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【Vision of an Alternate Future】

Arc 1: Ascendance

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【VAF】Chapter║: 20 ─ The Old and the New

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At the Council Chambers Naole prepares to hear from the Council of Elders, and Lady Scarlet is now the oldest member of the Council of Elders. Lady Scarlet is essentially the Brain of what was once the Indigo Class Ship Scarlet, and when she accepted her election to the Council of Elders her brain was remove from the Crystalan Ship and placed in a containment unit allowing her to serve on the Council of Elders. Once the brain of a Crystalan Ship is removed the body dies, and the brain itself can only survive outside the ship for approximately 165 years.

On 02-03-2235 Lady Scarlet became the first Crystalan Ship to become an Elder, and after the death of Lord Ralen, Lady Scarlet became the oldest member of the Council of Elders. Naole's grandson Maole is also on the Council of Elders along with Casara's grandson Kilan. Kilan's granddaughter Isis is the new Expeditionary Guardian, and she's married to Maole's Grandson Jalen the new Research Guardian.

Scarlet : " Good to see you again my old friend!" after a brief pause "We have need of your services Naole."

Naole : " I'm ready to serve Ladyship!"

Scarlet : " We have been more than pleased with your work on the Crystalorb Moon, and because of your tireless work we are on course to reach a population of 65 million by 2275." after a brief pause " However Jalen the new Research Guardian has suggested that we find other ways to accelerate the development of our population, and he's developed new methods that will see us reach 500 million people by 2295."

Kilan : " This is a revolution that goes beyond anything we ever thought possible!"

Maole : " A breakthrough in advanced Biotechnology!"

Naole : " Have you developed Cloning for Crystalans?"

Scarlet : " No!" after a brief pause “I’m afraid that is still quite impossible!" after a brief pause "We will let Jalen explain” Jalen approaches "Jalen; Step forward and speak!"

Jalen : " Honoured Elders! Master Naole!" a brief pause as Jalen bows " We can produce more offspring/Children, the problem is that raising them is becoming increasingly difficult with larger numbers of children" after a brief pause "To answer this problem we developed a method based on Master Naole's brain containment technology designed to grow the Brains for the Casara Class Cruiser and the forthcoming Esara Class SkyCruiser. Once a baby is born we can keep them in the Containment capsule for 18 years, and this will allow them to develop to adulthood without the need for active parents." after a brief pause "While they are in development they are able to interact with other Crystalans through Crystalorb's virtual environment, and it's through this that the Spirit Stone can act as parent to them until they are old enough to learn what the Spirit Stone truly is." after a brief pause "Once they emerge they can seek out their true parents and relatives and join the family as adult members. This will allow the Crystalan population to expand more rapidly than we ever thought possible."

Naole : " By the Source!"

Scarlet : " The process has been tested, and we are now ready for full implementations. We need you to accelerate the development of the Crystalorb Moon, prepare to make a home for Hundreds of millions of Crystalans on the Crystalorb Moon. That means adequate water and food supplies. You will finally have the resources you need to reach the true potential of the Crystalans."

Naole : " Until this moment I didn't truly believe in the 'Nexus Powers Theory', but now it’s become all too obvious. And the fact that the Nexus Powers come in pairs is self evident. Today I stare into the mirror and I see myself reflected in Jalen! I see my Father in him, I see my Son in him! It was always there, I just refused to see it. In Isis resonates the reflections of Esara, Casara, and Isara! They come in Pairs!"

Maole : " What are you saying Naole?"

Naole : " Jalen and Isis are 'Nexus Powers'! Each responding to the needs of the other!" after a brief pause "One creates and the other destroys!" after a brief pause "Ever since the death of my sister Casara I've felt somehow limited! Less than I used to be! Not in terms of actual power, but as if I'm no longer propelled by some external force." after a brief pause "I couldn't understand it, but now its clear to me, and the future of our people will be guided by the next generation of Nexus Powers."

Kilan : " Are you saying that you’re no longer a Nexus Power?"

