Part: One

Circa six hundred thousand years ago, the scientific command ship of the Incol Empire, the Cadmus sits on the Event Horizon of an unnamed Singularity. A razor thin beam of bluish-green energy extends from the tip of the wedge shaped craft desending into the infinite blackness before it. On the large command bridge of the starship the Incol Captain sits speaking into a personnel recorder documenting the end of a project that he hopes will save his people...

"We are the final hope of the Empire. For over thirty thousand years our species has reigned supreme over a large portion of the galaxy. Spanning eight hundred worlds, the Incol Empire has risen to a height of technological and genetic superiority that may well never be seen in this galaxy ever again. In spite of this it seems that some of our people hold on to the greedy inclinations of our ancestors. As is already well know some one hundred years ago several Sector Overlords decided they had no need of the Homeworld, nor the rest of the Empire, and ceded from us. These fools have since waged a war against not only the Homeworld, and the worlds that remain loyal to it, but also against each other. As the years have passed they continue to escalate the weapons they use, laying waste to entire planets and destroying untold numbers of ships and personnel. As if that wasn't bad enough the leading scientists of the Empire, all of whom are on the Cadmus, believe that several indigenous life-forms that exist on our worlds are entering an evolutionary stage that will bring them to sentience. This could further strain our control of the known galaxy and bring us to the final stage of ruin."

"That is where the "Astrum Project" comes in. In the first fifty years of this war, the traitorous Warlords disrupted most of the trade and communication networks established across the Empire. The Imperial Science Council decided to take a drastic measure. Research had just concluded that Singularities, those huge "Black Holes" in space, did more then just suck light ,energy, and matter out of the ether around them. Scans indicated that they transformed them into a highly charged and unstable form of matter. This "Quantum Matter" remained locked in the heart of the Sigularity for all time. The Council believed we could harness this material for the benifit of the Empire. The real problem came in retrieving it, only a few molecules of this matter were formed every several million years, and of course the fact that Singularities distorted space-time so radically within themselves that anything entering one could never apparently return. Within a few years the Council overcame those obstacles, and dispatched the entire Science Fleet to begin mining "Quantum Matter" and constructing the means by which it could be used to serve the Empire."

"The great minds aboard the Cadmus quickly determined the best way to use the potentially unlimited power trapped within this material. By creating a pair of "Power Bands" that would attach to a subject's wrists, rearranging thier molecular structure so they could fuse with the "Quantum Matter" and control the energy that it has stored within it and is capable of continuing to absorb. The bands are a wonderful mixture of microcircuitry and aesthetic design, thier only drawback is they only exist as holographic blueprints. We will need to compile all the "Quantum Matter" in order to forge them once made they can be used only once. The Science Fleet has spent the past five and a half decades traveling from Singularity to Singularity spending one or two years at each mining "Quantum Matter". And as we finish our final operations here we will rendezvous with the rest of the Science Fleet and begin transfer of all "Quantum Matter", the mining equipment, and accumulated data, to our vessel."

The Captain ended his recording and turned to face the young ensign who approached him with a serious look on his face. "Sir, the techs report that they have finished the final removal of material from this Singularity, and the fleet has signaled thier arrival within the next few hours." The Captain, without the slightest change in expression, gave a single curt nod. "Inform Dr. Lenox of this, and let him know I'm on my way to the containment deck." The ensign gave a deep bow and turned to his communication console to relay the information.

As Captain Renor traveled in the turbolift down to the containment deck, where the collected "Quantum Matter" was stored, he wondered why he always felt the need to gaze upon this mercurial substance that they gathered. At least once they had finished at any Singularity. In a way he guessed it added a true since of importance to having just spent a year or more sitting dead still in space, looking into an blackness so absolute that the rest of deep space seemed bright in comparison.

Within the containment deck several techs and Dr. Lenox stood around a crackling engery sphere that held the undulating golden matter that was the focus for all these years of work. The huge energy field seemed disproportionate to the incredibly small amount of "Quantum Matter" it contained. Of course the Captain knew that without the field the matter inside would detonate with such a force that the Cadmus would totally vaporize within seconds. The Doctor turned to face Captain Renor as he approched. "Its amazing as always isn't it Captain, a few more raindrops worth of material to add to the pool." The Captain couldn't supress a smile, Dr. Lenox was the lead scientist on the "Astrum Project", and he seemed to enjoy these moments as much as the Captain. The Doctor turned back to the field, "Even though its in a quasi-liquid state, once we have gathered all the samples together we can use the molecular resequencer to solidify them into their final shape." He of course referred to all important "Power Bands". The Doctor sometimes repeated facts he knew that those around him were well aware of, but the Captain assumed it was one of those quirks that the exceptionally brillant often portrayed. By the Great Ones it was better then some of the idiosyncrasies the other scientists had.

