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  I had no idea and my thoughts were whirling so fast it was making me dizzy. My life was over and yet it was starting over again. New duties and a new challenge waited for me, and if I couldn’t handle it then my name wasn’t John James Johnson.

  Hell, the news would knock my mother’s socks off. What was it she always said? You never know what’s going to happen.

  My appetite had completely disappeared. With a heavy heart, I dumped what I had bought into the trash. It took me a long time to pack my things. Everything went into a small, programmable transport box. I entered the destination and put the box out into the corridor. It would travel along the most direct route to Hangar 14, Dock 117. But what should I wear? I was no longer a member of the military, but I didn’t have any civilian clothes. The army had up to now given me everything I ever needed. I decided for my military casual clothes, and left all the rest of my clothes behind. Then I left my quarters, which had been my home for many years.

  I closed the door with a slight sense of melancholy and was lost in thought for a while. Then I headed for the hangar. I didn’t pass the market where I had earlier bought vegetables, but I didn’t want to go without paying back the stallholder. It wouldn’t be right, and my conscience would probably trouble me about it to the day I died. So I paid with my ID card. What I was thinking as I then went to the hangar, I no longer remember. There was certainly a lot going on in my head though. And so, I suddenly found myself in the hangar, at Dock 117.

  Prologue III

  No matter how long IT searched the universe, IT didn’t find a god. IT did find other species who also worshiped gods. It seemed to be something all life had in common. It lived, it thought, it believed. IT encountered different belief systems, which seemed as various as life itself. One species believed in a water god, who had created them. This was a species that lived in water, so this was not surprising. But IT could not find a god in the water. Others didn’t believe in only one god, there was often a special god for everything and anything. Perhaps they thought that all the different tasks were too much for just one god, and so they had to be shared around. Here and there several also believed in a supreme power in the universe, a power that had created everything and directed everything according to its will. These species didn’t know how close their beliefs were to reality. IT didn’t direct everything, but IT had created all the species, and even the universe itself. IT found it much more interesting to observe the development of the different species without intervening.

  Its power had waned terribly, and IT was forced to realize that it would not last forever. What would happen to IT then? Would IT simply disappear? Would IT cease to exist from one moment to the next? The thought terrified IT. It was its greatest wish that all the species would all one day meet. They could exchange experiences and join in peaceful contemplation of the beauty of the universe. The only thing IT feared was that IT would no longer be around to see it. Until the individual species conquered the immense distances of the universe could be too late for IT. It had probably been a bad idea to spread life so far across the universe.

  And so IT returned to humanity. IT felt a special connection with this species, because they were the first IT had received an intelligent thought from. IT felt that they would most likely be the first to travel into space. IT built the jump gates on the way back to the star system that was home to humanity. They were intended to prevent any obstacle standing in the way of the various species coming together. IT didn’t want to make the way into the universe too easy for them. That was why IT placed the gates at such a huge distance from each other. Only when the species had managed to bridge the huge distances between each jump gate and solve the mystery of the dimensional gate, would they be ready to travel to far solar systems and later even other galaxies.

  But just as IT was approaching the Earth IT became so weak that IT was no longer able to create the jump gates. IT used the last of its strength to travel to Earth and strand itself in the Sol System. Unfortunately, IT could no longer receive thoughts from other species. IT no longer had the energy.

  IT had no option but to watch humanity’s ascent to the universe for centuries and to learn.

  In the beginning IT tried to influence development. IT also sometimes spoke to the people. They thought IT was a god, but that didn’t bother IT, because IT had come to realize that IT had been a god for all the billions of years.

  Even its ability to direct humanity to grow into a peaceful species disappeared. IT could only occasionally access especially sensitive people.

  But humanity stayed the way it was. Even they didn’t really listen to what IT said. Eventually IT gave up trying and just watched as humanity waged one war after another and did horrendous things to each other. IT had to make peace with this, to understand that the universe wasn’t as peaceful as IT had hoped. IT feared the time when humanity would journey to the stars, in order to conquer the universe. IT was no longer so certain if IT wanted to be around to see this moment. The thought kept bothering IT that IT would come to the end of its existence without ever finding out how the other species had developed.

  The Nautilus

  Hangar 14 was one hangar of many reserved for civilian traffic. So the shuttle that was waiting for me at Dock 117 surprised me all the more. I had never seen one of its type before.

  There were no visible windows or viewing ports. It was slim and streamlined with a mat hull in an intimidating shade of black. Spaceships weren’t actually painted. No matter how advanced our technology had become, we still hadn’t found a paint that lasted very long when applied to the outside of a spaceship. Mixing paint directly into the hull isn’t possible, as any child knows. The material has to be kept as pure as possible. Creating the alloys is extremely complicated. In its pure form, it is an extremely hard and durable metal. Impurities have always led to undesirable side effects. The metal becomes flawed and swiftly loses its integrity. And there is another phenomenon: during passage through a jump gate, every speck of paint is removed from the exterior hull. Don’t ask me why, I didn’t build the things.

