Animus Part 1: Legion

Drifting on the edge of earth's outer orbit, legendary astronaut Logan Keeler looked down at the planet.  The frail earth was absolutely beautiful in the vast abyss of space.  A blue marble covered in swathes of white cloud and lush, green land.  It was so isolated, so pure... THE cradle of life in the universe.  A living world amongst so many dead.  Logan couldn't help but stare at his home.  The home of all things.  At earth.  

“Logan do you read us?”  A voice came from the transceiver on the dashboard of his ship.  

“I'm reading you loud and clear, am I finally ready?”  There was a nervous chuckle on the other side of the radio.  

“You wouldn't be up in space if we weren't sure, but it isn't too late to turn back Logan.  No one has ever done this before, we don't know what will happen.”  Logan felt only excitement, despite the mystery.  Faster than light travel had never been attempted before.  It was unknown what would happen when he passed through the rift, but he felt that he had to try.  He owed it to his mom and dad, to the human race, to earth, to try.  

“I understand the risks, but if it works... everything will be different.”  

“I see... you are cleared to proceed.”  Logan smiled.  Gripping the controls tightly, he released and began the input of the start up commands.  Lights flashed across his holographic dashboard and the ship began to rumble.  

A pulse of energy shot across the ship, culminating in a white sphere at its nose.  Abruptly the sphere began to expand into a silvered disc.  After a few moments, the disc grew to its maximum size and stabilized.  Another pulse of energy shot across the ship and the disc focused all its power to a single point, exploding outward in a flash of the most blinding light.  When the light had cleared, what remained of the disc had coalesced into a hole in the fabric of reality.  Brilliant colors, a thousand times more intense than anything ever seen before, leaked from the hole in wisps of an unknown material.  

“I'm ready.”  Logan whispered.  “I will pass through the portal and see what lies beyond.”  

“May god be with you.”  The transceiver buzzed.  Logan smiled.  Pressing forward on the controls, Logan burned fuel, shooting jets of plasma from his engines.  Zipping forward, he was soon enveloped by the portal and then he was gone.

---

Detecting slip space distortions...
The alien thought resounded throughout the universe, entangling in the minds of others of its kind.  Zooming at a constant speed in the darkness of intergalactic space, the enormous machine began its awakening.  Unfolding from a fetal position, the dark automaton resembled a humanoid figure with its arms outstretched.  Red particles issued forth from its back, aiding in the formation of massive wings.  They were wispy like the arms of a solar flare, but had the color of blood.  Protective plate like scales began to shift across its body, hiding away vast networks of conducive arrays.  At the center of its blank face, lids began to flutter and ultimately parted, revealing a ghastly red eye.  At the machine's heart, a cool core constricted with the fires of hell.  Red lines of power ran across its body, and as it regained complete functionality, the intelligence became aware.

Turning its head to the source of the slip space distortions, the terrifying machine taller than the tallest buildings clapped its hands together and raised them as if in prayer.  From its hands it sent forth a signal entangled to its brethren all across the universe.  

Brothers and sisters awaken.  

For the glory of thou who art our holy father, let us do his work.

A civilization has attained Faster than light travel.  

They cannot be allowed to propagate the spark of life.

Our own spark of death must meet them.

It is the will of our father, hallowed be his name.  

And as he commands, we obey...

For we are legion,

And we are coming.