Quantum Supremacy

Ground to Asdaria,

we are ported and en route to commence the radiation check.

Roger that, Captain.

Radiation check. Where are we in sieverts?

About 110.

That's still too high.

We need to get the levels down to at least 100 sieverts.

We're almost there. Just be patient.

If I didn't know any better, I'd say someone or something

doesn't want us on this planet.

This Quadrant has so many features that can

support a new base, possibly a new colony.

But these sudden radiation optics,

they don't make sense.

Every time I think we get a handle on it,

the levels become unsustainable.

The water is now at 108 sieverts.

It's dropping as we speak.

And the sieverts level in the water hits 99.

Rominoff here, Captain.

We've received what sounded like a distress call

from Mother Command.

Then communications went silent. The signal just stopped.

Port us back. Set up a full briefing ASAP.

Sounds like the R&R will have to wait.

Ha, ha.

Story of my life.

Rominoff, status report. Where are we?

It seems as if all communications

satellites are offline.

There's nothing but dead air.

Well, the missing satellites are obviously

the reason why comms have ceased.

Look at all that debris.

Officer KK, can you confirm that they have been destroyed?

I'm afraid it's worse than we thought.

Whoever did this,

to attack that many satellites, all at once,

who could have launched something like that?

Doesn't make sense.

Even if the satellites were attacked,

I'm unfamiliar with any technology that could

destroy them and go undetected.

Any theories?

An atmospheric check reveals no black holes in the area,

so they weren't accidentally sucked in.

How about on planet Vesta? Any word from them?

Nothing, sir.

What the hell?

Orders, Captain.

I didn't want to alarm the crew,

but I had a strange call yesterday with Mother Command.

Apparently, satellites have been going offline across the galaxy.

Do they know how?

They weren't sure.

Apparently, it was triggered by code.

Self-destruct mechanism?

Something like that, but it even gets weirder.

This code was in a language no one could identify.

That's impossible.

Apparently not.

What does it mean?

It means we could be experiencing some kind of virus.

A virus that's affecting coms throughout the entire galaxy.

We need to find a way to message with Mother Command.

What do you suggest?

The power center on Vesta.

They harness power for an entire quadrant of planetary systems.

I agree, Vesta has hundreds of towers

we could tap into to establish relay.

It might be our closest path.

We can get a team ported there in an hour or less.

That settles it then.

Bronze, I want you to put together your scouting team

to be ported down to Vesta within the hour.

If we can't get any solid answers up here,

then we'll get them down there.

We are locked, loaded, and ready to launch.

Then let's do it.

Roger that.

Bronze, I want you in and out of there like lightning, hear me?

We have no idea what could be down there.

Loud and clear, boss.

Initiate countdown on my go.

Yes, sir.

How are the ports looking?

They're holding up well under pressure. All levels on point.

And... here...

we...

go.

Holy shit.

What the hell...

is that?

Where's my update?

The team is starting to show on radar.

Good. Bronze, you hear me? Where are my eyes?

Your eyes are here, sir, but I'm not sure what I'm seeing.

Whatever it is, it ain't the Vesta I remember. It's like...

It's been colonized.

What the hell do you mean?

It's a takeover, sir.

How about the research team?

There's thousands of people that live there.

No sight of anyone.

Issue a red alert to the crew.

Bronze, be careful out there.

OK, people, unless the situation proves otherwise,

this is strictly a recon mission.

Keep your safeties on, your heads up, and your eyes open.

And then you do the hokey pokey and you turn yourself around?

I do appreciate the levity, jumper, but I'm serious.

I need everyone's senses trained on everything.

If you see something, anything, say something.

Sir, what if we smell something?

I'm not sure Stickler has bathed in a few clicks.

You smell that, jumper?

OK, people, look alive.

Status.

It's like a ghost town, captain.

It's as if everything and everyone just stopped.

Zero movement, and from what I can tell,

there's no power anywhere.

Ice, you take point. Aggro your eyes on our six.

The rest of you, eyes on our sides.

Taking point, sir.

Any sign of a struggle?

Nothing yet, captain. There's no sign of anything.

It's like the Marie Celeste down here.

Who the hell is Marie Celeste?

Not who, what?

Don't you read your history books, Ice?

Books?

Where's this guy from?

Sir, over here.

What have you got?

It looks like blood.

Lots of it.

Captain, we have a confirmed site of a struggle.

Something definitely happened down here and it wasn't good.

Tell me something I don't know, Bronze.

Voice is down.

Hand signals only, unless necessary.

Captain, we have contact.

Friendly?

Metal heads, sir.

Not human, armed, and made for war.

Armed robots?

What the hell are robots doing there?

Maybe there was an issue with the power core

we weren't aware of.

Impossible!

Do not engage!

I repeat, do not engage!

Stay out of sight.

Can you gain a high vantage point?

There's a tower adjacent to our position, sir.

KK, can we still receive signals

from the team without the satellite?

Affirmative.

Copy. Bronze, get on top of that area and start scanning.

We need to know how many of those robots are down there.

Copy that, Captain.

Stickler, feel like doing some climbing?

Yes, sir! We'll keep eyes on the patrol down here.

If I tell you to hold up, you freeze in place.

You hear me, soldier?

Affirmative.

Stand by, Stick.

You're five by five. Go ahead.

Got it, sir.

Transmitting now.

Sir, scanning signals received.

Bronze, have Stickler regroup with the team.

Stay in the shadows and do not advance, you here me?

Stay on the line while we examine the scan.

See exactly what we're dealing with here.

Roger that, Captain.

Sending the scans to Ensign Detour for analysis.

Incoming.

Gotcha.

This is peculiar.

Sir, there appears to be

hundreds of these robots in and around the Vesta Power Center.

What about organic lifeforms? Human or alien?

Scanning.

So far I don't see anything.

The only thing moving in Vesta are nuts and bolts.

Keep scanning. Check the industrial areas.

Sir,

I've located what looks like a concentration of lifeforms.

How many?

There's dozens. If not hundreds of them.

Bronze, Detour has found

a cluster of lifeforms packed together in a warehouse

due west of your position.

They alive sir?

Yes, but whatever happened down there has been a shit show.

Your squad is massively outnumbered.

I want you and the team to get back to the LZ.

I want you out of there.