Unbroken Curiosity

Chapter 1: The Day Of Happenings

Captain Sivian Cox

"Log: 1327... Today is the Day of Happenings... One could be forgiven for forgetting what today means. It has been 18 years since the first, and still, the promises made by the Church have not yet been fulfilled. Where is this Chosen One? When will he come to save us? Lead us into a new age of Peace? These questions are asked by the commoners every day, people who suffer under the rulership of the dear Emperor. They want salvation. I now believe that the prophecy is a lie. There is no Chosen One. No hope for salvation. NO PEACE. No peace... Unless... Unless we make it so."

To Captain Sivian Cox, the log read more like a manifesto. He reread it, eyeing his chief of security afterwards. Commander Wroth was an Orc. His people were rarely seen beyond Varres, this deep into the Virgo Supercluster. Wroth came highly recommended, though. A veteran of a thousand battles, the green-skinned creature bore their scars. One such scar crossed his left eye, giving it a foggy white colour. His other eye was brown and studied the Captain as the Captain studied him.

"Who wrote this?" Cox asked in a whisper.

Wroth was not so delicate. "I don't know, but it was written only a few hours ago. There is more: Corrupted data. The technicians are trying to recover it."

Cox read the manifesto once more. He took in a deep breath. "Keep this quiet, Wroth. I don't want a witch hunt on my ship."

The Orc looked a little disappointed. "But witches are the best kind of prey." He said.

Cox could not tell whether the chief of security was serious. It sent a shiver down his spine, dwelling on it. There was a witch onboard. The Lady Lillias. He was just joking, Cox hoped. Right?

"Is that everything?" Cox asked after a while.

"For now, yes." Wroth nodded.

"Good. I will join you on the bridge shortly."

Wroth nodded again and left the Captain alone in his quarters. Cox yawned. It was too early to be troubled by such news. After all, today was The Day of Happenings. A day of celebration or dread, especially if there was a heretic onboard his ship and a potentially violent one at that.

It was then that Cox felt a slight bump. He gave a sigh of relief. We are here. Quickly, he got dressed. He chose to wear the Guild's colours: a white shirt, black pants and a cotton coat coloured blue and red. He freshened up, washing his face in his private sink. Before forgetting, he slipped a silver bracelet onto his wrist. He left his cabin and began his daily walk to the ship's bridge.

The Unbroken Curiosity was a rather large ship. A Frigate, to be precise. It had fifteen levels, each serving a different purpose: Housing, Research and Development, Science, Medical, Weapons Training, Communications, etc. The ship was the first in a new line of exploration vessels. One that could find new worlds and defend itself if needed. A small army was housed on board; three companies of highly trained soldiers from across Laniakea. Wroth was their commander. Along with the soldiers, there were scientists and would-be explorers. It was the ship's maiden voyage, an expedition funded by both the Exploration Guild and a lesser lord named Byron Cobalt.

Cox moved through the vast hallways of the ship with ease. When the Guild approached him to captain the ship, he took time to explore every nook and cranny before accepting their offer. The hallways were unlike any vessel he served on. It was wide enough for 10 people to walk abreast, with all its circuitry and piping hidden behind grey panels that decorated the walls and roof. Some of these panels were lights, leaving almost no dark spots in the massive hallways. It was state-of-the-art. The Curiosity was the first in its class, the harbinger of a new Age of Discovery.