Deep Space
Outward Reaches
Uhlek Badlands

The Leghk vessels drifted, sometimes for days, sometimes for weeks or months. Milyik and his crew floated through space, their ship loosely grouped with several others. It had been weeks since the Spemin vessels had breached the silence. There was nothing. Simply nothing. And then, suddenly, irresistibly, there was…something.

Planetside
DZ160,48-8

Grix and Arella were the first ones to lumber down the ramp in vacuum suits. Closely behind them, Nickel and Dime also debarked the terrain vehicle, which had traveled four kilometers from the landing site. “Remarkable,” breathed Arella behind her helmet’s plexiglas visor. They were in the middle of a small complex of buildings and technical facilities. The central structure was hundreds of feet tall. Disapprovingly, Arella noted, “Religious ruins, indeed.”

At least, that’s how the archaeological journals would have catalogued the site. It was a blunt, imprecise description. The bold cross on the face of the structure and the stained-glass windows that adorned its buttressed walls were all she needed. “This, Commander Grix, is a cathedral,” she declared. Grx’bzzgah was impressed.

“Six spires,” the Veloxi noted. “Nickel, Dime,” he beckoned. “Run a structural integrity survey on that building. Find out if it’s pressurized and get estimates on repair time if it’s not.” The droids chirped and sped off to begin their assignment and Grix pulled his binoculars out of pack. The complex was on a ridge at the south side of “the map,” as the crew had taken to calling it. It was an impressive site, a scale map of the star sector that spread over miles. “Circa 2770?”

“It stands to reason, Commander,” replied Arella. She looked up at the stars, straining to pick out the Belfast Windfall’s running lights. “Once they get a full picture of the map, we’ll be able to make a better assessment of the date. The interior of the cathedral and the rest of the complex should shed some light, as well.” They made their way to the entrance of the ancient church where the droids reported that the structure was indeed depressurized and repairing it would require prolonged effort.

“Very well, my welded goons—why don’t you set yourselves to collecting loose artifacts,” said Arella. The group of four proceeded into the edifice through the defunct airlocks.

The cavernous interior was breathtaking in its scope. The towering arches and goliathan pillars sent a wave of sheer awe through the space travelers, who had seen wonders on the leading edges of known space. Slowly, they made their way down the center aisle.

Behind the altar, high on the wall, an inscription was etched in the cold stone: “The worlds were formed by the word of God. Hebrews 11:3.” Nobody spoke a word for a long moment. Outside, the Belfast Windfall set down in the derelict hangar facility.

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Next: “The Monitor”

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