The Captain had just returned to the bridge, as the ships of the Science Fleet arrived. He had stayed on the containment deck long enough to oversee the transfer of the final sample into the primary holding tank before returning to his primary post. "Transmit to the vessels, inform them they can begin their transfer." The same ensign who had reported to him earlier bowed, "Immediatly, sir." The ensign again returned to his console to make the transmissions. The Captain sighed aloud. 'Soon..', he thought to himself, 'Soon, we can all return to the Homeworld, the end is finally here.'

Part: Two

It had taken about three hours for the dozen other vessels in the Science Fleet to transfer all their "Astrum Project" related materials, including their "Quantum Matter" to the Cadmus. Captain Renor had barely givin them the order to return to the Homeworld before he began his descent toward the primary Astrum Lab. Riding alone in the turbolift the Captain allowed himself a brief chuckle, he was about to witness history in the making.

Captain Renor entered the lab catching the scientists in mid-sentence, "...energy levels optimal, downloading the virtual pattern". With that the holographic blueprint of the "Power Bands" appeared in the center of the room, suspended within a blue-green field of steady energy. As he approched the field, Dr. Lenox stepped up behind him. "Everything is proceeding on schedule. Although the final tests we have been running on the energy levels contained within the "Quantum Matter" have yielded some disturbing results." The Captain turned to face the Doctor, who wasted no time clarifying what he meant, "The levels are off the scale, far beyond what the Science Council had predicted. When we return to the Homeworld the candidates will need to be rescreened. When the Bands perform the molecular rearrangement the subject will undergo such genetic stress that if they are not perfect for the procedure they will lose cohesion. Where before we believed our design would allow a eighty to ninety percent chance of success, these new readings now show that chance to be less then forty." The Captain felt a growing sense of dread, 'They are going to want more time...' He cut off the Doctor before he could speak, "Complete the manufacturing procedure, you can work out any kinks once we return to the Homeworld." The Doctor sighed, but turned and signaled the others it was time to begin.

Everyone stood around the energy field watching the holographic mold, made of light and force-fields, as it began to shimmer with the light caused by the molecular resequencer as it moved the "Quantum Matter" atom by atom from the storage unit into the mold. Doctor Lenox was growing visibly excited, "The resequencer is is working perfectly the "Quantum Matter" is being reformed into a stable, soild material. Once complete the Bands will be indestructable, and quite inert. At least until focused by active thought." The Doctor's face cracked open in a wide smile. He was most pleased with his new creation. The shimmering become incredibly intense bleaching away any sign of the holographic mold. And then it ceased, accompanied by a electronic chirp, indicating the procedure was complete. There floating within the field was a pair a perfectly smooth golden wrist bands that seemed to glow with an internal light. "Its complete, we've done it!!", the Doctor shouted.

As the scientists patted each other on the backs and passed out congratulations, Captain Renor turned to Doctor Lenox, "Could you lower the fields, I'd like to take a closer look at them now that they are finished. They took many years of my life, and I'd like a first-hand look at the objects that will save our Empire." The Doctor nodded in agreement, "Dr. Stolun, please lower the fields." As the thin, nervous looking scientist made his way to the controls there was sudden blinding flash of white light that came from the "Power Bands". The flash was immediatly followed by a loud warning klaxon. All the scientists moved to their various posts. Dr. Hezror, the female on the team, turned to the Captain and Dr. Lenox, "The sensors indicate there was a sudden intense burst of radiation from the Bands, if the fields hadn't been in place it would have killed us all." Doctor Lenox became visably disturbed, "Check the storage unit, was there any unused matter still in it?" Another scientist spoke up, "Maybe there was residual energy trapped in the matrix?" Dr. Lenox shook his head, "If there was it would have discharged immediatly after the process completed." Dr. Stolun turned from his console, "The storage unit's log shows it had completely emptied during the process, nothing was left behind." Dr. Lenox turned to the Captain, but he raised his hand before he could speak, "No Doctor, we are not waiting for any further tests, keep the fields in place, and continue to monitor the energy levels. We are heading home, you and the Imperial Science Council and work out any problems there. I and my crew have done our part."