  The black of the shuttle didn’t look like paint, more like the hull was made from a black substance. Even though that wasn’t actually possible. I decided that It had to be some unknown material, and that I would ask the pilot about it.

  I went to the access airlock, which was locked. I couldn’t see a mechanism to open it. I was about to knock when the door opened and I went into the shuttle. The shuttle looked stranger inside than it did on the outside. It was a scene of pure luxury, whatever direction you looked. There was even a small bar. Incredibly, the bathroom was just as good as the one in my former quarters. There was everything you might need – except a pilot, I couldn’t find one anywhere. There was nothing for me to do except wait. I couldn’t find my belongings or the transport box either. Suddenly, a pleasant male voice came from the speakers.

  “Captain Johnson, my name is Jules, I am the ship’s AI. Welcome aboard. If you would be so kind as to take a seat. We have been given permission for takeoff. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask.”

  I was surprised to say the least. I had never heard of such an advanced AI. So, there didn’t seem to be a pilot on board and somebody – or in this case – something had to pilot the shuttle. My piloting skills would be just maybe good enough, if it was a type I was familiar with. Everything seemed to be different on this shuttle, and if it had a ship’s AI, there was no guarantee manual flight was even possible – who knew?

  As if to confirm my thoughts, the cabin door and cockpit door locked, making it an academic question whether I would be able to fly the shuttle manually. I was a little unsettled by the thought. What if the computer crashed? Who would fly this crate then? The AI seemed to read my thoughts, and spoke again.

  “There is no cause for alarm, Captain Johnson. You are in safe hands with me. We have redundant systems on board. Nothing can go wron
g. And believe me, if I may say so myself, no human pilot can fly a shuttle as well as I can. If you would just take a seat, we can get going.”

  What was I supposed to do? It wasn’t like I could disembark. So I sat down. There were no safety belts.

  “Ship, erm, AI, can you tell me anything about where we’re going, and the journey to Earth?” I asked.

  “Of course, Captain, we will be leaving the Hangar in a moment, and we will transfer to the imperial flagship, the Nautilus. It’s just a short hop of a few minutes. To be precise, we will dock with the Nautilus in eighteen point three minutes. Ensign Keller is waiting for you there. She will show you to your accommodation. After that we will start out immediately and set a course for Earth. And, Captain Johnson, you can call me Jules.”

  “Thank you, erm, Jules.”

  “Don’t mention it, Captain. Is there anything else I can do for you?”

  “Not at the moment, thanks.”

  “Then sit back and enjoy the flight. I will make the windows transparent, so you can see outside. After all, his has been your home for a long time. If you start to feel sentimental, I will understand, Captain. There is nothing to be ashamed of.”

  What was the AI talking about? Did it think I was the type to start blubbering? Why was it talking to me this way, and could an AI even have beliefs or impressions? This AI was astonishing. How had I missed the development of such advanced computers? I had probably been too long at the front. I decided to stay better informed in future. If anyone had told me then how informed I was going to become, I wouldn’t have believed them.

  Suddenly, beside my, and beside every other row of seats, the outer wall became transparent over an area of a square meter. A display that I hadn’t even noticed was there sprang into life in front of me. It showed the view ahead from the cockpit and a view of the starscape behind. I had an excellent view all around the shuttle now, and I could see that we had already left the hangar. I hadn’t even felt us lift off. What happened next was even more unbelievable: the acceleration. The shuttle suddenly lurched forward. It was being nothing less than catapulted into space, and the shuttle just kept accelerating. Astonishingly, I didn’t feel any inertial forces from inside the shuttle. No vibrations, no being pushed back into my seat, nothing at all. There was no chance of me seeing my home one last time. The AI was making fun of me. All that could be seen of Genesis was a tiny point of light on the display. “Jules? How fast are we going right now?”

  “Roughly a third of light, captain. But we will continue accelerating to half light. We won’t get any faster than that, because then I have to start breaking,” the AI answered immediately.

  “Wow! That was incredible acceleration! A third of light speed, a half, even. And there’s no time for more? What’s this crate’s top speed?” I was deeply impressed.

  “I’m sorry, sir, I am not authorized to provide you with technical information. Your current security level isn’t sufficient for that. But don’t worry, Captain Johnson, that will change as soon as you have been sworn in as a member of the imperial bodyguard. And, by the way, the Naut02 is anything but a crate. You are currently within the newest and most advanced mode of transportation in the known universe.”

  Was this possible? The AI actually sounded insulted. This was getting more and more interesting. I decided it would be better, as long as my life was in the AI’s hands, not to argue with it or annoy it.

  “Sorry, Jules, I didn’t mean any offense. I’m just not used to being around such an advanced AI. You are the ship, right?”

  “Don’t mention it, captain. You’ll get used to it. And as to whether I am the ship, that is an interesting question. I’m more like the pilot, as you would understand it. On the other hand, without me, the Naut02, or any other of the shuttles of the Nautilus, is just a lump of cold metal. I’d be happy to continue this conversation with you when we are aboard the Nautilus.”

  I hadn’t understood a word of what Jules had just told me. “Are you telling me you are coming with me onto the Nautilus? You can leave the shuttle?”

