Entering Iota
Iota is gripped by the Clash of Legions -- the Lost Legion and their great ship Ascension vs the 51st Legion and their Scorpio. Both dreadnaughts crafted by Franky's father.
Both sides of the conflict have flooded the system with thousands of ECM jamming satellites, so white noise is everywhere. Sensor and communication range are drastically limited. But through all that noise, we can here recordings ... heavily edited recordings of the most militant passages from Mead's manifesto: "The infection must be cut out."
And, painted on the sides of ships both whole and wrecked, we see an idealized and simplified version of Meade in military fatigues, with the slogan, "Unite. Destroy. Rebuild."
In the Steam Room
Priestess Diana is aboard, and Mpho's mind is manifesting within her. Moth wonders -- does the personality of Diana have a soul, or is it just a simulation?
We consider our plans -- we intend to visit the Lagrange Leviathan, and we recall the grand frescoes in the spire on the dinosaur world [was that Aketi?]. The sphere artifact needs to be powered up to activate the pyramid constructed by Jenny, so that can be used to close the gate the Hegemon's more central worlds.
And we consider that we may need to meet and bargain with the "One True Hegemon" of the Lost Legion.
Asteroid 7
We decide to go by Asteroid 7 first, to drop off Jenny and our passengers before entering the Ring of Fire at the center of the system.
There are many Cobalt Syndicate Ships here at Asteroid 7, including Captain Keev of the Onyx (whose shuttle we rescued from a crash on Todav, during our search for the Aleph Key). The Onyx is now a barge with many guns attached.
We drop off Jenny, Selene, Carra, and the other surviving mystics from the Way of Light.
Preparing for the Leviathan
Between the two suns, Iota 1 and Iota 2, there is a superheated gas halo.
Moths' investigation of the Black Cube reveals that the Lagrange Leviathan was known the precursors, whether it was something built or hatched. The cube enables 3 options:
- Communicate with the Lagrange Leviathan
- Control the Lagrange Leviathan
- Kill the Lagrange
That third option seems to have been added in case the other two failed.
To prepare Franky to serve as a sort of antenna and communicate with the Leviathan, Dr. Ortcutt attaches an IV bag for anti-radiation meds. And then, on further thought, excises several of the remaining biological components of Franky's nervous system while he is unconscious. This renders more of the hormones for growth/mood of Franky open to manual control alteration.
Approaching the Twin Suns
We dampen the sensor inputs to our ship as we approach, so that we do not burn out our retinas with the light of the twin suns. Thus, the suns appear to us black orbs.
The electromagnetic song of those suns drowns out the noise from the rest of the system ... drowns out even the starlight from the rest of the universe.
And then we see something cresting between them, surging but cold compared to those stars. As we approach, we see that it's metallic, salamander skin matches that of Frakie and the Firedrake.
Dr. Ortcutt reaches with trembling, eager hands for the controls to push the Firedrake further in. Meade, though he is not a pilot of ships, is a pilot of men - and he guides, holding Ortcutt back from the extremity of zeal.
... on Asteroid 7
Selene, holding the heavy blaster, listening to Iceberg's halting speech -- while behind him, the screen shows the approach of the 51st Legion.
The Ocean of Fire
The incandescent gasses of iron and tungsten begun to condense and then solidify on our hull. And we see the fire of the suns, like sunset on an ocean.
Franky's hawaiian shirt and speedo are incinerated. In reverence, Priestess Diana, Meade, and Dr. Ortcutt make themselves naked before the viewscreen, witnessing the creation forge of the twin signs.
... on Asteroid 7
Selene, holding the heavy blaster, listening to Iceberg's halting speech -- while behind him, the screen shows the approach of the 51st Legion.
Captain Keev launches the Onyx and her sister ships in a despearate rush to defend Asteroid 7.
Mother?
Franky speaks to the Leviathan, describing our need, the conflict that rages in the system and the sector. And after a great pause, it responds, only to say "...Mother?"
Then spake Mpho, garbed in the cloned flesh of Priestess Diana:
"Oh great Leviathan!
Whose eyes are of the two suns
Whose body coils beneath the voidless ocean of fire
We come before you to ask
When the old world burns,
will you open the path for those who remain?"
A mouth opens that could swallow the moon of Warren.
Franky asks, "do you have a dream?"
And the cosmic enormity responds, "....Father?"
Franky releases his feet from the flaking hull of the Firedrake and drops himself down into the gravity of the Leviathan.
Dr. Ortcutt remotely pumps Franky full of the blue tea to loosen his grip on conventional reality, and he lands, sinking down a bit into the leviathan's skin. Franky caresses the being, and there is a purr of comfort and connection from something that has been alone since before humans first wrote words. It ... trusts, Franky. And with just a breath of its eons-old power, it ignites and fills the battery sphere.
Franky says he will return.
As we recover Franky to airlock, Jon AI offers to "help" us pilot our way out, but in truth he wants to drown in the ocean of molten metal.