Journey to the Center of the Galaxy

"I don't see how anyone would want to destroy the universe?" Kevin said. "What would they get out of that?"

"Not everyone is rational like that," Sillan said. "That's why I said there are much greater forces at work here."

Kevin and Sillan were still sitting across from each other at the dinning table.

"You think we will be able to find my great-grandfather two-hundred years in the past, at The Galactic Congress?"

"He's most likely in the Enlo System"

"What makes you think that?"

"Because he had Illawayan DNA encoding done two-hundred years ago. That's when the technology was in it's infancy...as far as anyone knows. Leafson Ableson was a champion of it's advancement. It started out in the Enlo system; until the Illawayan proved themselves the most competent at it.

"They have a presence in the Enlo system?" Kevin asked.

"Yes. The Illawayan are a very ancient race. They developed at the very center of the galaxy. They are billions of years old. Once their people in the Enlo system proved superior at it; the focus of the research moved to the center of the galaxy; and they have been known as it's champions ever since."

"I'm assuming the technology became strictly regulated. Like you were saying before."

"Yes...very, very few people besides The Illawayan even know how to use it. Which is why The Enlo system two-hundred years ago is a good bet."

"That could also give us a chance to figure out what the hell happened with The Vend and The Ishmaru."

"Yes."

Some celestial phenomenon (from outside the dinning room's viewing window) briefly reflected off of Sillan's face.

Kevin noticed the muted purple glow from Earth Hammer glowing somewhat more brightly. He could see it glowing from inside his pocket.

"I think I've made a breakthrough!" The A.I. suddenly announced over the ships PA.

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Kevin and Sillan sat in the piloting module once again.

"What did you figure out?" Kevin asked.

"I think I can expand the time-field now!" The A.I. said. "I've tapped into an energy source that can expand particles, going back in time, at the atomic level."

"How so?" Sillan asked.

"I was experimenting with how much digital information I could send back in time; at the atomic level." The A.I. said. "And I found an energy-field within the ship that can expand to a range larger than the ship."

"What energy field?" Kevin asked.

"I...don't...know," the A.I. said. "It's just here now."

"That's weird," said Sillan.

"What was the breakthrough?" Kevin asked.

"Like I said," said the A.I. "There seems to be an energy field somewhere in the ship that seems compatible."

"It could be something bubbling up from the quantum realm," Sillan said. "Just try it."

"Okay!" Said the A.I.

"Set the bolan-crec factor to seven-percent," Sillan said. "And then expand the time-travel program past the atomic level. Use the unidentified energy field as a catalyst."

"This could be extremely dangerous!" The A.I. said.

"Just do it!" Kevin replied.

"Do it!" Sillan said.

Kevin could feel the physical matter that was made up from the ships atoms begin to change. The sensation was incredibly hard to describe in words. The atoms that made up all the components of the ship were temporally outside of the time-field (they usually existed in). He felt like he was outside of time itself.

"Our atoms are beginning to run backwards in time!" The A.I. announced.

"Good!" Said Sillan. "Now isolate the unidentified energy field and expand it."

"Expanding!"

Spaceship Ksenia began to shake violently. Her shields were temporarily down, as the A.I. tried to synchronize with the unidentified field. The whole ship started to resonate with a dampened purple glow, which slowly began to expand outwards.

"We are outside of time now!" The A.I. said.

"Good!" Sillan said. "Increase the bolan-Crec factor by two-percent and then run the time travel program backwards for the whole ship. We should be--

Suddenly, the ship jerked violently for a moment, until the new time-field dissipated and the ship stalled back out into normal time/space.

"What the hell!" Said Kevin.

"Fen!" Sillan said.

"Something went wrong!" The A.I. said.

"It's fine!" Said Sillan. "Use the dissipation of the unidentified field to calculate it's origin point. You should be able to trace it now!"

"Calculating!"

Kevin took another look at the carcass of Planet Avax. The rate of ships blasting away from it's surface had become significantly slower. Most likely the planet was almost completely abandoned now.

"That's...different!" Said the A.I.

"Yes?" Sillan asked.