Naole : " Where two powers converge I see Purpose! Providence!" Naole smiles "It's not that there are just 2, but that they occur in pairs! So there can be more than one pair. However with my Nexus partner gone I've lost the ability to interact with her, and it's that interaction between the Nexus Powers that defines everything that happens around them. There may come a time when I find a new partner, someone who connects with me at a spiritual level, and when that day comes I will once again become a Nexus Power." after a brief pause "I have work to do now! The new Nexus Powers have inspired new hope for the survival of our people. Ideas are once again flowing in my mind, and I now see the path before us. We must all work to support those who inspire us. Help them in their destined path." after a brief pause "Before Casara died we talked about creating a sky base or star base, and for decades I've had a picture in my mind on what the Nalen Class SkyGarrison would look like, but because such a project would require enormous amounts of resources, I thought that I would have to wait another 200 years before I could build it. However the emergence of the new Nexus Powers has brought with it the possibility of building/growing the Nalen Class SkyGarrisons"

Scarlet : " Nalen Class SkyGarrison? How large is it?"

Naole : " It’s big!" Crystal Armoured Naole produces holographic projections of the Nalen Class SkyGarrison "Between 150km and 200km in Length, a maximum of 15km in Width and Height. Nalen Class SkyGarrisons will be equipped with 100 Crystalorb Energy Weapons Crystals similar to the ones on the Crystalan Ships. For all intensive purposes the Nalen Class SkyGarrison would be a Crystalan Ship."

Scarlet : " Crystalan Ships can’t grow to that size. Well, at least not in less than several hundreds of years, possibly thousands of years."

Maole : " Even with the power of the Spirit Stone it’s impossible!"

Kilan : " And we can't build something that size!"

Naole : " The Esara Class SkyCruiser is about the limit of what we can build with current Crystalorb technology, but if we decided to grow the SkyGarrisons the limitations can be overcome." after a brief pause "Working around the limitations of Bio-Organic Crystalline skin growth will be Jalen's responsibility!" Naole looks at Jalen "Can you do it? Can you be the one we need?"

Jalen : " It won't be easy!" Finding new confidence "I can! I will be!"

Naole : " Excellent! I've identified 265 asteroids in the Ra Solar System that can be transformed into Nalen Class SkyGarrisons. They contain sufficient amounts of solid minerals to form a base for the Ships, and I will instruct my people to start towing them towards the local star. We will use the energy of the Star to power the growth, we will get as close to the star as possible. We will need about 265 fragments of the Spirit Stone!"

Scarlet : " Why?"

Jalen : " The Fragments will be essential for the growth of the Nalen Class SkyGarrisons." Jalen's mind is immediately going to work "Yes! We'll drill into one of the eggs and collect developing genetic material, and coupled with a specific energy of the fragments of the Spirit Stone we should be able to stabilize growth. A Five Brain Hive Mind configuration should be optimal! This may be the thing Isis needs to confront the Migon! We will begin working immediately."

Maole : " What's happening?"

Kilan : " Naole was right!"

Scarlet : " There are new Nexus Powers!"

Naole : " Earliest Completion date 2290!"

Scarlet : " One more thing!" Naole waits for Lady Scarlet to continue "Ambassador Timal will be attending the security meeting in Arun, and an Elmak BattleGroup will arrive shortly to collect Timal, onboard the Elmak Class SkyCruiser is Ambassador Cuvil; the Andronian Federation envoy to the O'con Federation. Ambassador Timal and Ambassador Cuvil want to see the progress on the Crystalorb Moon. They're considering giving the area additional protection! You will accompany them to the Ra System and give them a tour of our Ship building facilities there."

Naole : " On your Command!"

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Upon arrival on the Crystalorb Moon Naole takes Ambassador Timal and Ambassador Cuvil on a tour of the Ship building facilities using a Crystalan Baby Ship. Naole then finally brought them to the sight where the Esara Class SkyCruiser was being built

Naole : " It's just a skeletal crew now, and full scale production was not scheduled to begin until 2275 ESD, but recent developments in Crystalorb have led to a change in our plans."

Amb-Cuvil : " What sort of developments?"

