I've written some stories set in this universe and put them up on Amazon for sale. But I've never done the first contact point that everything else derives from. So, here we go.
Chapter I
Galactic civilization had one unifying belief. Call it magic, will-working or any of the thousand titles it had gained over the course of history, the ability to manipulate the outer world view ritual and will was vital to civilization. Even the most primitive tribes had their own shamans and leaders who could call fire or find water— the idea that a group without these abilities could do more than starve in the wild was quite simply inconceivable. For that reason, worlds that had fallen into nullzones, regions where magic did not work or only worked sporadically, were always considered to be footnote in galactic history. The few that had been discovered after exiting the nullzones were wildernesses, with little in the way of remains from the civilizations that had once ruled them.
That was, until Terra was discovered…
The Day Everything Changed: Galactic Society and Earth.
Even in the middle of the night the streets of Sharin were busy. As the largest trade port for nearly 40 transits, Sharin never fell silent. There were always ships emerging from the silver lanes or loading cargo and passengers to embark into those same lanes. The port section of the city was even busier, with the artificial lakes designed to accept skyships mixed next to the more complex landing cradles for those ships that could not land in the water.
Among the crowds, a single cloaked figure moved purposefully, sticking to the sidewalks save for when the crowds forced her onto the roads. The paved roads were crowded with wagons, most being drawn by the local draft animals, six-legged beasts with a bad smell and worse temper to go with it. Here and there animated golems towed wagons, the use of a spirit animated device for such a mundane activity showing a certain degree of arrogance on the part of the owner. A very few wagons floated on lift crystals. Those were not for show. Lift crystals were too important and expensive to use for mere show, however wealthy the owner was.
Something nobody wants jostled, Marla thought and made certain to give them a wide birth. Whether it was a volatile cargo or an angry bound spirit in a fragile circle, she had no interest in getting close enough to get caught up in any mishaps. Granted, they were rare…but taking unnecessary changes was a bad idea.
An unnecessary chance was a chance taken when there was no potential for gain and that was a serious personal failing for a Trader, even an apprentice Trader. Marla shook her head in annoyance. Another sin, especially for an apprentice Trader, was to be late and keep her mentor waiting That was why she had worked so hard to get everything done early so she could have the time it would take to walk to his home. Making certain her rucksack was secure, she increased her pace as she headed towards Old Town.
It didn’t take long for the sounds of commerce to fade behind Marla as she headed towards Old Town. When the port had first been established, nearly 500 years ago, Old Town had been a chaotic mass of hastily thrown up buildings, bars and brothels. Now, it was a network of wide streets lit by floating mage lights, the mansions of successful Traders and local elites set back from the street in a dozen different styles, each one reflecting the world the original builder had come from.
And speaking of that… Marla thought as she paused, looking at the pyramidal structure that dominated the yard facing her. Here is Mentor Savastan’s home. Slowing to a dignified pace, Marla walked up the pathway, the stones gently glowing with a white light and the air around them warmed enough to banish the growing chill of the night, stopping at the entry portal. The two animated statues that flanked it turned their bronze heads to look at her, jeweled eyes flickering with the power of the animating spirit within them.
“I am apprentice Trader Marla,” she said. For a moment, the statues remained still, considering her and more importantly verifying that the aura they had on record matched the name they had been given. Then one nodded and they returned to their former position. Marla walked past them into the home.
Once inside, the pyramid was revealed to be a large open space with shelves of books lining the walls and a open central core extending up to the transparent tip of the pyramid where Savastan slept. Marla knew that Savastan’s quarters were actually quite spartan, the saurian preferring to spend much of his time in the central room.
In fact… There was Savastan, the saurian’s large form sitting on one of the flexible leather hassocks that served as chairs. Marla walked up and stopped a respectful distance behind him. Savastan did not generally stand on ceremony, but he was her mentor.
Savastan said nothing for a few moments, paging through a saurian tome. Weighing nearly four times the weight of a fully grown man, Savastan’s scaled skin cast the light back in a shower of crimson and gold, while his razor sharp talons gleamed in the light. Beyond his harness, the saurian choose merely to wear a few useful mystic items and the basic insignia of a master Trader, rather than the full regalia to which he was entitled.
“Ah, Marla.” Savastan closed his book and turned to face her. Golden eyes surveyed the teen for a moment and then Savastan gestured at another seat next to him. “Sit. You’ve had a long walk. Why did you not hire a cab?”
“I’ve been saving my money sir,” Marla said.
“Ah. Admirable. But a question to you. Did you save money?”
“Sir?”
“While you did not pay for a cab, you were forced to take extra time to walk here. That time could be used for a variety of potentially profitable purposes and then of course there’s the fact that you’re likely both hungry and tired due to your walk.”
