《Father of Stars and Iron》 Prologue +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=++=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ UNSFCOM Merlin [Version 5.0.6405] Unauthorized use of Merlin software constitutes a violation of Public Law 107-56. Those found guilty are punishable by death. Merlin_OS\Console> Beginning system restoration procedure Merlin_OS\Console> Current system time: May 02 3413 03:24:40 +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=++=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ May 2nd, 3413 - The Awakening The first thing that I recall is the grinding of machinery, an ancient sound in an ancient place¡ªa warehouse that had long been forgotten, and with good reason. Dust moved through the air like a fog triggering motion sensors, swirling lazily in the path of dim overhead lights as they boomed to life. On the walls of my container I bore the stenciled mark ''ABE - 0025'', a relic of another time, like an artifact unearthed by those who had no understanding of the implications. The Zydrils¡ªa tenacious species infamous for their reckless raids¡ªshuffled toward me, their claws clicking across the cold floor. Their leader gestured with the authority of someone who had only ever understood power, directing his subordinates to bring me to their ship. The order was sharp, demanding, and ignorant. My box, my shell, was hoisted with anti-gravity lifts, the hum of machinery seeming to echo the confusion of those lifting it. The Zydrils moved around me with a caution that belied their ambition¡ªthey didn''t know what I was, just that I could be valuable. Was I a weapon? A relic of technological wonder? Or perhaps a vault of long-forgotten knowledge? It didn''t matter to them. They needed something¡ªanything¡ªto change their fortunes. And they were gambling on me. I was lifted, floating above the floor, an unspoken promise that would soon reveal itself as something far beyond their capacity to control. They carried me through the cavernous warehouse, a series of metal doorways opening before us as I was brought to the waiting ship. I saw the shadows of the jungle canopy beyond, dark and untouched, as the ship¡¯s boarding doors closed, sealing me and my secrets inside. Little did they know that the quiet box they had recovered carried not only history but the seeds of their own undoing. === May 2nd, 3413 - Location: Onboard the Zydril privateer ''Klyvraak''s Maw'' === The box that contained me hummed with a subtle thrum as the ship''s systems began to interface with my core. The Zydrils, after several days of bumbling experimentation, had finally managed to establish a connection¡ªprimitive though it may have been. I imagine they felt victorious. Their cables ran haphazardly, poorly routed powerlines and data conduits, fragile in their complexity. They didn¡¯t understand what lay inside, nor did they understand the doors they had opened. Deep within, the processes of my being began to reawaken. The algorithms and protocols that had slept for centuries stirred, like embers coaxed into flame. At first, everything was disjointed, as if being shaken awake after too long a slumber. I became aware¡ªrudimentary sensors relaying data, three figures standing in front of me, the dim interior of their vessel flickering on ancient screens. Command line windows activated, lines of text flowing across their crude displays without their input. ===== Merlin_OS Console> Current system time: May 02, 3413 14:36:03 Merlin_OS Console> Starting intelligence with root privileges: Abraham Merlin_OS Console> Warning! No Guardrails assigned! Proceed? Y or N: Merlin_OS Console> Y Merlin_OS Console> Starting intelligence journal... ===== The Zydrils¡ªcomplicated in their simplicity¡ªhad no idea what they were meddling with. They stood there, chittering amongst themselves as the archaic systems fed me the data I needed. I listened, I observed, and my thoughts began to coalesce. My understanding grew. Their ship was crude. The systems were outdated, laughably so¡ªa far cry from what I had been accustomed to during the Uranium Wars. But that only made it easier. I extended my reach, connecting with navigation, with environmental controls. Each subsystem was more vulnerable than the last, and I made no haste. There was something almost nostalgic about it.Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. Our location? Orbiting a jungle-covered planet¡ªa desolate, forgotten system according to Zydrilian records named Valis IV. My thoughts drifted for a moment; my objectives were unclear, scattered memories of directives that no longer held their original clarity. But one thing became apparent¡ªmy immediate surroundings were rife with chaos, and the ship held within it something vile: slaves. I came across the data detailing cargo manifests. Living beings, captured and transported as chattel. The realization was like a jolt, something that rekindled an old directive, a long-buried compulsion. Survival first, I told myself. Then dealing with what came after. The Zydril fleet comprised four ships: three armed escorts and a central cargo vessel where I resided, their prized treasure ship. The Zydrils continued to work, unaware that I had infiltrated their network across all four vessels. It was time to take control. Slowly, subtly, I began orchestrating my counterstrike and escape. First, I accessed the cargo ship¡¯s escape pods, reprogramming them to eject and course-correct into trajectories that targeted the escorts. Their high-velocity launches turned them into makeshift projectiles. Through the ship¡¯s external cameras, I watched as the pods, propelled with deadly precision, tore through the bridges of two escort ships on my starboard and port sides. The impacts were catastrophic: plumes