Chapter 1: Discovery

-M2.539. Galaxy's edge. Unknown system-

Ever since the UNSC Spirit of Fire's victory in the battle of Harvest, humanity finally managed to land a significant blow against the Covenant, almost succeeding in killing their Prophet. However, despite these efforts, the war raged on, and humanity continued to lose colony planets one by one, with casualties soaring.

Hope seemed elusive for humanity, no matter how hard they fought. Everything seemed futile due to the resounding defeats in tactics and technology. However, when the crew of the Spirit of Fire discovered coordinates that could potentially be their salvation in this seemingly hopeless war.

With that, an expeditionary fleet was swiftly formed to identify the coordinates deciphered by the ONI. The 21st expeditionary fleet, with the operation code-named "Operation Seeker," moved quickly to acquire anything they could find at those mysterious coordinates.

The flagship of this operation was a light carrier ship, UNSC Trianna. By making various slipspace jumps, they continued to narrow their distance with the target. But strangely, what used to be a one-way slipspace journey straight to the destination now required multiple slipspace jumps, driving them tens of light-years further. This was caused by the deteriorating and erratic slipspace field as they approached their destination.

Admiral Johannes Stanson led this expeditionary force. He gazed at the system they had been visiting for a week with calculated eyes. He walked towards the bridge and saw Dr. Katarina Ambers, accompanied by the ship's AI, Olivan.

"I want a status update, Doctor," Johannes said, approaching the researcher.

"We'll be able to make another slipspace jump shortly. But there's bad news, Admiral," the doctor replied slowly.

"What do you mean, doctor?" Katarina uploaded the data on her datapad to the hologram table in the middle of the bridge.

"Olivan, can you assist me?"

"With pleasure." The AI, taking the appearance of a well-dressed businessman, calibrated the information given to him and displayed it to the Admiral in an easily understandable scheme.

"As seen here, there's some damage in the slipspace field. From the records of previous jumps, we obtained data that the damage is worsening as we approach our target coordinates. But, there's something that makes this disturbing." Katarina's tone gradually decreased towards the end of her sentence. She seemed to be wrestling with her own thoughts.

"What is it, Doctor?" The Admiral found the doctor silent, thinking hard about saying something. Johannes glanced at Olivan, seeking an answer.

"Well, this is quite difficult to say," Olivan spoke in a hushed tone. "There's some sort of crack or wound in space and time itself, and the disruption effects of our slipspace jumps are a result of the spreading crack."

The Admiral stared at the AI for a while before turning his gaze back to the doctor for an answer.

"As Olivan said, there's some kind of wound in space and time, and the center of this wound is at our target location. All the slipspace anomalies we've experienced are from the crack spreading from the center of the damage," Katarina explained as she moved the hologram in front of her, showing the data results she had analyzed.

Johannes examined the presented data, reading every detail carefully. "What do you think is the cause of all this, Doctor?"

"I don't know," Katarina spoke slowly. "This is not a natural occurrence and is impossible. So, in my opinion, it's something artificially created by an intelligent being with technology unknown to us. Forerunners are my best guess."

"Forerunners?" Johannes spoke with an intrigued tone filling his words. "I see. It seems like we've come to the right place. So, how quickly can we make another slipspace jump?"

"We can do it soon, but there's an issue – we don't know what will happen once the jump is successful." The doctor's response only made the Admiral stare at her more intensely.

"What do you mean, Doctor?"

"There's much we don't know about slipspace, and now, the slipspace field in space and time is damaged. So, the probabilities of what might happen are almost limitless." The weight in Katarina's voice was undeniable, and a sense of anxiety reflected in her eyes.

Johannes fell silent for a moment before redirecting his attention back to the bridge window. He contemplated and pondered over all the data provided to him. The burden and hope bestowed upon humanity to achieve salvation now rested on his shoulders.

"We have to keep moving, Doctor. We don't have any other choice but to push forward and acquire whatever is at our destination. Humanity is counting on us, and even if we fail, we'll die fighting." Johannes declared firmly, smiling with confidence and optimism.

Katarina looked at her admiral and remained silent. To her, the sentimental air of a warrior was far from logic and sometimes irrational, a departure from her way of thinking. Yet, on the other side, she understood the meaning behind Johannes' words. They truly had no other choice but to move forward.