“I-” Marla closed her mouth and frowned. It had made sense when she’d started out, but Savastan was right— a cab would have taken no more than a few minutes and…
“On the other hand, I find that a walk often clears my mind,” Savastan said, cocking his head in the way that Marla had come to realize meant he was amused. “You have to make that decision for yourself, but remember— whether as an apprentice Trader, Trader and hopefully one day, master Trader, time shall always be your most valuable and finite resource. Now, on to other matters. Do you have them?”
“Yes sir. I used your letter of credit to have a crystal imprint taken.” Marla shrugged. “I know you would have preferred the originals, but the librarians were… adamant.”
“Well it was worth a try and the impressions should be just as useful…”
At Savastan’s gesture, Marla brought out what appeared to be a gem, glowing with an internal light. Savastan took it from her, looked at it for a moment and then hissed several saurian phrases. Moments later, they were surrounded by what appeared to be disembodied pages full of saurian text.
“Mgph…” Savastan muttered, eyes flicking over the pages. “Not much beyond what we know already. The region fell into the nullzone just over 25,000 standard years ago. It caused quite a collapse in the slave markets in this area for a time.”
Marla tried to keep from bristling. Many humans were still enslaved, but it was not a Trader’s job to right the wrongs of the Universe. That did not always comfort her, especially when her scars ached at night.
“But no sign why it occurred?” Marla asked.
“None. There have been nullzones before, but usually magic becomes erratic well in advance of the onset of the zone’s full effects and never vanishes entirely. But for a world to fall dark so quickly, so completely… the silver lanes literally vanished.”
“Until now.”
“Yes.” Savastan made a gesture and the document images vanished. “Mind you, I had little hope of finding anything relevant to our needs, but there was always a chance that these old records might have provided us with more information. All we know is what we knew before— that the nullzone started to grow and little more than a week later, the world vanished from all knowledge. Now it is back.”
“And nobody else is going,” Marla said.
“Of course not. Civilization is the product of magic; without it we will find howling savages at best.” The saurian shrugged and gestured at the floating mage lights, the sigils that controlled the temperature and the smooth floor. “Indeed, it is entirely possible we shall find no sentient life. The inhabitants could have fled before the nullzone trapped them or simply have been unable to survive without all the tools of civilization…”
“Sir,” Marla paused and shook her head. “What if the nullzone comes back?”
“We are well equipped to determine if the viability of magic is declining and can quickly return… but yes, there is an element of risk. Do you wish to remain behind?”
“No!” Marla burst out. After everything you’ve done for me? “I just… was wondering what made this risk worth it. If the world is likely to be empty…”
“Ah, that is precisely the point. The world is likely to be empty and unclaimed. There are low population galactic worlds.” Savastan made a dismissive gesture with one hand, talon’s gleaming in the light. “But truly empty worlds? Those are far less common. Empty worlds that have nobody who has claimed them? Almost impossible to find and they usually are unclaimed for a very good reason. But this world? Its owners are long dead. There is nothing to keep the Traders’ Guild from claiming it.”
Marla, you are an idiot. The Traders’ Guild owned very little outright. Many ports were rented, some of them for centuries at a time, but in terms of worlds, the Guild had none. The traditional method to get a world was to invade it, but the Guild was too widely spread to risk the consequences that being seen to become aggressive would bring. But an empty world…
“I…” Marla noticed that Savastan was giving her that tilted-head look he reserved for someone who finally got it. “I should have thought of that sooner, shouldn’t I?”
“Possibly,” Savastan said. “But as an apprentice Trader you have focused on making use of those opportunities provided by civilization. We do not mine, nor do we manufacture— our wealth comes from purchasing the mine’s bounty and getting that bounty into the hands of the craftsman before we assist them to sell it to someone else. The idea of developing a world is something that many individuals who are senior to you would never consider.”
And the lesson continues. From the day she’d found herself hiding in Savastan’s herb garden, Marla had learned one thing: Savastan never stopped teaching his student.
“When will we leave sir?”
“A week to set up the expedition,” Savastan said. “I would prefer more time, but once people notice that I am going, they are likely to consider mounting their own expeditions. I would prefer to avoid being a part of a mob.”
“Won’t they simply follow us?”
“Possibly, but why? Among the Traders we will have clearly been first, so why risk the danger when there is no longer the potential of beating us?” The saurian laughed with a chuffing sound. “No, they’ll occupy their time preparing for our return.”
“A new world…” Marla said. “Do you think any cities will be left?”
“Almost certainly not. Magically reinforced materials would of course have been eliminated by the nullzone and mundane materials… well 25,000 years may not be very long in geologic terms, it is a tremendous amount of time for exposed structures. I doubt we’ll even be able to find the remains of all but the largest structures. Our main goal will be surveying the region around the silver lane’s terminus in order to determine if the world is viable for our purposes.”