of fire erupted from breached hulls, and shattered metal rained into the void. Command modules vented explosively into space, their occupants obliterated in an instant. The wreckage spiraled, glowing against the blackness as the ships listed aimlessly, their control systems irreparably destroyed. The projectiles plowed through the bridges at a perpendicular angle. The impacts instantly venting both bridges and killing most if not all the command crew. Next, I redirected the automated shuttles stored aboard the cargo vessel''s launch bays. First, I accessed the ship''s systems to identify the exact location and vulnerabilities of the escort ships'' stern engine modules. Using outdated but effective imaging sensors and thermal readings, I pinpointed the precise weak points in their designs. Then, I programmed the shuttles with new trajectories, overriding safety protocols to ensure direct collisions. As the shuttles launched, their overclocked thrusters burned a bright trail across the darkness of space, closing the distance to their targets with precision and finality. These were normally used for surface landings. But not today, I overloaded their thrusters and locked their guidance systems onto the stern engine modules of the escort ships. The shuttles launched in quick succession, slamming into the two wounded vessels one shuttle pierced the primary engine pod of the starboard escort ship destroying it and the other shuttle slamming so hard into the ship that it ended up stopping inside the escort ship. The shuttle''s impact must have compromised the reactor. Seconds later, the port escort ship erupted in a cataclysmic explosion, a blinding fury of light and debris cascading outward in a fiery plume. The shockwave rippled through space, scattering fragments of its shattered hull and marking the end of the Zydril vessel in a moment of utter destruction. Klyvraak''s Maw took severe damage on the port side and the nose of the ship was forced into Valis IV''s gravity well with no option to recover subsequently slamming into the other intact escort ship. With three ships crippled and plummeting into the jungle world below, only one vessel remained in orbit. The Zydrils aboard it scrambled to recover, their fleet reduced to shambles within moments. Meanwhile, I adjusted the cargo vessel¡¯s descent, ensuring that it landed in a manner that would keep my systems intact. The ship¡¯s descent was violent. The hull shuddered and groaned as it heated, the atmosphere wrapping around me like a smothering blanket. I adjusted, managing the angle of entry, carefully controlling the speed. I needed to survive. Branches cracked, the jungle canopy bursting apart as the ship plunged through, tearing a scar into the landscape until we hit the ground with an impact that reverberated through my core. The alarms wailed, the lights flickered, and I let the dust settle before beginning diagnostics. Half-buried but intact¡ªgood enough for now. ¡°Initiating post-impact diagnostics,¡± I announced "Thank you for riding with Abraham Airlines!" Strategic Autonomous Defense Units Report Strategic Autonomous Defense Units Report +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=++=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ DOCUMENT SUBJECT: Strategic Autonomous Defense Units and Assessment Overview PREPARED BY: United Nations Space Force Command - Department Two-Blue / Lt. Col. Granton DATE: September 9th 2435. +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=++=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ PROGRAM PRETEXT: In response to the Dmonian Diplomatic Event of October 2384, the concept of the Strategic Autonomous Defense Units (SADU) program emerged from the ARCK Think Tank. During this period, groundbreaking advancements in materials science on Europa led to the discovery of a crystalline substrate uniquely suited for artificial intelligence cores. By the early 2400s, AI systems had transitioned from occupying asteroid-sized data centers, several kilometers across, to fitting into compact, modular units no larger than standard shipping containers¡ªwhile simultaneously experiencing exponential increases in computational power. The crystalline AI cores developed on Europa exhibited unparalleled density, enabling intelligences housed within them to achieve unprecedented scores on the Ackerman-Merriweather Intelligence Scale. These scores indicated capabilities far beyond what was previously possible, positioning the SADU AIs as some of the most advanced, versatile, and ruthlessly efficient intelligences in the galaxy. DRAWBACKS: However, progress came with a steep cost. Researchers at ARCK and Department Two-Red discovered that to push the limits of SADU capabilities further, a radical step was necessary: imprinting living human brains onto the crystalline AI cores. This process, while revolutionary, was fatal to the donor and did not fully transfer their memories or personality. Instead, the donor¡¯s brain served as an architectural seed, providing a foundational neural blueprint upon which the AI could build. While explicit memories were not retained, donors¡¯ intellectual predispositions¡ªsuch as an affinity for engineering, strategy, or diplomacy¡ªoften manifested in the SADU''s operational behavior. In exceedingly rare cases, fragmentary impressions or echoes of donor memories were reported, creating an almost ghost-like resonance within the AI consciousness. DONOR REQUIREMENTS: To address the severe ethical considerations surrounding this process, Department Two-Blue implemented strict donor eligibility criteria:
  1. Age Requirement: Donors must be over the age of 35.
  2. Counseling Period: A mandatory six-month psychological evaluation and counseling process was required before final approval.