The Cadmus had already pulled away from the Singularity that had been its companion for the past twenty months as its Captain finished updating his log with the recent events of the "Astrum Project." Captain Renor turned to the Conn Officer, "Lay in a course for the Homeworld, and prepare to initiate the warp field." A nearby ensign turned to the Captain, "Sir, Dr. Lenox wishes to speak to you." The Captain nodded, "Put it through my personnel channel." The communication device on Captain Renor's command chair beeped once before the Doctor's voice came through. "Captain we have been taking constant readings from the Bands ever since the incident, as you ordered. The scanners just registered something very unusual, we are detecting alpha waves." The Captain drew back, he was no scientist but he knew enough about physiology thanks to his military training. "Doctor are you saying the Bands are alive?"

Part: Three

Captain Renor stared at the console in disbelief. The Doctor's voice snapped back almost instantly, "I wouldn't call it alive in anyway we would understand, the patterns are highly irregular." The Captain cut him off, "Look Doctor the Empire needs its ultimate warrior. So unless what your telling me is going to totally destroy that plan we must get under way." The Captain hadn't meant to be so short with the Doctor, but he hated this feeling that something was going to prevent him from getting home. The Doctor sighed, "I'm sorry Sir, but I just wanted to keep you informed." The Captain calmed himself , "Thats alright Doctor, I shouldn't have been so short. Please secure your equipment and personnel, we are about to enter warp." Captain Renor ended his communication with the Doctor and turned to the ensign, "Inform all decks we are about to make the jump to warp." The ensign nodded, and made the announcement. As he finished, his console made a signaling beep. After several moments he turned to the Captain, "Sir, we are recieving word from the rest of the fleet. It appears Warlord Cordox is moving his attack fleet into the Serpia System." The Captain slammed his fist against the arm of his command chair, "**** him, he must be trying to establish a front on which to attack the Homeworld." The ensign spoke again, "Sir they report his vessels are releaseing some sort of nanite minefield....its tearing their vessels apart."

"Conn, lay in a new course. Take us around the outer rim, we will come into the Homeworld's sector from the opposite direction. It may take a little longer, but we have little choice." The Conn Officer nodded, "New course laid in Sir." The Captain made a quick gesture with his hand, "Initiate Warp." The Cadmus roated quickly in space and as the warp field enveloped the craft it leaped out of normal space accelerating to a speed much faster then light.

The Cadmus had been speeding along its course for more then three hours when the ever present ensign turned back to the Captain, "Sir its Doctor Lenox again." Captain Renor turned from the foward screen to face the ensign, "Put him through." The Captain's communicator beeped and the Doctor's worried voice spilled out, "Captain we may have a situation down here. The Bands have released several more high energy pulses and the alpha wave patterns are increasing and dropping with a frightening regularity." The Captain cut him off, "Are the containment fields still holding?" Again the Doctor's worried voice spoke back, "yes, but the Bands are emitting a constant energy wave that the seems to be degrading the field structure. The computer has been able to compensate by adjusting the field frequencies, but I'm not sure how much longer they can keep it up." The Captain turned to the Conn Officer, "Conn whats our location?" After several quick taps on his console the Conn Officer turned to the Captain, "We're approaching a Class G yellow star, our current course would have us dropping from warp as..." The Conn Officer stopped as a disturbing electronic beep came from his console. "Sir the computer is registering a fluctuation in the warp field." The Doctor's voice joined in from the communicator, "Sir I'm registering another energy spike from the Bands. That fluctuation could be coming from them." Captain Renor looked to the Conn Officer, "Attenuate the warp field and bring us into normal space as we approach the system." The officer nodded and made several adjustments, "Attenuating field now." A sudden shrill alarm erupted from the console, followed by a cacophony of ear-piercing screams from the Captain's communicator.

More screams would have have echoed across the Cadmus as consoles and conduits exploded in a huge electrical surge. At least they would have if the wave of intense radiation that preceded them hadn't struck the life out of evey living creature on the vessel moments before it happened.

The huge Incol starship vibrated and began tearing itself apart as the warp field surrounding it contorted, and began to degrade in an uncontrolled fashion. On board, the ship's computer system called out various warnings in slurred and sporadic bursts all over the vessel. Virtually all of the electrical systems on board had suffered some form of damage from the radiation burst that had ripped through the ship. Sparks and burning pieces of molten metal rained through the smoke filled air of the interior. Dropping on and burning not only various other pieces of smoldering equipment, but on the charred and still remains of the crew as well.

