Outpost

The sky was gray like a LA morning at peak hour. The air thick with acrid dense particles. 

The orbital bombardment had stopped several minutes ago. Around him the rubble lay resting, a thick layer of dust had already settled over it. Strewn about were the remains of his team. Strewn ... christ, there was nothing left.

*****

When the empire had expanded into the outer planets they had not expected this. It was supposed to have been a new era. So much land, space and resources, there shouldn't be any need to squabble over any of it. Humanity would be free to - explore - to learn  - to be HUMAN. Thats what the emperor had said. 

Back then we had asked ourselves what being Human meant. Was it a desire to ... explore ... to learn ... to create? Maybe ... for so long we existed in our virtual worlds. Who needed planets to explore when we had entire networked virtual universes to live in.  

We were told to search for something real - they said that humanities mind had become stale. We had mined our own history until we had permutated out every probablity. In short we were recycling ENTERTAINMENT and living in the past.

The marketing was pretty clever, why look backwards when you could look forwards.  

Thats what humanity had become. Beasts driven to consume the next story, the next experience the next adventure ... in simulated 3D. 

The Punch drive was a game changer. For a relatively modest fee you could pilot a quantum engangled probe in a different solar system. In return for the adventure you fed your discoveries back into the Empire's library. The story writers could use the data to create new experiences for all to enjoy. 

***

In his hands he held a nano wrench. If the outsiders decided to land, he would need to defend himself. His vision flickered slightly as his neural impant rebooted. He suspected an EMP had also been cast over the base. It had been their first warning that something  was wrong. Shortly after the lights went out. Thunderclaps had emminated from the directon of the hangar. 

Dense iron rods had fallen from the sky, their kinetic energy enourmous. It was a efficient tactic. Whilst in orbit, your relative velocities to the ground were tremendous. There was no need for a powerful linear accelator. All you needed was enough of a push to let a balistic trajectory into a gravity well to do the rest. 

That the habs were left intact wasn't an accident. They intended to settle here. 

*****

25 years ago, Humanity was shocked to discover The Others. DNA examination from corpses suggested that aside from some understandable deviance, for all intents and purposes, they were as Human as we were. 

A young Probe rider had stumbled across them whilst exploring an M class planet. The remotely piloted probe skipping through the sky had detected a heat source. As the probe approached a beam of intense energy lanced up from the ground, visible on camera. Seconds later the entanglement and ceased transmitting meaningful data. As word spread on the net thousands of other probe riders jumped their robots into the system.

If The Others had a detection system turned towards the sky, which they likely did. Then they would have thought they were being invaded. More and more green beams burnt up at the probes as they entered the atmosphere. Each one ceasing transmission as intense burning light incinerated everything in its path. 

Within minutes of the first waves of probes being knocked out of the sky, the Emperor's office took over. All probes were immediately recalled back to earth. 

Emergency orders were put into effect and all exploration was put on hold. 

*****

Streaks of fire lit up the night, they were coming. If he were to survive he would need to get to the quantum radio and make for cover. Heaving himself out of the electriacl conduit he had been working in he fell to the ground. The first of the fireballs had dimimished. The yellow fire replaced by the fierce aqua blue from the landers atmospheric engines. He had minutes before they would arrive. 

*****

At first all attempts to contact them had failed. How could you speak to a different species. We could train a dolphin to balance a ball on its nose in return for fish, but we knew little of their language. How could humanity communicate their intentions of peace. New probes were built - and placed into orbit around the faraway planet. Broadcasting and listening on every concievable band.