable planet and take up residence in the star system."

He paused, and scanned the room, looking for questions before he continued.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Amanda

She raised a hand, and when he nodded at her, then she spoke up. "What do the names, M'ar Fin, or M'ar R'dan, mean? I mean, it sounds like they are stages of civilization, but they don't seem to translate well." She was curious, it sounded as though T'aeg's people labeled races based on their advancement.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

"They do not translate well, because they do not translate. M'ar Fin is not a stage development, I believe you were intending to speak M'ar Fen, which, for your benefit, you may consider 'Stage One'. M'ar R'dan would be 'Stage 4'. It would take an entire session to extrapolate upon the intricacies by which a civilization is judged to place it, but it would not be outside the constraints of human thinking to say that M'ar R'dan is when inter-galactic travel is achieved."

T'aeg's unwavering gaze bored holes in the young woman, waiting.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Namiah raised her hand. When that emerald gaze shifted to her, granting her permission while giving her butterflies of nervous delight, she said, "What are the markers of a M'ar R'dan society beyond space travel? And what about those planets that reach M'ar R'dan, yet are still dangerous, not because they are unstable but because they are hostile? Do they receive a separate designation to indicate that they are stable yet still dangerous?"

Link to comment
Share on other sites

T'aeg paused a moment before answering.

Human biology must lack a sensible audiological sensory system.

"Danger level is a product of the creature perceiving the potential threat. It would depend who was making the judgment and then any action they decide to take would be theirs. For example, consider that the Rewellian have a technological singularity, the Interstellar Trade Union may consider them dangerous because of their operations nearby, however the Epsilon Iota Alliance would make no such proclamation. The A'fen D'lan do not designate civilizations based on potential threats, for we have no reason to consider any as such."

You are the A'fen now.

T'aeg cocked his head slightly to the side and paused again, before continuting, "The Galactic League, does have a potential threat classification, it is not based on civilization accomplishments, and is not a subject I am cleared to discuss with cadets."

Withholding information cannot be productive.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

"I see that you are not enlightened by my explanation. Very well."

T'aeg turned to address the entire class once more.

"Advancement by civilizations can be measured by other criteria than space travel, although in most cases space travel coincides with other criteria. These criteria include the amount of energy a civilization can manipulate or measurements of their computational density. Consider if they have reached limits on miniaturization of computers using parallel processor silicon chips, biogenetic DNA molecular processors, quantum optical processors? How many of these permeate their habitable environment? Have they achieved transference of their consciousness into dense computational devices?

Finally, in order to survive the approaching technological singularity and remove their aggressive and self-destructive evolved behaviors, M'ar Fen occasionally begin an extensive program of self-initiated genetic re-engineering and intelligence amplification. At times, this is successful, other times, it is not.

At this time the civilization has several optional paths it may take: they may genetically modify their bodies, adding robotics, and nano-technology, to essentially become cyborgs, potentially integrating their minds into a collective. This allows each individual to think independently or become much more capable than themselves when merged.

Alternatively, they shed their bodies, wiring brains together and immersing themselves inside a virtual reality of their own making, while overlaying it with input from shared external robotic remotes. Eventually converting brain into pure digital computation and storage. New bodies could then be grown, if wished, but virtual bodies would usually suffice.

A relatively small percentage would refuse either option, choosing to remain true to their origin. Inheriting the planet, they are left while other, more advanced variants, species of post-humans, specially adapted for star travel, spread themselves out in search of others.

M'ar R'dan are orders of magnitude more advanced and different than M'ar Fen. They have self-evolved to the point of becoming unrecognizable by their own ancestors.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...