Chapter I
Galactic civilization had one unifying belief. Call it magic, will-working or any of the thousand titles it had gained over the course of history, the ability to manipulate the outer world view ritual and will was vital to civilization. Even the most primitive tribes had their own shamans and leaders who could call fire or find water— the idea that a group without these abilities could do more than starve in the wild was quite simply inconceivable. For that reason, worlds that had fallen into nullzones, regions where magic did not work or only worked sporadically, were always considered to be footnote in galactic history. The few that had been discovered after exiting the nullzones were wildernesses, with little in the way of remains from the civilizations that had once ruled them.
That was, until Terra was discovered…
The Day Everything Changed: Galactic Society and Earth.
Even in the middle of the night the streets of Sharin were busy. As the largest trade port for nearly 40 transits, Sharin never fell silent. There were always ships emerging from the silver lanes or loading cargo and passengers to embark into those same lanes. The port section of the city was even busier, with the artificial lakes designed to accept skyships mixed next to the more complex landing cradles for those ships that could not land in the water.
Among the crowds, a single cloaked figure moved purposefully, sticking to the sidewalks save for when the crowds forced her onto the roads. The paved roads were crowded with wagons, most being drawn by the local draft animals, six-legged beasts with a bad smell and worse temper to go with it. Here and there animated golems towed wagons, the use of a spirit animated device for such a mundane activity showing a certain degree of arrogance on the part of the owner. A very few wagons floated on lift crystals. Those were not for show. Lift crystals were too important and expensive to use for mere show, however wealthy the owner was.
Something nobody wants jostled, Marla thought and made certain to give them a wide birth. Whether it was a volatile cargo or an angry bound spirit in a fragile circle, she had no interest in getting close enough to get caught up in any mishaps. Granted, they were rare…but taking unnecessary changes was a bad idea.
An unnecessary chance was a chance taken when there was no potential for gain and that was a serious personal failing for a Trader, even an apprentice Trader. Marla shook her head in annoyance. Another sin, especially for an apprentice Trader, was to be late and keep her mentor waiting That was why she had worked so hard to get everything done early so she could have the time it would take to walk to his home. Making certain her rucksack was secure, she increased her pace as she headed towards Old Town.
***
It didn’t take long for the sounds of commerce to fade behind Marla as she headed towards Old Town. When the port had first been established, nearly 500 years ago, Old Town had been a chaotic mass of hastily thrown up buildings, bars and brothels. Now, it was a network of wide streets lit by floating mage lights, the mansions of successful Traders and local elites set back from the street in a dozen different styles, each one reflecting the world the original builder had come from.
And speaking of that… Marla thought as she paused, looking at the pyramidal structure that dominated the yard facing her. Here is Mentor Savastan’s home. Slowing to a dignified pace, Marla walked up the pathway, the stones gently glowing with a white light and the air around them warmed enough to banish the growing chill of the night, stopping at the entry portal. The two animated statues that flanked it turned their bronze heads to look at her, jeweled eyes flickering with the power of the animating spirit within them.
“I am apprentice Trader Marla,” she said. For a moment, the statues remained still, considering her and more importantly verifying that the aura they had on record matched the name they had been given. Then one nodded and they returned to their former position. Marla walked past them into the home.
Once inside, the pyramid was revealed to be a large open space with shelves of books lining the walls and a open central core extending up to the transparent tip of the pyramid where Savastan slept. Marla knew that Savastan’s quarters were actually quite spartan, the saurian preferring to spend much of his time in the central room.
In fact… There was Savastan, the saurian’s large form sitting on one of the flexible leather hassocks that served as chairs. Marla walked up and stopped a respectful distance behind him. Savastan did not generally stand on ceremony, but he was her mentor.
Savastan said nothing for a few moments, paging through a saurian tome. Weighing nearly four times the weight of a fully grown man, Savastan’s scaled skin cast the light back in a shower of crimson and gold, while his razor sharp talons gleamed in the light. Beyond his harness, the saurian choose merely to wear a few useful mystic items and the basic insignia of a master Trader, rather than the full regalia to which he was entitled.
“Ah, Marla.” Savastan closed his book and turned to face her. Golden eyes surveyed the teen for a moment and then Savastan gestured at another seat next to him. “Sit. You’ve had a long walk. Why did you not hire a cab?”
“I’ve been saving my money sir,” Marla said.
“Ah. Admirable. But a question to you. Did you save money?”
“Sir?”
“While you did not pay for a cab, you were forced to take extra time to walk here. That time could be used for a variety of potentially profitable purposes and then of course there’s the fact that you’re likely both hungry and tired due to your walk.”