Amb-Timal : " They found a way to raise their children without actually having to physically go through the years of rearing. The children will grow up in a virtual environment and emerge as adults 18 years later."

Amb-Cuvil : " Interesting! Are you sure you want to go down this road? There have been others who decided to use the same kind of process in Cloning rather than birth and rearing. Over generations the results were disastrous."

Naole : " We don't intend to maintain this process forever, and the Council of Elders have already decided that once our population reaches 500 million we will stop. For years we've been implanting 1 million Crystalan embryos in Hybrid women per year, but now because of the new process we will stop implanting Crystalan embryos in Hybrid women. Already 5 million Crystalan couples have made themselves available for the new process being developed. The regenerative capabilities of Crystalans mean that just 5 pregnancies by each of these couples will produce 100 million in about 15 years."

Amb-Timal : " At that rate you'll reach 500 million in 40 years."

Naole : " That's the plan Your Excellency. Once we reach that number we will Stop and go back to the old ways of having children though it may take some doing. Crystalans understand what is at stake, and they understand why we have to ask the coming generations to make such sacrifices."

Amb-Cuvil : " With a larger population you will be able to build more of these Esara Class SkyCruisers?"

Naole : " Yes your Excellency! The Chest Crystal is critically important in the building process, and not just of the ships, but for every thing we build. Every Structure we've built on this moon is made possible by our ability to grow Crystals with our Chest Crystals. The specific energy of the fragment of the Spirit Stone keeps Crystalans adequately supplied with Spirit Stone energy."

Amb-Cuvil : " How is the fragment of the Spirit Stone connected to the Spirit Stone on Earth?"

Amb-Timal : " I've often wondered about that?"

Naole : " We don't really understand it! We opened an infinitesimal wormhole from Earth to Hyperspace, and then we opened a similar wormhole from the Crystalorb Moon to the same location in Hyperspace. The location in Hyperspace is infinitesimal, and somehow the 2 wormholes began to join creating some kind of Inter-dimensional Pocket."

Amb-Cuvil : " An Inter-dimensional Pocket?"

Amb-Timal : " How can you be sure its an Inter-dimensional Pocket?"

Naole : " During the Battle for Enthea we lost some of our Crystalan Ships to an unexplainable phenomenon. When we searched Normal space and Hyperspace for debris of the ships in question we found nothing." after a brief pause "Thus the question becomes if the debris is not in Normal space or Hyperspace, then where is it? Excellencies; Things don't just disappear your?"

Amb-Cuvil : " Did you ever find it?"

Naole : " No your Excellency; We never found any of the debris." after a brief pause "Further analysis indicated that when the Curmallion Ships collided with our ships the force of the impact prematurely activated the Bio-Organic Crystalline Jump Drive generating an unstable Jump sequence. The solution is that during a battle we reduce the energy of the Bio-Organic Crystalline Jump Drive to 30% of Normal." after a brief pause "We now think that what killed the Crystalan Ships was some sort of unstable Inter-dimensional Pocket."

Amb-Cuvil : " A new type of Weapon!"

Naole : " We also recognize the weapons potential and capabilities of an Inter-dimensional Pocket. However we lack the technical capabilities to fully develop such a weapon system." after a brief pause "We will share our data with the O'con Federation and they will pass it on to the other Older Civilisations. Perhaps all of you can find a way to weaponize the Inter-dimensional Pocket."

Amb-Cuvil : " The Inter-dimensional technology is actually Phaylon Technology, and the fact that you've stumbled upon it points to the truth about your origins; the fact that you are in a very small way part Phaylon."

Amb-Timal : " I heard about your intension to build a SkyGarrison? Are you sure you'll have enough energy to manoeuvre such a large vessel?"

Naole : " It's Human nature to reach beyond our perceived limits your Excellency. The Nalen Class SkyGarrisons will give us the ability to project power beyond the Null sector."

Amb-Cuvil : " You actually believe that you'll ever be able to reach Migon Space?" asking with an almost sarcastic tone in his voice "They will see you coming with something that large."

Naole : " With respect Your Excellency; Everything the Galactic Alliance has done for the past Thousand years has not surprised the Migon Federation, but every thing they've done has surprised the Galactic Alliance. It's time for something different Your Excellency."

