Supernova Blitz

Chapter 11: Science and Training

~One of the more inspiring traits of humanity is our ability to finally shed toxins like a blanket when it's time to band together. Fear can keep a species alive fairly well, but cooperation will always go much further. Fear leaves survival to the fittest or wealthiest -though, even still, the fittest when wealth becomes worthless-. It is a perfect mechanism for animals and oppressive societies alike. The problem is fear is always conquered by compromise.

I have seen many things. This journal will describe but a fraction. But, even of this fraction, only moments like watching true cooperation blossom into a greater good do I regret being unable to truly capture in words. The most beautiful painting will never be more beautiful than the most beautiful view.

But, when humanity faces adversity, the lies and corruption dissolve, and we get it done. It always reminds me that I don't have to do it all.~

Two weeks pass following the risky boarding mission to capture the enemy's faster than light technology that allows them to travel so quickly across vast distances of space. It's almost double the expected time before the next encounter, which only suggests some manner of good fortune is looking after the surviving remnant of humanity. But, the ears are listening for the telltale pulse preceding a grim arrival.

Between Lieutenant Kane's brief interactions where his device translated, as well as the surprisingly large data cache Dr. Lopez was able to siphon during her digital search, the fleet has learned a lot about their relentless pursuers. For starters, they call themselves 'Grodurns', hailing from a gigantic world known as 'Grodoora'. Their unique world is apparently larger than Jupiter, and it is precariously placed between two relatively small stars that orbit each other. How this planet stays in place AND supports life is unknown, but the Grodurns live in virtually constant sunlight. And, even though their world is larger than Earth by several times over, there is some evidence of population strain, either on resources or livable surface area.

From Dr. Lopez's cache comes some of their terminology, which is leading to a rough translation program. Additionally, they've learned that Grodurns are experienced interstellar travelers, with many time-hardened operating procedures in place, which is how they so diligently located Earth.

The mystery that does still burn is how the Voyager rocket that hit their planet, supposedly initiating the conflict inadvertently, reached a world several solar systems away when it only barely left the Sol solar system a few years ago. Some theories include wormholes, time-space being much different beyond the heliosphere, or even that the Grodurns are simply lying and using the Voyager rockets -which they may have found using the first 'Burp'- as an excuse, not expecting the humans to make such a realization in time.

Whatever the case is, the Grodurns still want to enslave or kill the remnant of humanity. So, humanity will do their best to dodge the Grodurns as long as possible.

And, for starters, while the science teams are hard at work on the mobile drydock, the population has been evenly distributed across the four starliners. Quarters are tight, and there have been grumblings -on the Polonia specifically- about the new distribution. But, for now, everyone has a home while teams of military personnel either patrol or repurpose and/or jettison the lavish and unnecessary luxuries taking up room. MANY cars have been sent to the mobile drydock to feed its reprocessing plant, along with piles of jewelry, precious metals, entertainment systems, and other unnecessary items. Many extremely nice, EXTREMELY expensive hardwood furnishings have been jettisoned into the void of space, serving no purpose but to take up space. What few weren't jettisoned were stored in the 'memorial vault', a small area set aside to act as sort of a time capsule of history.

And, one car will survive to see humanity's journey; Mr. Right's custom supercar. He pleaded and begged on his actual knees with Captain Long for her to let him keep it. She was adamant that it would NOT take up space for people or function.