We recommend that you consult with the Earthling homeworld on Helios 3. They don't tell us front line grunts a thing.

Hiya, Captain! Boy, are we glad to see you. Any problems getting here?

No. Piece of cake.

Nothing I couldn't handle.

Hi gang.

Give me a report.

We were starting to get a little worried. After all, we're stuck here on an unfamiliar planet in an unknown quadrant and can't even fly out of this system without you.

You are our last, best, and only hope of survival. And not just OUR survival, but also the survival of all the starfaring races. Especially now that HyperSpace travel no longer works and your Precursor vessel is the only ship capable of interstellar flight.

But don't let that pressure you. We have faith in your leadership.

I won't let it bother me at all.

You better have faith in me. I need a steady, loyal team.

Great. Now let's get down to business.

The first thing we need to do is find the other League races. They've been scattered all over the nearby systems by your Precursor vessel's Warp Bubble transport.

Consider it done.

I'm on my way.

First I have some questions.

How can we help?

Tell me about the Earthling Cruiser.

The Earthling Cruiser was built primarily for exploration and not as a pitiless weapon of war, but we hold up pretty well in combat. We're not the fastest, but we are maneuverable.

We have a short range point defense laser, but that's best for incoming attackers. The main weapon is a long-range, homing missile. The best tactic is to keep the enemy at bay, and pound 'em with nukes from a distance.

Tell me about our mission.

Our main mission is to restore the structural integrity of the space-time continuum, and restore galactic HyperSpace travel.

When HyperSpace travel stopped working throughout the galaxy, we were afraid that sentient beings would be forever cut off from one another, doomed to never fly to another star.

Ironically, the catastrophe happened not long after you beat the Ur-Quan by destroying their ability to make war.

When you destroyed their horrific Precursor battleship, the Sa-Matra, we were safe in the galaxy. But even if you hadn't, the Ur-Quan would have been crippled in space.

Go on.

Before the loss of HyperSpace, you had returned to the Precursor planet Unzervalt, where you were born. You were lucky to have been born there. Earth was suffering under the tender mercies of the Ur-Quan at the time.

Your parents didn't know it at the time, but being part of a crew that crash-landed on Unzervalt was the best thing they could have done for you. You grew up among abundant Precursor artifacts and developed an affinity for advanced technology.

You built a Precursor ship, and the rest is history. You kicked Ur-Quan butt all over the quadrant. Because you sacrificed your Precursor vessel to stop the Sa-Matra, you returned to Unzervalt to try to build a second one.

You were stranded there when HyperSpace travel collapsed. You were stranded on the primitive world of Unzervalt for a second time.

Yes. But this time I had real food supplies and didn't have to subsist on Ortog milk and Libixx meat.

All the Allied races were sure they were stranded forever. We cursed our unworking ships that could not take us beyond our solar systems. And then YOU showed up.

You had not only been able to build a new Precursor vessel, but you found a way to circumvent the collapse of HyperSpace. Your new vessel did not rely on HyperSpace, but used a hot new Precursor technology you discovered- the Warp Bubble Transport.

Most people had never even SEEN a Precursor vessel. You had piloted TWO!

Jealous?

I'd be lying if I said no. Anyway...

Go on.

You rallied the Allied races to work together to seek the cause of the destruction. You even enlisted the repentant members of the defeated Ur-Quan Hierarchy into your newly minted League of Sentient Races.

You described a strange experience you had after you destroyed the Sa-Matra, in which you traveled through a rift in time and glimpsed the future destruction of all sentient life.

Candidly, many sentients thought that your vision was the product of delusions. After all, you were comatose when we finally picked up your escape pod.

But you had the only means of interstellar transport, and the sentient races would have accepted a lot more eccentricity to get some mobility again.

Thanks for the vote of confidence.

Sure thing. Anyway...

Go on.

You explained to all the races that the only way to repair the damage to the space-time continuum and stop the loss of sentient life is to uncover the secrets of the Precursors.

Since the mysterious Rainbow Worlds point coreward, and since many Precursor artifacts seem to lie in that direction, we came to the galactic core.

Your Precursor vessel's Warp Bubble transport carried ships from each League race, and scattered them to different systems in this region of the Kessarri quadrant.

Now all you have to do is find each race, and establish contact with them.

Go on.