Amb-Cuvil : " You are Bold! I'll give you that!" after a brief pause "Unfortunately boldness isn't enough. Truthfully speaking, we would be better able to Fight the Migon Federation if we didn’t have to protect all the younger Civilisations, but every time we've withdrawn our forces in order to launch an offensive the Migon Federation responded by destroying entire worlds."

Naole : " Planet Killers?"

Amb-Cuvil : " If enough Migon BattleSphere focus their attack on a single target, a single point on a planet's surface the results can be catastrophic." a brief pause as Ambassador Cuvil reflects "Entire Civilisations wiped out! We were left with a choice; Either we sacrifice the younger Civilisations or we fight to protect them." after a brief pause "It's true that the Migon knew that we would not abandon the younger Civilisations to their fate, they use all of you as hostages, forcing us to defend you and thereby losing the ability to launch a major offensive against them."

Naole : " And that has given them enough time to prepare for their own offensive!"

Amb-Cuvil : " However there is new hope!" after a brief pause "The emergence of the O'ltana has caught the Migon by surprise, and even now they are working to build fortifications on their border with the Null Sector. The presence of the O'con Federation has forced the Migon to re-evaluate their offensive capabilities, and as the O'con Federation becomes more involved the human race will play a more active role in the war without end."

Amb-Timal : " The O'con Federation is building more BattleGroups, and we will soon have sufficient numbers to be more useful in the war against the galactic evil that threatens all life. However the advanced materials used in the hulls of the Ships require enormous amounts of energy, and we've had to increase the amount of energy our ships generate. We are working to integrate the energy systems and technologies for more effective Ships."

Naole : " I think we will have comparable Ships sooner than your Excellencies expect."

Amb-Cuvil : " How do you mean?"

Naole : " Each of the Nalen Class SkyGarrisons will carry more than 200 Olen Crystalorb Nuclear Fusion Reactors, and have a 750m thick Bio-Organic Crystalline Hull. However the main reason is that every Nalen Class SkyGarrison will carry a fragment of the Spirit Stone."

Amb-Cuvil : " What does that have to do with anything?" a brief pause as Ambassador Cuvil reflects "I see! Your Spirit Stone also stores energy!"

Amb-Timal : " And if each Ship has access to the reserves it means that you'll have optimal power!"

Amb-Cuvil : " How many Fusion Reactors do you have here?"

Naole : " We have 600 Fusion Reactors on the Crystalorb Moon, but we plan to have at least 2000 by the time the Nalen Class SkyGarrisons enter service. We are also building a series of stations that will help us capture 2% of the local star's energy and feed it to the Spirit Stone through one of the Nalen Class SkyGarrisons"

Amb-Cuvil : " This is truly innovative!" the Ambassador smiles "Your not going to waist time trying to duplicate the technology of the Older Civilisation, instead your going to enhance your unique technology. Very clever Indeed! The Migon will no doubt be watching, and if they realise that your SkyGarrisons will be much more powerful than their BattleSpheres they will move against you before you have time to prepare."

Amb-Timal : " Then perhaps we should give you additional protection. The O'con Federation will send one of our BattleGroups to the Ra system to function alongside the BattleGroup stationed in the Earth system and the 5 BattleGroups stationed in Arun Space. Hopefully this will be enough to deter the Migon from attacking the Ra System."

Naole : " There is more."

Amb-Timal : " What else is there?"

Naole : " The Crystal Armour that we wear is made by the Spirit Stone, from the Spirit Stone. Therefore the Crystal Armour is in some way a part of the Spirit Stone. Meaning it could be classified as a fragment of the Spirit Stone. Well at least in theory."

Amb-Timal : " Are you saying that the Crystal Armour could have direct access to the Stone?"