"Very well, Admiral," Katarina responded decisively.

"Good." With that, the slipspace drive was activated again, and Johannes immediately instructed Olivan to give the command to all the ships in his fleet. With the command given, the entire fleet entered slipspace.

_____________________________________

The Carrier Ship Trianna experienced a significant jolt in slipspace, tossing their ship several times, as if an unseen force continuously pushed them out. With the precision of Olivan and the analysis of Dr. Katarina, they navigated through the turbulent slipspace storm.

After what felt like an eternity, they finally arrived at their destination. As they returned to the material world, the analysis and scanning systems were immediately disseminated throughout the system. What they found shocked both the doctor and the AI, looking at the data simultaneously.

"I-Impossible," Katarina spoke with escalating fear.

"What is this?" Olivan spoke with a face full of terror. "This is impossible."

"What's going on?" Johannes asked with concern.

"This... Space and time throughout this system, no, space and time throughout this entire sector of space have mostly been swept clean. As if burned and leaving emptiness. Absolute emptiness. Space and time are nearly completely erased here." Olivan spoke with a trembling tone, struggling to find the right words to describe the horror he had discovered.

"Space and time... Erased? How is that possible?" Johannes couldn't believe the AI's words, staring at him sharply.

"I don't know. What do you think, Doctor?" Olivan spoke to Katarina, who was still muttering to herself in front of the data she held. "Doctor?"

Katarina remained deeply engrossed in her own analysis, oblivious to the world around her. She seemed to mutter to herself, contemplating various thoughts and calculations known to her to unearth the mystery now laid before her.

"It's impossible," the doctor mumbled. "This is impossible."

"What's impossible, Doctor?" The admiral asked again, this time with a stern tone.

Before Katarina could respond, a transmission crackled through their ship.

With promptness, Olivan immediately analyzed the origin of the transmission, and what he found made his eyes widen. "Admiral, you won't believe what I've found."

Without hesitation, Olivan displayed the transmission on the main audio and hologram panel. The hologram screen portrayed a young captain, and Johannes instantly recognized him as one of his subordinates, the captain of one of the ships in his fleet.

"Admiral, is that you, sir?" The captain asked, sounding exhausted and filled with hopeful anticipation.

"What's going on, soldier?" The admiral inquired with a puzzled expression.

"UNSC Hammerfall reporting, sir. We've been waiting for you for 6 years, Admiral. Since we arrived here, time and our ability to perceive it have completely vanished, sir. Forgive us." Rather than speaking with discipline and order, he spoke as if rambling.

At that moment, Johannes realized something. They were too surprised by the shocking discoveries in this place, and somehow, even their ship's AI became complacent. When he glanced at the hologram table in the command center, conducting a simple scan to locate the remainder of his fleet, his fears were confirmed: half of his fleet had vanished.

"Damn!" He cursed at his own negligence. Then he turned his attention back to the transmission screen. Seeing his subordinates exhausted and having to face this madness on their own was unsettling. He looked at his subordinates with firmness but also with pride.

"Outstanding, soldier. Now that you've stopped waiting because we've arrived, you've done a great job." Johannes smiled sincerely.

"T-Thank you, Admiral. It's truly relieving that you're here." The captain replied with a sigh of relief. "Oh, Admiral. During the six years you were in this forsaken place, we managed to find one planet that somehow wasn't affected by these anomalies. On that planet, it seems like we found what we were looking for."

And that statement captured the attention of everyone in the command center. Katarina fell silent, frozen with a gaze that continued to fixate on the captain. "You... You found it?"

"Yes, ma'am. We found it, and it's better if you come with us. I'm sure you'll be surprised." The captain's response heightened the curiosity in the room.

---

After several hours of navigating the impossible in a place where space and time itself had crumbled, it drained the energy of all the AIs in the expedition fleet. As if moving forward but also backward, standing still, yet somehow in their systems, they were advancing.

Distance had no meaning here, and time seemed not to flow linearly; both were present and absent simultaneously. This made the scientists and AIs in the fleet feel their sanity slipping away when they had to look and analyze the center of this destruction.

Then, they arrived at a planet described only by rocky shores. About 45% of this planet was covered in rocks, and the remainder was an ocean. Uniquely, despite the madness occurring in the system where this planet resided and the fact that there was no sun in the system, the planet managed to have an atmosphere and a structure capable of supporting life.