"The origin of the unidentified field seems to be coming from...Kevin's pocket!?"

"That...weird?" Kevin said, gazing down at his "space command" Jacket.

"It's Earth Hammer!" Sillan said. "Hand it to me."

Kevin quickly reached into his giant right pocket and plucked out Earth Hammer. The purple glow from it's energy source had grown denser and brighter. Sillan quickly took it from his hand. He stood up dramatically and then threw the gun into the very center of the piloting module.

"Isolate it!" Sillan said.

"Isolating!" Said the A.I.

The glow from Earth Hammer began to expand into the entire space of the piloting module.

"It's synchronizing perfectly!" The A.I. said.

"Expand the time-field around the ship!"

"Expanding!"

"Now run the time-travel program backwards!"

"Let's ride!" Kevin yelled.

A giant purple aura expanded around the ship. It glowed incredibly brightly, as bright as a star, before Spaceship Ksenia popped out of the normal time-field and went back in time.

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Two hundred years previously:

Spaceship Ksenia returned into normal space/time exactly two-hundred years reverse in time. Planet Avax could be seen in the distance; floating amongst the stars and looking healthy, vibrant and alive.

"It's...fine now!" Kevin said.

"What a paradox!" Said the A.I.

"A.I." Sillan said. "Do a read out on the star location cross-reference to make sure we are exactly two hundred years in the past."

"We are exactly two-hundred years in that past!" The A.I. said.

"What just happened with Earth Hammer?" Kevin asked, standing up and picking the laser-gun off of the floor.

"Can't say for sure," said Sillan. "I told you there were much greater forces at work here."

"That seemed a little too easy," Kevin replied.

"Now we know we have something that can generate a field," Sillan continued.

"Now what?" Kevin asked.

Transports and other ships could be seen occasionally warping into and out of planet Avax. It's oceans looked completely alive.

"What information do we have to go on?" The A.I. asked.

"Basically nothing," said Sillan.

"What about my D.N.A?" Kevin asked. "Can we scan it? We could use it to find my great-grandfather; if there are any records of his D.N.A on file on the planet."

"That is just what I was thinking!" Said Sillan.

"Yeah right Sillan," the A.I. joked. "That was Kevin's idea."

"It's only one worm-hole jump to the Enlo system from here!" Sillan said.

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Spaceship Ksenia blasted out of worm-hole space and into the outer fringes of the Enlo System. This region was brimming with life. The entire, massive region was home to countless young stars. All breathing life into the myriad solar systems of the Eagle Nebula.

"The Enlo System is deep within The Pillars of Creation," the A.I. stated.

"It's basically the tropical part of the galaxy," Sillan said.

Kevin could see the massive hand that had been named "The Pillars of Creation." It stretched on for almost five light-years.

"The Enlo system is at the very tip of the middle finger," Sillan explained.

"It's ha...ha...where?" Kevin asked.

"I don't get the joke," the A.I. said.

"He's laughing about an Earth gesture," Sillan explained.

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Sillan put spaceship Ksenia into light-speed travel and they quickly penetrated into the Enlo system. Kevin saw planet Enlo blasting into view as the ship slowed. They popped up in front of it at an amazing rate.

"This planet is massive!" Kevin said.

"It's one of the largest planets in the galaxy," the A.I. explained.

"Except Luneris," Sillan added.

Planet Enlo was so giant not all of it could be seen from the windows of the piloting module. The entire planet was also geographically re-organized into a uniform series of continents with a super-ocean surrounding it.

"How do they do that?" Kevin asked.

"Long term, hundred-year engineering efforts," the A.I. explained.

The satellites, space-stations and other man made celestial entities (surrounding the planet) were countless. The planet had space elevators, reaching up form the planets surface, that bridged into many space-stations. Planet Enlo had no moons. As Kevin looked away (into the corner of outer-space) he noticed their sun was considerably further away than Earth was to it's sun.

"This planet is actually relatively un-advanced from what it will be like two-hundred years from now," Sillan explained.

"They still haven't constructed their artificial moon," said the A.I.