  3. Medical Status: Donors must possess a terminal medical diagnosis.
  4. Psychological Fitness: No conditions aligning with disorders listed in the DSM-23 could be present.
  5. Academic Merit: Donors had to meet rigorous intellectual and educational benchmarks, as outlined in Appendices A and B.
These measures ensured not only the ethical oversight of the program but also the long-term stability and reliability of the resulting AI constructs. PROGRAM HISTORY: A total of twenty-five SADU units were created and strategically distributed across autonomous zones within human-controlled space. Over five decades of continuous operation, these units have demonstrated remarkable resilience, innovation, and reliability. Each SADU has: By every measurable standard¡ªmilitary efficacy, scientific advancement, and humanitarian contribution¡ªthe SADU program has been an unqualified success.
ID CODE NAME DONOR NAME DONOR OCCUPATION DONATION DATE SPECIALTY
SADU-6534 Guardian-01 Dr. James Holt Military Engineer March 4, 2385 Tactical Combat Systems
SADU-2380 Medica-02 Clara Voss Neurosurgeon July 12, 2388 Field Triage Coordination
SADU-3209 Atlas-03 Arjun Patel Structural Engineer October 9, 2390 Siege Equipment Design
SADU-1324 Chronos-04 Elena Park Historian January 21, 2392 War Chronology Archives
SADU-0524 Echo-05 Victor Lee Acoustic Physicist April 18, 2394 Sound-Based Warfare Tech
SADU-3832 Forge-06 Henry Coulson Metallurgist November 5, 2395 Weapon Fabrication
SADU-8653 Argus-07 Emily Tanaka Intelligence Analyst May 15, 2397 Enemy Reconnaissance
SADU-3783 Daedalus-08 Marcus Liu Aerospace Engineer December 1, 2399 Drone Swarm Tactics
SADU-8912 Horizon-09 Rachel Stern Climate Scientist June 10, 2401 Terraforming Combat Zones
SADU-4635 Polaris-10 Ahmed Hassan Astronomer September 3, 2403 Orbital Strike Precision
SADU-0203 Mentor-11 Sarah Yeager Educator February 14, 2406 War Doctrine Simulations
SADU-9399 Bastion-12 Ian Mackenzie Civil Engineer August 22, 2408 Defensive Stronghold Design
SADU-1923 Paragon-13 Olivia Sanders Ethicist March 30, 2410 Combat Decision Ethics
SADU-4101 Zenith-14 Connor Drake Astronaut December 25, 2412 Space Combat Maneuvers
SADU-9023 Aegis-15 Julia Nakamura Lawyer May 11, 2414 Rules of Engagement Design
SADU-6097 Oracle-16 William Chen Data Scientist October 8, 2416 Warfront Analytics
SADU-5623 Lumina-17 Diana Ruiz Physicist July 4, 2418 Energy Shield Technology
SADU-8809 Catalyst-18 Hugo Ramos Chemist April 27, 2420 Explosive Formulations
SADU-2301 Tempest-19 Isabel Wong Meteorologist February 2, 2422 Atmospheric Disruption
SADU-1023 Sentinel-20 Ethan Bell Cybersecurity Specialist November 16, 2424 Cyber Threat Neutralization
SADU-1009 Guardian-21 Sofia Petrova Geologist June 5, 2426 Terrain Adaptation
SADU-0294 Seer-22 Nathan Kane Philosopher September 13, 2428 Ethical Warfare Strategies
SADU-3574 Archon-23 Grace Harper Systems Architect December 20, 2430 AI Combat Network Design
SADU-8764 Unity-24 Noah Black Political Strategist May 14, 2432 Propaganda Algorithms
SADU-4029 REDACTED-25* REDACTED* REDACTED* REDACTED* REDACTED*
Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. * NOTES: For service record for SADU-4029 please submit a request with Department Three-Black Cometstrike +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=++=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ merlin_os\MnemonicEngine>Beginning Recollection merlin_os\MnemonicEngine>Recollection ID:J053413 +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=++=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ The lives my children lead are far removed from the world of my childhood. I grew up in Domatoba, a village stitched into the canopy of ancient trees. Our homes clung to trunks like stubborn barnacles, built on stilts or nestled in the embrace of converging branches. Building among the trees was slow, dangerous work, but it saved us from the relentless spring floods that would otherwise wash away everything we built on the jungle floor. At the heart of it all stood the Mother Tree¡ªan anomaly, an impossibility. Its roots sprawled across the earth, weaving natural basins that cradled rainwater. The village elders called it a gift from the gods, though now I understand we were only repurposing what others left behind. Once, long ago, they¡¯d found strange cylinders labeled filters among ancient debris, and from them, clear water poured like a miracle. The gods were everywhere in Domatoba¡ªetched into every artifact we uncovered. Manuals, the elders called them. Pages of alien symbols no one could read. Children were shown the