Forward to the Stars Ch. 03

"Destruction? Why would I be destroyed, just for bearing the knowledge that humanity has or at least one time had a galaxy spanning empire?" Asked the flummoxed AI.

"Precisely why, with the information you just stated humanity would know that at one time we really were worth more than we are today or night which ever it is AND that we could be that again. BUT they also know that they stand in the way of that and that humanity would NOT be agreeable on allowing them to remain there." Brian said warming up to the discussion.

"Hey Atherian, I am in need of making use of the head so could we hold off on more questions until I've relieved myself and where exactly is the closest one?" Brian asked as became aware of his need.

"Certainly Brian, it is the alcove at the back of the med bay I have increased lighting to full to help guild you more easily." The AI said allowing Brian the opportunity to get more control of his bruised body.

"THANKS, anyway Athena you need to make use of the restroom also?" Brian asked as she helped him to his feet and in the direction of the indicated room.

"YES, need use. Want play to?" Asked Athena who tried not to hurry faster than Brian could walk but was obviously with the way she was urging him on in pain.

As they entered the restroom Brian urged Athena to the toilet who all but fell over herself to get in position to relieve herself. As Brian stood in front of the equine he realized neither had clothes on, well he thought we've both had more important things to worry about than to realize they were naked. As Athena was nearly done he moved in front of her and with his knees nudged her to spread her legs as she lowered her now pupil-ed eyes as she complied allowed him to see the last of her piss flowing into the toilet. As she was finishing he was sure that her discomfort wasn't just a overfilled bladder. "Where do you hurt and how bad is it?"

Brian could have sworn that her ears turned red before she met his eyes with tears in her own "Here" she said as she placed her hand on her nether region.

"Front, back or both?" Brian asked as she moved her hand farther back to cover both her crotch and her ass. "Let me guess Micheal never washed his dick when he went from one horse to the next and has given you whores' rot." Brian said with a disgusted sigh. To which Athena just hung her head. "Well let me get mine done and we'll put you on a bed and then have you fixed up."

**********

As Brian and Athena exited the restroom Atherian spoke up "You've noticed that she has health problems in her anal tract and her urinary have you not?" When Brian nodded his head in acknowledgment the AI continued. "Then tell her to calm down and allow herself to be treated. When you regained consciousness she became frantic at which time I allowed her access to you."

Brian gave Athena a sideways glance who moved in the direction of a table that had slid out from a wall alcove. "So who's turn was it to ask the next question Atherian?" When the AI indicated that Brian should go he paused a moment then asked "What happened that you are buried under a mountain?"

ALL the answer Brian received was the lights in a office or what Brian guessed was a office over to the far left flickered on. As Brian entered the office the chair behind a desk slid back beckoning him to sit. As he sat down he rubbed his hand down along the sides for controls as the seat felt like it was made for a beached whale, as he was trying to find the controls the chair conformed to his body and slid back toward the desk coming to a stop facing a computer screen.

As the screen flickered to life it was filled the face of a homely redhead "Greetings to whom ever has found my believed Atherian. I apologize for not being there to greet you personally but much time has in all likelihood past between us coming to this system and my recording this message and the time you have found my ship. You must have many questions some may or may not have been answered by Atherian but there are some that I myself wished to tell you." The woman said with a sob. "I am or was Captain Anilease McBrather I was part of a group of three experimental ships that were equipped with space tunneling technology. The empire had just finished fighting a civil war against a colony that had somehow managed to develop living weapons."

"The weapons provided great and powerful abilities while adapting themselves to their wielders strengths, the most prominent rumor on how the war was won is the wielder of the so called 'Twin Blades of the Emperor' could no longer bring himself to be the cause of any more bloodshed and placed the swords in their scabbards before placing the scabbards on stand in a specially constructed room. Without their 'Emperor' the other weapon bearers lost heart wherever they were and they also returned their weapons to their scabbards and they to placed their weapons to the room."

"As the weapons were 'Sentient' and capable of great powers the Imperium declared that the wielders of the so called 'Psyker Blades' were innocent pawns and under the command of the weapons and as such were as much victims of the war as the populous. This was as one could believe, not welcomed as the survivors could not demand financial compensation for war atrocities and emotional trauma. There were great riots throughout the Imperium, many of the former warriors of the blade as they were called gave themselves over to the mobs to allow the others time to escape into the safety of the military who took them 'prisoner'. In the end it was decided that in the present time of strife that there was no place for them, so three great colony ships were constructed. I myself and two other captains of the Imperial fleet were called upon to command the three ships to distant planets and after seeing that the colony was self sufficient, I and the command crew were to return with the location of the colony."

"Soon after we had entered the tunnel created by the warp generators there was an explosion that damaged the command relays to the tunnelers, almost as soon as we exited the tunnel in the designated sector the second generator activated and sent us through another tunnel. As the ship exited the tunnel the sled that the rift generators were attached to broke free and collided with the fourth planet in this system destroying it completely, leaving nothing but asteroids that will eventually circle the sun."

"I have given the orders to construct three colonial hubs on the three main continental landmasses so that in the worst case scenario at least one will survive. I have divided the command crew between the colonies to as act as either leaders or advisers, I myself will after the last shuttle has departed take the Atherian and find a secluded area of the planet and I will then bury the ship as a technological archive. To you that have unearthed the Atherian I ask of you this, either make contact with the empire if the empire has yet to reclaim her lost children OR if it be that the empire has fallen please rebuild the empire. Remake it into the beacon of knowledge and technology that it once was. I ask this of you, you the new captain of the Reamaiinsk Imperial ship Atherian. PLEASE be a better captain to this fine ship than I was." Sobbed Anilease.