  “Captain, you could say I am the Nautilus, and I can imagine that this must all be very confusing for you. But I promise you that this will all become clear, very soon. Initiating breaking maneuver. We will be docking shortly.”

  I was starting to get annoyed by all the guesswork. This was worse than one of those quiz shows on the VID channels. It absolutely had to stop. How else was I going to survive the months of travel to Earth that lay ahead of me? I needed answers!

  I watched our approach through the transparent window and the display. It was no wonder that it was only now that we were so close that I could see the Nautilus. The Nautilus was also completely black, seeming to reflect no light at all. Perfect camouflage. Everyone knows it is pretty dark in space, so a black object is almost undetectable.

  In passive mode, I doubt it would be possible to locate this ship. Even though we were still a few hundred meters from the Nautilus, I found it difficult to make out any detail. The outline of the black giant was difficult to see against space. I estimated a length of at least 1,000 meters! That was almost a click! A mystical, mysterious moment. Its diameter was certainly also an incredible 300 to 400 meters. That made the Nautilus the biggest ship that I had ever seen – and I knew all the military spaceship types. Even the supercruisers of the dreadnought class were dwarfs compared to the flagship, at 600 meters. I was very impressed indeed.

  I couldn’t say anything about its defensive or offensive systems, I couldn’t even guess. There was no point asking Jules, either, I already knew my security clearance wasn’t high enough for him to answer me. I heard the AI again, just a few moments later. “Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking. We have reached our destination. Thank you for flying with us and I wish you a pleasant stay.”

  “What?” I blurted out.

  “Sorry, Captain Johnson. I always wanted to say that. It means we have arrived and you can now exit the vehicle. Ensign Keller is waiting for you.”

  The exterior airlock opened. Was that supposed to be a joke? If so, it had gone over my head.

  “Oh … yeah, okay, and thank you for flying me here. See you later, I mean speak to you later – or will I see you?”

  “It would be my pleasure, captain. And yes, we will definitely be talking, we’re not deaf, after all. I can also project an avatar of myself if that makes communicating easier for you.”

  “Thanks, that won’t be necessary. Bye.”

  Shakily, I exited the shuttle and descended the ramp. A young woman, I guessed to be in her mid twenties, was standing at the bottom. Shoulder-length auburn hair, obviously in contravention of fleet regulation 24 on hair length for members of imperial forces. The uniform fit her perfectly, accentuating her impressive physique. An ample bosom rounded out her womanly charms. She was very attractive, for sure, but unfortunately she was young enough to be my daughter. Where had these horny thoughts been coming from lately, dammit? I hadn’t had sex in a long time, but I was never like this.

  I didn’t recognize the uniform. It was navy blue, almost black, with a sheen to it and gold piping, complimenting her amazing body. Again, there I go again …

  She was wearing a sash with imperial insignia: a figure with an eagle on its arm, an animal that was supposed to have existed on Earth. It had always been a symbol of noble bloodlines.

  I felt underdressed in my civvies. What was it my mom always said? Clothes make the man!

  Sorry, mom, what I’ve chosen to wear isn’t quite right. I know you would never have let me come to this event in anything but my best dress uniform. You were right, as usual. How embarrassing!

  I stopped just short of the young woman, stood to attention and gave a picture-perfect salute. I usually wouldn’t have to salute an ensign, but it was the way people have been requesting permission to come aboard a ship for centuries, or longer.
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br />   “Captain John James Johnson, Miss. Requesting permission to come aboard.”

  Ensign Keller gave me a wide grin, and there was a sparkle in her eye.

  “Welcome aboard, Captain Johnson, it’s an honor. Permission granted. My name is Ensign Keller, and I have been assigned to you.” She smiled as she continued, “At ease, Sir. You’re making me nervous.”

  “Thank you, Ensign Keller,” I couldn’t stop staring at her. I was also afraid I was grinning at her the way she was grinning at me. On my face it probably looked more like a crooked leer than a charming smile.

  “I’ve been ordered to show you to your quarters. There you’ll also find …” Ensign Keller suddenly stopped, her gaze checking me out from top to toe, “a uniform befitting your rank …” her eyes came to rest on my combat boots, “and shoes to match.”

  Damn, mom! This was getting more embarrassing by the minute.

  “Admiral Summer is expecting you on the bridge, let’s not make him wait. Shall we?” Ensign Keller gestured invitingly with her arm for me to follow.

  We marched swiftly side by side down the corridor. The interior of the Nautilus was very much non-standard compared to any ship I had seen before. There were no cables or pipes anywhere. The corridors were paneled in clean, white plastic. I was taken aback to see paneling covering over the metal walls. One thing was for sure, this ship must have cost a fortune. I didn’t want to think about how many combat ships could have been built instead of the Nautilus.

  The strangest thing to me was that we didn’t see any other members of the crew. Either we were in a restricted area, or it was a change of duty shifts, or the Nautilus had a smaller crew than I would have expected for its size. I decided to ask Ensign Keller about that, “Tell me, how big is the crew? I mean, we haven’t run into anyone else yet, or is this a restricted area?”