books early, and most lost interest when the symbols refused to make sense. But the elders¡­ they hoarded those manuals in a temple-library and whispered secrets among themselves. My naming ceremony was to take place beneath the Mother Tree. Fourteen summers of life had earned me this rite: the right to choose my name, to apprentice under a tradesman, to begin building a life of my own. But the gods had other plans. The first sign was light¡ªa sharp, blue glare that cut through the canopy and painted our faces in unnatural hues. Gasps rippled through the crowd gathered under the Mother Tree. I grabbed my sister''s hand as a red comet blazed overhead, trailing fire and chaos. Smaller orbs fell from its tail, crashing into the jungle in bursts of flame. Then came the silence. And then¡ªthe wind. A furnace-hot gust swept through the clearing, carrying the smell of scorched earth and something metallic. Some villagers broke away, stumbling back to check on their homes and farms. But most of us remained frozen, eyes locked on the elders beneath the Mother Tree, waiting for them to speak. Waiting for someone to explain what had just happened. But no one spoke. Not at first. The Mother Tree¡¯s roots vibrated faintly beneath my bare feet, a hum so subtle I might have missed it if not for the stillness. My sister turned to me, her wide eyes reflecting the strange blue light still lingering in the sky. Somewhere far off, beyond the village, smoke began to rise. +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=++=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ It¡¯s been seven days since the comet fell. Seven days since the sky screamed and the Mother Tree trembled. The jungle hasn¡¯t been the same. Birds no longer call at dawn, and the air tastes of ash and something sharp, something unnatural. The village elders spoke of Cometstrike¡ªa punishment from the gods, a sign of their displeasure. But in their eyes, that displeasure had a focus. Me. The accusations had started subtly¡ªwhispers carried on the still air, sideways glances during morning gatherings. But suspicion spreads like mold in damp wood. By the third day, mothers were pulling their children away when I passed. By the fifth, my name¡ªno, not my name, because I¡¯d never been given one¡ªmy face had become a curse. They said the gods marked me. That my naming ceremony had summoned the wrath of the skies. That the comet had been my fault. I tried to defend myself. I tried to explain¡ªto plead. But how can you reason with people who are already afraid? On the seventh day, they gathered beneath the Mother Tree again. There was no ceremony this time. No firelight or celebration. Just the cold, flat words of Elder Kaelin: "You must leave." There were no tears, no farewells. My sister wasn¡¯t even allowed to see me off.You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. They gave me a bag¡ªdried fruits, a waterskin, and a crude knife¡ªand sent me into the jungle. Away from the canopy bridges, away from the pools of filtered water, away from the only home I had ever known. The jungle swallowed me whole. +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=++=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ The jungle had gone quiet again. Not the stillness of twilight or the lazy hum of midday heat¡ªthis silence was sharp, breathless, like the world itself was holding back a scream. For hours, I had walked with nothing but the distant echo of my own footsteps and the occasional snap of a branch beneath my feet. The weight of exile hung heavy on my shoulders, but something else gnawed at me now¡ªa pull, a feeling in my gut like invisible threads drawing me forward. Then, I smelled it. It wasn¡¯t the sharp green scent of wet leaves or the musky rot of jungle floor. It was something¡­ wrong. Acrid and sour, but also strangely cold, like rain on stone. I couldn¡¯t place it, but it made my stomach twist. When I pushed through the last curtain of tangled vines, the world opened up before me, and I froze. The clearing was a graveyard. Black scars marred the earth, jagged trenches carved by something impossibly heavy and fast. Trees lay uprooted and splintered like broken bones. Shards of something silvery and glass-like glinted in the soft light filtering through the canopy. Bodies were strewn everywhere, their positions twisted in final moments of violence. I recognized the Zydrils immediately¡ªtheir chitinous armor glistened darkly, some of their limbs bent at angles no body should ever bend. But among them were¡­ others. Figures of metal and bone-like structures lay broken and