Naole : " That is a possibility! As the Spirit Stone grows more powerful it gains new and interesting abilities. It's as if the increased energy unlocks its hidden capabilities." after a brief pause "Crystal Armour is alive, and we don't quite understand how? We know that Crystal Armour is alive because it has the same Bio-Organic Crystalline make up as that on the Crystalan Ships, and that includes Bio-Organic Bio-Nanomachines. However unlike the Crystalan Ship the Crystal Armour does not have a Bio-Organic Brain. After years of research we've concluded that the Crystal Armour is alive in the same way the Spirit Stone is alive, and that the Crystal Armour may very well be a part of the Spirit Stone."

Amb-Cuvil : " If you are correct, then the possibilities are limitless!"

Amb-Timal : " Interesting possibilities!"

Naole : " We still need to understand what role Divine Light plays in the energy exchange?"

Amb-Cuvil : " What is Divine Light?"

Naole : " When Negative Psionic Energy and Positive Psionic Energy produced by the Spirit Stone collide resulting in an annihilation effect the Energy is transformed into Divine Light. We believe that Divine Light is the Energy at the centre of the Energy Spectrum. The energy of both Order and Chaos. Both Negative Psionic Energy and Positive Psionic Energy. The energy of both Creation and Destruction."

Amb-Timal : " How can it be both?"

Amb-Cuvil : " And why haven't we been able to detect it?"

Naole : " We think that Divine Light is extremely reactive, and contact with Negative Psionic Energy or Positive Psionic Energy starts a chain reaction that results in the dilution of the potency of the other forms of energy. It explains why Negative Psionic Energy used by the Hodians and Circleans seems more potent than the Positive Psionic Energy used by Crystalans."

Amb-Timal : " So you think that Divine Light is the key to harvesting Infinite power for your Spirit Stone?"

Naole : " Yes! Though I fear that we lack the intellect and mental discipline to use the Crystal Armour to tap into the Infinite power of the Spirit Stone. Though we suspect this is hardly a surprise to the older races since the Stars at the hart of your ships are also a source of Psionic Energy. It’s clear that you realised that the Matter Antimatter annihilation going on at the heart of Stars produces miniscule amounts of a type of exotic energy that enhances your Psionic Energy. Conversion happens too fast in Stars."

Amb-Cuvil : " The mental capabilities you seek will come with time, and the older you get the more control you'll have."

The Andronian Ambassador was very pleased to discover that the Crystalans were preparing to fight the Migon, and Ambassador Cuvil understood that Humans were unique in that they were keenly aware of the danger the Migon Federation posed to the Human Civilisation, but this did not deter them from preparing to meet this danger head on. Most Civilisations faced with the same situation would naturally conclude that the only way to survive was to run, but the Human race wanted to rise to the challenge, reach beyond their limits, and become more than they ever thought possible.

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It didn't take long for the O'con Federation BattleGroup to take station in the Ra Solar System, and Naole began to accelerate his work on the Crystalorb Moon. The Crystalorb Engineering Division increased its army of robots to 20 Billion Spherical Crystalorb Robots, and most of the work was on energy production systems for millions of adult Crystalans that would one day take up residence on the Crystalorb Moon.

The Crystalorb Engineering Division was increasing the energy supplied to the Spirit Stone because of projected future needs of the Nalen Class SkyGarrison. Though the Spirit Stone would require enormous amounts of energy for its development/growth the local star “Ra” would provide all the energy needed. The Crystalorb Engineering Division was building a network of satellites that when completed would harvest 10% of Ra's energy for the Spirit Stone.

Harvesting 10% of Ra's energy was by far the most ambitious project undertaken by the Crystalorb Engineering Division, and it was projected that once complete in 2305 it would save enormous amounts of reactor fuel. If the project proved cost effective Crystalorb could move to harvest the energy of nearby stars, and this time more satellites would be deployed and that would bring the energy absorbed to 21% of the energy produced by a star.

Even though none of the Crystalans could explain how the Spirit Stone stored energy they all trusted the ability of the Spirit Stone to do so. Every Crystalan was aware that the Spirit Stone was their only hope of survival, and the Crystalans understood that the Spirit Stone was a part of them.

The activities of the Crystalans in relation to the Spirit Stone had always been a closely guarded secret, only Crystalans, a few humans and the Older races knew what the Spirit Stone was.

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