After parking their fleet in orbit, Admiral Johannes quickly instructed all remaining ships to deploy the research teams they brought to the coordinates provided by the captain.

As several dozen Pelican dropships descended onto the rocky terrain, they were met with a staggering and inexplicable sight. In the rocky landscape stood a gigantic mountain seemingly integrated with the ruins of a colossal structure, which, at a glance, could possibly extend over a hundred kilometers.

"Incredible," murmured Katarina as she gazed at her datapad containing information about the exterior structure of the scenery before her.

From the data she obtained, Katarina could discern a structure resembling a submerged ship, seamlessly integrated with the rocky landscape covering the planet. However, one thing troubled her – how could the ship be submerged so deeply into the terrain?

Once the Pelican landed, Katarina, who promptly disembarked, was welcomed by several research teams that had been studying the location for six years.

"Doctor, we've been waiting for you." A male researcher approached her, extending his hand.

Katarina shook his hand, responding with a smile. "Show me."

With a nod, the researchers guided Katarina to enter. Upon stepping into the ship, the head researcher was astonished by what he found. He observed the structure of the ship up close and noted that it had an architecture reminiscent of Gothic designs from the 19th century. This unsettled him a bit, considering that the only species listed in the UNSC database using Gothic architecture were humans.

"The architecture here... somehow reminds me of Gothic architecture," Katarina stated, seeking a response.

"Because the ship's architecture is Gothic, doctor," replied the researcher with a small grin.

"What do you mean by that?" Katarina asked, feeling skeptical but unable to conceal her curiosity.

"We've been researching this place for six years, and during that time, we've uncovered some secrets of this ship. This ship was made by humans, doctor." A revelation spilled from the researcher's mouth, causing Katarina to halt in her tracks.

"What?" A question filled with inquiries escaped the doctor's lips.

"Yes, this ship was made by humans, and from carbon dating, its age reaches a hundred thousand years." The unexpected reply left Katarina in shock, and at the same time, countless possibilities emerged in her mind.

The past remained a mystery, and the origin of humanity was one of the greatest mysteries of that past. Many theories circulated about it, none of which were genuinely concrete. But now, the answer to that mystery was right in front of her.

Humanity once thrived as a race with unimaginable technology—a race that might have rivaled or even surpassed the Forerunners.

"In that case, quickly take me to the center of the ship's research facility," Katarina said, her curiosity peaking.

"With pleasure, Doctor." With that, they continued their journey.

During the journey, Katarina's mind was occupied mapping and plotting the corridors she traversed. Guided through twists and turns that seemed both distant and close, she concluded that this ship was also an impossible labyrinth, created with a complexity that even the best UNSC AIs would struggle to design. An impossible maze filled with kill zones, and isolation areas, but also shortcuts for those who knew the loopholes.

"You know, to map and find our way through this labyrinth, many of our personnel sacrificed themselves to reach the core of this ship. And their sacrifice was not in vain," said the researcher with determination. "Because what lies at the core of this ship is a sacred vessel of knowledge for all humanity."

Katarina stood in awed silence, her mind racing with the implications of the ship's potential and the vast reservoir of knowledge it held. If the researcher's claims were valid, this wasn't merely a tool for humanity's survival against the Covenant; it was the very key to humanity's ascension.

Their journey reached its climax as they entered a colossal chamber. Hovering in the center of the room was a mammoth metal sphere, cradled by a colossal altar. Katarina scrutinized the iron orb and its surroundings, spotting intricate symbols that she could only describe as runes.

"Runes?" Katarina queried, a hint of amusement in her tone. "I never expected ancient humans to rely on the supernatural for their machines."

The researcher halted, fixing Katarina with a displeased and even offended look. "Watch your words, Doctor. What you see might resemble superstition, but believe me, what we've unearthed will revolutionize the materialistic worldview that UNSC researchers have clung to for so long."

The scientist's unconventional statement intrigued Katarina, prompting her to raise her eyebrows.

With a purposeful stride, the researcher guided Katarina to their research station, where a team of scientists labored diligently to unravel the mysteries of the ship.

"Attention!" the researcher bellowed. "She is Doctor Katarina, our project lead to uncover the secrets of this ship. And, Doctor, allow me to introduce Professor Richard Stanson, our research lead; he'll be your guide."