"Just like Earth's," Sillan joked.

"Like what..?" said Kevin. "Whatever..."

There were many massive bases floating around the outer atmosphere of Enlo. There were so many celestial entities (around the exterior of the planet) it was hard to tell where the actual planet ended and where the satellites began.

"How many planets are in this system?" Kevin asked.

"Just the one," said Sillan. "Hence the name...Enlo System."

"Should we scan my DNA on the ship?" Kevin asked.

"I already have a scan of your DNA," Sillan laughed. "It came with the mission packet. But...we are going down to the surface to use something much more comprehensive..."

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Spaceship Ksenia (once again) landed by sinking into the planets atmosphere (by floating downwards parallel with the planet). A storm began to brew in the outer atmosphere (as they made their way down). Dense layers of rain and lighting suddenly began to surround the ship. Raindrops were cascading all over the piloting modules windows.

"What's the capitol city of planet Enlo?" Kevin asked as an especially long streak of lighting chained across the sky.

"It's just called Enlo," Sillan explained. "You are going to have to become accustomed with linguistic differences from planet Earth."

"Already there," Kevin replied.

Earth hammer was now safely back in Kevin's coat.

"The whole planet is just one city called 'Enlo," the A.I. explained.

"It's divided into seven-hundred quadrants," Sillan explained.

"Where is the Galactic DNA Database?" Kevin asked.

"It is in Quadrant 99," Sillan explained.

"It's such a nice place," said the A.I. "It's basically heaven for artificially generated consciousness like myself. You'll see Kevin."

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It was still raining heavily when the ship landed in a (mostly private) landing pad. It was located in a rural area that lied outside the heart of Quadrant 99.

"Where are we?" Kevin asked. "Is this a farm?"

Spaceship Ksenia settled comfortably on a black and white landing pad. It had large cracks in the concrete it was made out of. The area around it looked partially like a farm from Earth; mixed with much more advanced looking technologies.

"What are they making here?" Kevin asked. "It looks like they are...growing technology?"

"They are growing computers here," the A.I. explained.

"Excellent," Kevin replied.

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Sillan had a short financial deliberation with an alien that Kevin guessed was a "higher Kal-Vant," and also a computer-farmer. The alien seemed very impressed that Sillan was in possession of the new galactic currency "Leafson Ableson Credits." Kevin saw the face of Leafson Ableson for the first time, as Sillan made a digital transfer (to an electronic pad the computer farmer was holding). There was something eerily familiar about Leafson Ableson.

Sillan said a few more words and continued to barter with the computer-farmer; until the farmer made his way back to retrieve something.

"What was that about?" Kevin asked Sillan.

"We need more localized transport," Sillan explained. "You are FEN gonna' love it."

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It wasn't long before the computer-farmer returned with two hovering bikes. They looked something similar to the motorcycles of 1940's Earth. The two vehicles were automatically driving themselves in their direction.

Sillan made a couple more polite gestures and exchanges, and then he and Kevin boarded the two bikes.

They rode side by side as they blasted across the long, green field that led to the city of Quadrant 99. The rain had died down, and gentle drops of dew would strike them occasionally.

"What the hell do they do for night-time here!" Kevin yelled. "If there's no moon!?"

"You'll see!" Sillan yelled back. "Prepare to be amazed!"

Kevin guessed they had two hours before nightfall.

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They finally reached Quadrant 99. As the city came into view, it's massive scale was becoming readily apparent. Kevin couldn't see past the edges of the city anymore. It swallowed them whole. He was amazed to find that the city looked like New York City, Earth, circa 1999.

"What....the hell?" Kevin said as he and Sillan began to slow down their hovering bikes and merge with the roads of the city.

"Whyyy does it look like this?"

"Blowing your Fen El mind!" Sillan enthusiastically insisted as he veered close to Kevin.

"Are we...back on Earth?" Kevin asked.

"NO!" Said Sillan. "You are in the universe! This entire city was made over-night with nano-technology...hence the retro-design. This is actually what the cities of this planet looked like ten thousand years ago. By limiting the technology level of the superficial, outer-structure of the city, its easy to use nano-technology to build even large cities overnight."