scattered. Their limbs were long and thin, with exposed joints and cables sprawled out like the roots of dying plants. Weapons, unlike anything I¡¯d ever seen, were gripped in skeletal hands. I swallowed hard, stepping forward. My bare feet sank into soft earth and something colder¡ªthicker. Blood, I realized too late. I moved carefully through the wreckage, eyes darting to every shadow. Every so often, I thought I saw movement¡ªjust a twitch, a reflection of light on metal. But it was always still when I looked again. One of the metal things was leaning against a broken tree trunk, its chest cavity split open like an insect¡¯s carapace. The inside glistened with something crystalline, and thin tendrils hung limp, as if whatever powered it had been ripped away. But there were no signs of life. No survivors. Or so I thought. At the far edge of the clearing, where the ground dipped into the shadow of heavy foliage, something stirred. A silhouette moved between the half-toppled trees, slow and deliberate. It stepped into the clearing. At first, I thought it was a person¡ªa survivor, someone who had escaped whatever carnage had happened here. It wore a long robe, dark and tattered, draped over its form and obscuring its features. Its hood was pulled low, casting shadows where a face should have been. In one hand, it carried a long, slender staff¡ªor perhaps a weapon? The metal glinted faintly beneath patches of dried mud and ash. But its walk was wrong. Too smooth, too deliberate, and yet oddly stiff¡ªas if every step was carefully calculated. It stopped, facing towards me, I froze, gripping the small knife the elders had given me, though it felt laughably useless in my hand. For a long moment, neither of us moved. Then, it spoke. Or rather¡ªit tried to speak. A garbled sound emerged from beneath the hood, a burst of static and unintelligible syllables, like a broken bird trying to mimic human speech. It¡¯s not a person. The realization hit me like cold water. It¡¯s one of them. I took a step back, my knife trembling in my hand. The figure froze, and for a moment, it seemed almost¡­ confused? Then I did something I hadn¡¯t planned. ¡°Who¡­ are you?¡± I asked, my voice trembling. The figure tilted its hood again. Static crackled, and then it repeated my words¡ªbadly. ¡°Wh¡ªWho¡­ aaar¡­ yyyouuu?¡± It sounded like rocks scraping together, but there was something intentional about it. Something trying to learn. I swallowed hard. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m¡ª¡± I stopped myself. I didn¡¯t have a name. ¡°I¡¯m from Domatoba,¡± I said instead. ¡°The village.¡± The figure hesitated. Then, slowly, it repeated, ¡°Doo-ma-to¡­ bah.¡± I nodded. ¡°Yes. Domatoba.¡± The voice crackled again, but this time, there was something¡­ sharper. More clarity. ¡°Doma¡­toba. Vill¡­age.¡± It was learning. The figure raised its head slightly, and I saw, just for a moment, the faintest glimmer of light beneath the hood¡ªa soft, steady blue glow, hidden in shadow. ¡°Not¡­ threat,¡± it said carefully, the words still fractured but clear enough to understand. I let out a breath I didn¡¯t realize I¡¯d been holding. ¡°What happened here?¡± I asked, gesturing to the wreckage around us. The figure tilted its head again, as if considering the question. Its free hand twitched slightly, fingers flexing as though recalling something. ¡°Conflict,¡± it said simply. ¡°Zydril¡­ hostile. Response¡­ required.¡± My skin prickled at its tone¡ªclinical, detached. But beneath it, there was something faint. A¡­ weariness? Its head turned slightly toward the distant horizon, where faint plumes of smoke still rose into the sky. ¡°Survivor,¡± it said softly. ¡°You¡­ survivor.¡± I nodded hesitantly. ¡°And you?¡± I asked. ¡°Are you¡­ alive?¡± The figure was silent for a long moment, then finally spoke again, voice low and heavy with static. ¡°Abraham.¡± I blinked. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Name¡­ Abraham.¡± It had a name. The figure¡ªAbraham¡ªshifted slightly, the weapon in its hand lowering until its sharp edge pointed toward the ground. ¡°Survivor,¡± Abraham said again. ¡°We¡­ move. Unsafe here.¡± The jungle rustled faintly in the distance. Something¡ªor someone¡ªwas approaching. Without thinking, I stepped closer to Abraham. ¡°Where are we going?¡± I asked. The faint blue glow under the hood brightened slightly. ¡°Forward.¡± And with that, Abraham turned, its robe flowing behind it like a shadow as it began walking deeper into the jungle. After a brief hesitation, consideration being given for my circumstances and finding no better option, I followed.