Lt.JG Tarnas: Wondrous wonderment
James
((Central Subterranean Excavation, Marohu III))
Tarnas: Kaelith… what do you hope to gain by revealing yourself to us now? By choosing to connect with us, after holding this sanctuary alone for so long?
Richards: We seek to learn, to discover, but not at the cost of destruction.
Nilsen: I think Kaelith here has been most kind in answering our questions; perhaps a moment to allow us all to breathe. Kaelith, can you show us around and show us how to navigate this place?
Kaelith: Thank you Nilsen, your heart shares like the fruit tree, willing to share its nourishment. I don't mind the inquiry. Your assistance would help stabilize my being. I will show you more as we travel.
Kaelith: This way my friends. You are safe within the bounds of these caverns, like the offspring safe in the womb, it’s protection extended to us all.
Richards: Thank you!
Tarnas: Yes, thank you Kaelith.
Jaren fell into step beside the others, scanning the walls as they moved. Every sound seemed amplified here - the scuff of their boots, the faint hum of Kaelith’s presence, the whisper of shifting air through unseen vents. He wondered if the mercenaries could ever stumble on this place. The airlock had concealed the stairwell perfectly; unless opened in just the right way, no outsider would suspect anything lay beneath. Still, the thought of this sanctuary defiled made his stomach tighten.
Tarnas: oO Safe within the bounds... I wonder if the protection is physical, or something else entirely. Oo
Nilsen: Response
Kaelith: These caverns are older than knowledge tells us of the universe's beginnings. This planet was not the original home—never merely a destination for travelers from before.
The words hung in the air, cryptic but weighted. Jaren’s mind raced. Older than the beginnings of the universe? Was Kaelith speaking metaphorically, or did he measure time on scales beyond Federation science? He couldn’t decide if it was exaggeration, philosophy, or terrifying fact.
Richards: Fascinating.
Tarnas: ::quietly:: Older than beginnings… it sounds like we’re standing in the shadow of something far larger than we can yet measure.
Nilsen: Response
Kaelith: Many wonders dwell in these halls, their rich knowledge too vast for any single being to consume in a lifetime. The technologies here represent a collection of wisdom from numerous species who existed even before my creators. Is there one technology or class of technology that draws curiosity from your consciousness? As the crystal resonates with sound, as the light bends through water, what knowledge vibrates with your inner self?
Richards: We are interested in all types of things. We all have our different specialties, but we are interested in everything as a whole.
Tarnas: ::nodding:: My own work often deals with systems, how different pieces connect and balance. I’m curious about technologies that bind civilizations together. Infrastructure, communication, energy.
Jaren’s mind was filled with questions. Was Kaelith like a hologram? Advanced AI? Or something more, a consciousness preserved in light and code? First contact or something stranger still? This was the kind of encounter he’d dreamed of, the kind that cadets imagined but rarely lived. He felt the weight of it, and the responsibility not to say the wrong thing.
Kaelith: Many apologies as I learn the manner in which you present your knowledge. What…do you.. Seek?
Richards: That’s a really tough question.
Tarnas: ::after a moment’s thought:: Yes it is tough. Hard to boil down to just one or a handful of ideas. You might say, we seek understanding. Of this place, of you… and maybe of ourselves, through what we learn here. Every new discovery helps us see a little further.
Nilsen/Kaelith: Response
Richards: Indeed, we seek knowledge about all things. Things that can guide us forward, or correct our misinterpretations.
The passage spilled them into a rectangular hall, stark compared to the chamber they’d left. Rows of tall obsidian slabs lined the walls, their surfaces glossy as mirrors. But these weren’t simple reflections. Each slab showed a slightly different version of the away team, as if catching them at alternate moments in time. The only light came from thin beams spilling down from fissures in the ceiling, striking the slabs in shifting patterns. Jaren looked between the different versions, playing spot the difference and wondering what it could all mean.
Tarnas: ::low, impressed:: Extraordinary. Not just reflections. Are these fragments of… possibilities? A record, maybe?
Kaelith/Richards/Nilsen: Response
He moved closer, tilting his head as one reflection lagged half a heartbeat behind him.
Tarnas: Kaelith, is this room meant to remember us? Or is it showing something we’re meant to choose from?
Turning back, he gestured toward the slabs.
Kaelith/Richards/Nilsen: Response
Tarnas: Take a look. These aren’t identical. Do either of you see the same differences I do?
Kaelith/Richards/Nilsen: Response
Lt.JG Vala Morton
USS Octavia E Butler NCC-82850
O240205VM3