"Sick!" Kevin replied.

"The technology of everything else in the city is on par with the current level of technology in the galaxy...minus two hundred years!"

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Sillan and Kevin were able to seamlessly merge into the streets of Quadrant 99. The traffic was heavy and the sun was setting. There was just a small sliver of light left, which was illuminating the nighttime traffic (and the skyscrapers of the city). Most of the cars around them looked like they were from 1920's Earth; except they were hovering. Some of the cars looked more like Kevin imagined futuristic cars would look. They continued to ride side by side (on their hover bikes) as they made their way through downtown Quadrant 99. The sun finally settled completely.

"Everything is glowing!" Kevin yelled.

It quickly became apparent that in the absence of a moon (to light up the night) that everything on Enlo was designed to glow. The buildings, the roads, the flora, the fauna and even some of the alien beings (that resided there) all started to shine with various forms of illumination.

"They have been living like this for twenty-thousand years!" Sillan yelled. "The whole planet has just evolved this way! Because they don't have a moon!"

It didn't take them long to get to where they were trying to go. The DNA database was in a facility that (once again) looked very different from the rest (of the architecture) of the city. It was a large building, that was all black and was one of the few things that did not glow.

"Why does it look like that?" Kevin asked as he parked his hover bike in a space marked for parking them. "It's not glowing?!"

"That's because it's from an office that is off planet," Sillan explained. "It's not originally from Enlo.

"So like The Vend...," Kevin said.

"I was never really working for The Vend," Sillan stated quietly.

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There was an increasing mob of protesters ganging up on the DNA Records Office.

"And that's what I was trying to tell you about..." Sillan said to Kevin.

The protestors in question (who were quickly outnumbering the security guards outside) were another incident (in a long chain of people) across The Galaxy protesting the openness and accessibility of DNA records. The legislation of "DNA Galactic Openness" was a bill passed only three years prior. It had been extremely controversial since its inception. Almost every DNA Records Office around The Galaxy had been in danger of being overrun by mobs.

"This was the problem!" Sillan said to Kevin as they waited for a chance to slip through the protestors. "Everyone was so focused on this; The Ishmaru were easily allowed to bribe their way into unrestricted asteroid mining."

"Hindsight is 20/20," Kevin replied.

Kevin was resting his hand over the pocket of his coat that contained Earth Hammer. Sillan had Fyzak in a holster on the belt he was now wearing. The protests were only growing more tense, and their was a sense that violence could explode.

"Where are you right now?" Sillan asked Kevin.

Sillan already knew what Kevin was talking about.

"Well...two hundred years ago...man I was so stupid then. That's when I was still in the employ of the gods. I'd probably...be...oh...no..." Sillan said.

"Are you sure they have my grandfathers DNA here?" Kevin asked.

He already knew what Sillan knew, but asked him all the same.

"Any DNA splice would be recorded at this office; based on the new law. We actually got lucky here Kevin; in about a week the legislation will be voted down in the Galactic Congress, and these records will be impossible to find."

"How the hell are we going to get in?" Kevin asked. "bolan-Crec?"

"You are definitely not ready for bolan-Crec Kevin..." Sillan said. "If you think you can use it whenever you need to."

"Fair enough," Kevin replied, watching Earth Hammer glow a little more brightly.

"What we are going to do," Sillan said. "Is wait for this mob to erupt...and then slip in the front door."

"What's going to happen?" Kevin asked.

"In about twenty minutes, some Ishmaru thugs, disguised as regular protestors, are going to slip into the crowd and escalate this whole thing; to the point where people are shooting lasers at the building. That will be our chance."

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Sillan and Kevin waited for twenty minutes; and that is exactly what happened. Seven people (who were all dressed in a suspiciously similar fashion) all waded into the crowd, and then began encouraging the rest of the protestors to become violent. Kevin was reminded of the lower kal-Vant from Jack's party. People were all yelling various obscenities in the local dialect of Quadrant 99; before the whole thing exploded and people started storming in.