Deep within the Cadmus the golden "Power Bands" floated in mid-air, hovering in the same place the energy containment fields once held it. There in a entirely unique perception of the universe they began to realize what they had done. "I/We have done something wrong....many of the energy fields around me/us have become distorted or eliminated. Was that pain and fear I/we felt as I/we reached out?" The Cadmus was now vibrating so violently the massive fissures in the structure began to rip open all over the hull. As they did gases and particles from the inside vented in to the emptiness of space.

Without a crew, or even a functioning computer, to control its path the Cadmus began to tumble and fall toward the Class G star that was to be its first waypoint. As the ship careened toward this stellar furnance the "Power Bands" within sensed the approaching energy source, "This form that carries me/us will not withstand that region of energy, the shell that keeps it together at this speed has been hampered by me/us. I/We will give our strength to it, I/we may cease but I/we must try to help those I/we have harmed." With this self-declaration the "Power Bands" poured their energy into the warp field trying to stabilize it. The Cadmus stopped tumbling and began to veer away from the star that fought to claim it. But as the stress ripped at the ship, huge sections of it tore free and, it started to lose that battle. The "Power Bands" emptied more of itself into the field trying to adjust the course. Then gravity and the the field itself conspired and time and space shattered around the vessel.

The remains of the Cadmus sailed momentarily through a darkness so absolute that if present, the many Singularities it had visited would have shone like brilliant suns. And then it tumbled out of this abyss into normal space, speeding away from the star, but no longer moving faster then light. The starship was so badly damaged that it was barely staying together shedding large pieces of itself as it hurled toward the third planet of this system. A small blue and green world that had seen the passing of millennia since the Cadmus had first entered this system. As the vessel fell toward the surface of this world the remaining vestiges of intelligence left within the "Power Bands" sought to encase the ship in a field that would keep its hurtling wreckage from harming anything else. And then it struck the surface, what was left of the ship erupted into an atomic fireball, that was contained by the field, vaporizing the Cadmus. As the silenced, impotent blast faded, the field dissipated leaving the "Power Bands" resting in an uncharacteristically shallow crater.

Circa the present day, several weeks ago Frank Ivarson was diagnosed with terminal cancer. Since then he has spent every evening sitting in his car here outside of New York City watching the stars, and reflecting on his life. Or at least what he had that passed for one. "For years I have worked, alone, programming for a heartless corporation that will barely even register my passing. Sure people who work in my department will say, "Gee its a shame the funny guy had to die", but thats about the only eulogy I'll get. Maybe I should have married, then at least I'd have some family...." Frank's self-pity is suddenly disrupted as one of the stars above flares and begins to grow brighter and brighter. "Hey, a meteor. Maybe I should make a wish." Frank closes his eyes and silently makes a wish as he had so many times as a child. As he opens his eyes he realizes the meteor is still falling. "It should have burned up by now." And with a silent streak it strikes the earth.

The flash is blinding, but oddly silent. and while some dirt is kicked up by the impact it seems far to little for the size of the meteor. "****, that should have killed me." Frank leaps from his car and dashes over to the smoking hole left in the ground by the "falling star". There lying on the ground was a pair of golden bracers large enough that they could have fit around someones wrists who was three times Franks's size. "Well I'll be damned, if those are soild gold I'll be a rich man. maybe I should have wished for a cure. Oh well, don't look a gift horse in the mouth. Of course the right thing to do would be to take these to a university....yeah, right." Frank picked up the bracers, they were far lighter then he expected. And just for laughs he slipped them onto each arm. Holding out his hands he marveled at how big they were. Then without warning they contracted. Biting into his wrists. As he cried out in surprise a bright flash enveloped him.

For a moment Frank felt his mind tear apart then slowly his sense of self returned. "What was that?" Looking down at his wrists he could no longer see the bracers, but he knew they were still there. He also knew with but a thought he could bring them back. "something has happened to me..." Without the help of any medical professionals Frank knew his cancer was gone, in fact he felt better then he ever had. "I don't even think I'm aging anymore...what the hell. I need to find out what else has happened to me. But I have a feeling I'm gunna like it. Looks like I came out here to die, but I have a feeling I'm finally going to start to live."