“I-” Marla closed her mouth and frowned. It had made sense when she’d started out, but Savastan was right— a cab would have taken no more than a few minutes and…
“On the other hand, I find that a walk often clears my mind,” Savastan said, cocking his head in the way that Marla had come to realize meant he was amused. “You have to make that decision for yourself, but remember— whether as an apprentice Trader, Trader and hopefully one day, master Trader, time shall always be your most valuable and finite resource. Now, on to other matters. Do you have them?”
“Yes sir. I used your letter of credit to have a crystal imprint taken.” Marla shrugged. “I know you would have preferred the originals, but the librarians were… adamant.”
“Well it was worth a try and the impressions should be just as useful…”
At Savastan’s gesture, Marla brought out what appeared to be a gem, glowing with an internal light. Savastan took it from her, looked at it for a moment and then hissed several saurian phrases. Moments later, they were surrounded by what appeared to be disembodied pages full of saurian text.
“Mgph…” Savastan muttered, eyes flicking over the pages. “Not much beyond what we know already. The region fell into the nullzone just over 25,000 standard years ago. It caused quite a collapse in the slave markets in this area for a time.”
Marla tried to keep from bristling. Many humans were still enslaved, but it was not a Trader’s job to right the wrongs of the Universe. That did not always comfort her, especially when her scars ached at night.
“But no sign why it occurred?” Marla asked.
“None. There have been nullzones before, but usually magic becomes erratic well in advance of the onset of the zone’s full effects and never vanishes entirely. But for a world to fall dark so quickly, so completely… the silver lanes literally vanished.”
“Until now.”
“Yes.” Savastan made a gesture and the document images vanished. “Mind you, I had little hope of finding anything relevant to our needs, but there was always a chance that these old records might have provided us with more information. All we know is what we knew before— that the nullzone started to grow and little more than a week later, the world vanished from all knowledge. Now it is back.”
“And nobody else is going,” Marla said.
“Of course not. Civilization is the product of magic; without it we will find howling savages at best.” The saurian shrugged and gestured at the floating mage lights, the sigils that controlled the temperature and the smooth floor. “Indeed, it is entirely possible we shall find no sentient life. The inhabitants could have fled before the nullzone trapped them or simply have been unable to survive without all the tools of civilization…”
“Sir,” Marla paused and shook her head. “What if the nullzone comes back?”
“We are well equipped to determine if the viability of magic is declining and can quickly return… but yes, there is an element of risk. Do you wish to remain behind?”
“No!” Marla burst out. After everything you’ve done for me? “I just… was wondering what made this risk worth it. If the world is likely to be empty…”
“Ah, that is precisely the point. The world is likely to be empty and unclaimed. There are low population galactic worlds.” Savastan made a dismissive gesture with one hand, talon’s gleaming in the light. “But truly empty worlds? Those are far less common. Empty worlds that have nobody who has claimed them? Almost impossible to find and they usually are unclaimed for a very good reason. But this world? Its owners are long dead. There is nothing to keep the Traders’ Guild from claiming it.”
Marla, you are an idiot. The Traders’ Guild owned very little outright. Many ports were rented, some of them for centuries at a time, but in terms of worlds, the Guild had none. The traditional method to get a world was to invade it, but the Guild was too widely spread to risk the consequences that being seen to become aggressive would bring. But an empty world…
“I…” Marla noticed that Savastan was giving her that tilted-head look he reserved for someone who finally got it. “I should have thought of that sooner, shouldn’t I?”
“Possibly,” Savastan said. “But as an apprentice Trader you have focused on making use of those opportunities provided by civilization. We do not mine, nor do we manufacture— our wealth comes from purchasing the mine’s bounty and getting that bounty into the hands of the craftsman before we assist them to sell it to someone else. The idea of developing a world is something that many individuals who are senior to you would never consider.”
And the lesson continues. From the day she’d found herself hiding in Savastan’s herb garden, Marla had learned one thing: Savastan never stopped teaching his student.
“When will we leave sir?”
“A week to set up the expedition,” Savastan said. “I would prefer more time, but once people notice that I am going, they are likely to consider mounting their own expeditions. I would prefer to avoid being a part of a mob.”
“Won’t they simply follow us?”
“Possibly, but why? Among the Traders we will have clearly been first, so why risk the danger when there is no longer the potential of beating us?” The saurian laughed with a chuffing sound. “No, they’ll occupy their time preparing for our return.”
“A new world…” Marla said. “Do you think any cities will be left?”
“Almost certainly not. Magically reinforced materials would of course have been eliminated by the nullzone and mundane materials… well 25,000 years may not be very long in geologic terms, it is a tremendous amount of time for exposed structures. I doubt we’ll even be able to find the remains of all but the largest structures. Our main goal will be surveying the region around the silver lane’s terminus in order to determine if the world is viable for our purposes.”