A grinning forty-year-old professor approached Katarina, extending his hand. "Hi, doctor, nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too, Professor." Katarina shook hands with Richard briefly before cutting to the chase. "Let's get to it. I want to see the data you've gathered."

"Of course, come over." Richard led the way to the main computer.

Katarina followed closely, and as the professor accessed and opened his research data, the young doctor's eyes widened in disbelief. The information on the screen defied description in terms of both quality and quantity.

Every inch of the ship, from its minutest components to the intricacies of its framework, housed a sophisticated, systematically programmed artificial intelligence. Delving deeper, Katarina realized these intelligences interconnected, forming a complex network akin to a brain network spreading through a quantum system.

The recorded data merely scratched the surface of the ship's unfathomable complexity. Even this fragment provided Katarina with a tantalizing glimpse into the extraordinary technological marvel that lay before her.

"Incredible," Katarina murmured in awe.

"You haven't seen anything yet," Richard replied with a small laugh. Before the doctor could respond, he swiftly replaced the computer's data with another set that made the older researcher grin.

"This is the analysis data of the giant iron orb, but as you can see. That thing is a sacred vessel of knowledge," Richard continued with pride in his tone.

Indeed, as Katarina glanced at the data, even if just briefly, her eyes widened, and all the knowledge stored in her mind was tested. Physically and formulaically, the orb did not truly exist in the material world. Scans and other data collection efforts indicated that the object not only submerged reality itself literally but also continuously cleaved all forms of radiation, matter, and even dark matter, creating a void that no scanning technology could analyze.

"So, this orb is like holding control over reality itself?" Katarina asked, trying to digest the information she had just received.

"More than that," Richard replied, pointing to the data. "It's like having access to layers of reality that are infinite. We have concluded that this orb is a storage and controller of knowledge on a universal scale. And more astonishingly, it seems the orb can manipulate reality according to its will."

Katarina could only gaze at the data with admiration and a growing sense of curiosity. Perhaps, this is the key to unlocking potential that has only existed in imagination and myth.

Upon closer inspection, Katarina realized a set of data collected from the rune symbols scattered across the orb.

"Runes. So, they truly have a function," Katarina mumbled in disbelief.

"Believe it or not, Runes that we initially thought were just spiritual symbols actually play a crucial role in binding the structure of the orb itself." Richard tapped on some holograms and arranged a data scheme that Katarina herself had never known.

"What system is this?" Katarina asked with suspicion.

"This is a system we developed in the last year. With the data we obtained after exhaustive research and sacrifices from our AI, this system could be created." The system in front of them was the antithesis of what analysis and scanning systems should do. Katarina could only describe the system as an anti-reality detector.

What she found was a kind of energy that, according to computer estimates, was limitless, continuously emanating from the orb, and held in check by the runes carved on the orb's surface to prevent it from spreading and devouring reality.

"Technology like this... Who is the creator of this ship?" Finally, Katarina asked the question she most wanted to throw. Her eyes glanced slightly towards Richard, seeking an answer.

Richard paused for a moment before changing the hologram screen to a signal pattern and some photos of the ship. "This ship has no bridge or the like, so we deduced that this is an automated ship driven by artificial intelligence. But it doesn't mean it was made by sentient machines. In fact, this ship was designed and built by one person."

"One person? Don't play around with me."

"Look at that signal." Richard didn't speak further; instead, he translated the signal into a language using the new computer system.

"Bellicum finitum est, et tempus nostrum discedendi advenerit. Tuum est officium, Legaste, locum hunc custodire donec redeamus. Te designavi ut optimus praecursor futurus sit tempus cum advenerit. Ave Imperator, omnium carissime."

The man's voice somehow managed to make everyone who heard it feel like their souls were being pressed from all sides, as if the voice itself could grip their souls with an unknowable and unimaginable power.

Amid the tension, Katarina gathered her mental strength to speak again. "Latin. He spoke Latin. And Ave Imperator, praise the Emperor."

"Amazing, isn't it? From this data, we also found out who they are." And with one swipe, a word formed from the collection of signals, creating a symbol of a twin-headed eagle clutching a ribbon at its feet.

Katarina read the ribbon slowly. "Imperium of Man."