Exploration Impossible

Mission 6: Emergency Truce of 3457

"So what is it on the bridge that is gonna help with the evacuation?" I ask as Maia and I walk the halls of the LorenZ with haste.

"To ensure the best outcome of this situation, we must inform the other side," Maia explains. Her innocence from before seems to be returning to her speech. 

"But, do you think they will listen to you? You know how stubborn we humans are," I note.

"No, but they will listen to you."

"Then perhaps pledging the Oath of Alliance will be more helpful than I thought."

Maia smiles. We finally reach the bridge of the LorenZ. The thing that gives Axcelite spacecraft the most difference in design compared to human design is Axcelites rarely use windows. Instead, they rely on screens to observe their ship exterior. The best advantage of this is that finding specific parts of the ship interior is near impossible without being on board. The detriment, however, would be navigating blind if the screens were to ever malfunction or be sabotaged.

The layout of the bridge seems similar to what would be seen in the cockpit of a Star Trek starship. There are exactly 6 control panels that are designed to be controlled by 2 to 4 people each. Several empty seats occupy a space between the control panels and the main screen. 

"Looks like everyone in this area has been already evacuated," I think aloud.

"Luckily, it only takes one person to make a simple call," Maia walks to the nearest panel and presses a few buttons.

"Communication access granted! Welcome back, Empress Maia!" The screen lights up and shows a list of what appears to be communication contacts.

The first name I immediately recognize highlights in blue and expands until it covers the entirety of the screen. A few seconds later, a woman appears on the screen. The woman is human. She has bun-styled black hair that is partially covered by a black cap with the UIF shield on the front of it. The woman is also wearing a solid white jacket and a blue button-up shirt.

Shit! Of course, it has to be Susana! I scream in thought.

"Well hello, Empress! To what do I ow the pleasure for this call?" the woman asks sarcastically.

"Perhaps you should pay attention to who is in the room with me before you open with such unnecessary greetings, General!" Maia scolds.

"What do you m-" Susana pauses as she finally notices me standing next to Maia. "Argo!? I thought your team reported that your ship crashed into the station!"

"And they weren't lying. However, this is not the time for explanations," I respond.

"Why is that?" 

"Because we need to evacuate the battlefield."

"Evacuate!? You can't be serious!" Susana barks.

"For crying out loud, Susana! Can you swallow your pride for one God damn minute? A nearby star is on the verge of collapsing! Everyone in the whole sector is gonna become cosmic dust if we don't stop the fight right now!" I shout.

Susana is taken aback by my outburst. "And how do you know this isn't just the Axcelites just trying to open a window to exploit us?"

I show the palms of my hands to the screen, revealing my Symbol of Alliance. "Does this answer your question?!"

"Argo... you... pledged to them?" Susana is nearly at a loss for words.

"It's not like I had very many options in the first place. Now it's time for you to decide," I demand. "You can choose not to believe me and let you and your people get cooked alive, or you can swallow your pride and live to fight another day."

"Argo..." Susana is now stumped.

"General Barnes, in light of this event, I am proposing an Emergency Truce to span until the end of the singularity."

The truce would have to last until then. With a black hole residing in the Aries System, there is absolutely no way of making physical contact with the other party as to go around the Aries System would mean certain death. The Zodiac Spiral must be navigated by the spiral itself. The outside of the spiral is filled with what the Axcelites have named the Absolute Void. The moment something comes in contact with the Absolute Void, that object will cease to exist. It is the only place in the universe where energy itself is capable of being destroyed as all atoms vanish as if it were a computer file being deleted.

You can only enter and exit the Zodiac Spiral through the Aries System.

"Alright, Argo, you win," Susana sighs. "Emperess Maia, consider your proposal accepted."

"Thank you, General. Now if you excuse me, I must help evacuate the rest of my people," Maia sighs in relief.

"Make sure you return home in one piece, Argo," Susana demands. "General Barnes out!"

The screen goes blank.

"It's time to leave, Argo," Maia announces.