The local security of the DNA office was quickly overwhelmed. Eventually, someone managed to get the access codes to the building. Most likely, one of the Ishmaru plants were already in possession of them. More people stormed into the building. The local police quickly joined into the fray; which only caused more local residents to join the struggle. The entire situation evolved into a full on battle; which gave Kevin and Sillan exactly the opportunity they needed.

They pushed through the battle and waded into the large, steel double-doors that led into the main lobby. People spilled into the building at such a fast rate it was easy for both of them to just walk in. Sillan seemed undeterred as the populace of Quadrant 99 initiated full-on battle with the security of the DNA Office and the local police.

Laser blasts began to cascade all around the main lobby. Kevin pulled out Earth Hammer and was surprised to find how comfortable the laser weapon felt in his hand. Sillan was now openly wielding Fyzak. One of the security staff (fully clad in riot gear) looked amazed for a moment when he looked at Sillan's weapon. The security staff decided to ignore them and ran out the front door.

Sillan and Kevin quickly made their way up the marble lobby. Kevin found the chaos surprisingly easy to navigate. They made their way up the marble stairs (as the battle started to claim its first victims). Someone fell dead in front of Kevin after being shot in the chest with a green laser. Sillan's facial tattoos rotated empathically. Kevin got the sense this death looked senseless to Sillan.

The facility only became more vulnerable and easy to penetrate as the battle continued to grow. The local police began to flood into the front door; causing everything to escalate into complete chaos.

"Now's our chance!!!" Sillan yelled to Kevin.

Sillan laughed as Kevin was already running forwards into the stairwell that led to the main DNA records room. They quickly escaped the battle, and things suddenly became more serene. The battle sounded far away now, as laser weapons (and the orders of the local police) began to sound like they had nothing to do with the two of them.

They made it to the office they were looking for. Whoever was in charge of this place must have made a quick exit; as there was still a steaming cup of something that looked like coffee. It was a small room, with stacks of files and papers that went up to the ceiling. There was a small computer there (which had also been quickly abandoned). The computer didn't look too different from the computers of 1990's Earth. The screen-saver had gone into effect; and it didn't look too different form the screen-savers Kevin had seen growing up. Kevin took a moment to appreciate that he was billions of billions of miles from Earth.

Sillan started interacting with the computer. He didn't even need to touch the keyboard. His facial tattoos began to resonate and rotate subtly. They were both unaffected when a random, red laser-blast shot through a small window and hit the wall. They both casually glanced at the new steaming hole in the wall and then back at each other.

"FEN!" Sillan said, as he rapidly scrolled through the computer files.

"What's the issue?" Kevin asked, sitting down in a rolling office chair.

"Well...I think I found your great grand-fathers recorded in here..."

"But?" Kevin asked.

Sillan's facial tattoos rotated some more.

"The DNA Scan here definitely matches yours...there's no mixing that up...but that is as deep as I can go into the files...and then...

"Wait!" Kevin yelled, looking at the computer screen.

The computer started processing at an exceptional rate, to the point where it looked like it might overheat and then explode. Vast lines of green code started streaming up and down the computer screen.

"What the hell!?" Kevin said.

Sillan looked fascinated. The computer file stared to un-encrypt for a moment and Sillan looked amazed again.

"Okay..." Sillan said. "There is an address here and...

It was too late. The computer continued to process the green code at an exceptional rate and then exploded. Sillan and Kevin both just stared at the fire.

"Did you get anything!?" Kevin asked as he watched the computer slowly melt away.

"I have an address..." Sillan said. "That's...weird..."

"What happened?!" Kevin insisted, as he looked for a way to put out the computer fire.

"Your great grand-fathers DNA encoding was done on this planet, by The Illawayan...privately...just...last week...at..."

"At where!"

"At the...presidential palace...in Quadrant...1..."

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It wasn't too hard for Kevin and Sillan to sneak back out of the DNA Records Office. The battle had only grown more intense. The local police had expanded their defense; only to be met with more Ishmaru thugs in disguise. There was blood running in the streets. They both recovered their hover-bikes from the parking area and made their way to Quadrant 1.