We need to pick up stocks of cryogenically suspended colonists from each League race, and establish their colonies on Kessarri planets.

The colonists are in suspended animation, ready to be thawed out as we gain the resources to properly put them to work colonizing and searching for Precursor lore.

All of us pledged to be loyal to the League and to give our lives, if necessary, in order to restore the integrity of the fabric of space.

I have a question on another topic.

Tell me about the Precursors.

We don't know what is legend and what is truth, but the information points to a great and powerful race that developed miraculous technology, uncovered amazing secrets of time and space, and then disappeared.

They left behind few clues about who they were, but lots of technology. We suspect that they were huge, hulking creatures. And, like us, they were concerned with the stability of the fabric of space.

Hopefully we'll find full records on them and save the galaxy- before we meet their fate!

What do you know about the Eternal Ones?

We only know what the Tech Teams have come across.

I've got what I need. Keep up the good work, everyone.

Talk to you soon, Captain.

Hi, Captain!

Captain, the debris is from a Supox ship. There are numerous entry holes burned into the hull fragments. It's clear that the Supox ship was utterly destroyed. We see no trace of survivors, or even Supox seeds.

Excellent work.

We cannot make sense of this language. Our best guess is that the ship is an unintelligent robot drone. We're calling it "Daktaklakpak" because that's the nonsense word they repeat the most.

It looks like the gibberish spoken by the Daktaklakpak drones is not gibberish at all. It looks like a language. These Daktaklakpak may be sentient after all.

We've found a rudimentary language key. We'll install it in your ship, and you can test it the next time you talk to the Daktaklakpak.

Excellent work.

The Picus system appears to be GONE! We need to go to the space it used to occupy to take readings!

I appreciate all your efforts.

Reality meltdown imminent! We've got to get out of here now!

The Picus system has undergone a frightening reality meltdown! The entire solar system has collapsed due to unnatural interdimensional fatigue. This area has become a dark anomaly. It's still suffering from severe perturbations of the time-space continuum.

These energy readings are unlike anything we've ever seen. We don't know how to quantify them, but these readings will help us track the phenomenon throughout the quadrant.

The more direct data we can get on these collapses, the better. We are aware of systems in our home quadrant that disappeared from interdimensional fatigue, like Alpha Corvi.

But this is the first time we've been able to study a destroyed solar system immediately after the collapse.

Keep up the good work. We're all counting on you.

The Eltanin system appears to have collapsed as well! We need to go to the space it used to occupy to take readings!

These readings are incredible! They're quite similar to the Picus anomaly. This area is still suffering from massive perturbations of the time-space continuum.

This data will definitely help us track this phenomenon throughout the quadrant. Now I recommend we get out of here quickly.

The Tyche system appears to have collapsed as well! We need to go to the space it used to occupy to take readings! This system is deep in Crux space, but investigating it could yield useful data.

These readings are very similar to the Picus and Eltanin anomalies. This area is still suffering from massive perturbations of the time-space continuum.

We still do not understand the physics involved here, but this data will definitely help us track this phenomenon throughout the quadrant.

The Precursor records about the Mycon were too old to tell the complete story. On deeper investigation, we discovered that the Mycon have begun to evolve out of their Precursor programming.

In the intervening millennia since the Precursors "went away," the Mycon Deep Children appear to have gained independent thought. These Deep Children are the Mycon buds that the Mycon shoot into planets to terraform them.

They are also the source of the "semi-sentient energy plasma" that the Mycon ships fire. These Deep Children appear to have the potential to develop their Precursor Potential.

The Mycon "elders" are so fearful of this that they imprint their own memories and personalities onto the minds of the young. Only this practice prevents the more advanced Deep Children from taking over the Mycon community.

If this is true, it constitutes slavery of sentient beings, and is against the rules of the League.

Captain, tech team members with high Psi Ratings report that the Syreen have been sending out mental probes to all League races. These Syreen probes are very sophisticated, and we are not advanced enough to be able to determine what they do.

We've found a cache of Precursor records discussing the use of HyperSpace drives. They say that HyperSpace drives can adversely affect the very fabric of space.

They were especially concerned about Portal Spawning technology, which punches holes in space at any point. They don't seem so concerned about individual Portal Spawners, like the one that you had on your previous Precursor vessel.

They seem more worried about a massive burst of countless portals opened by these mysterious Eternal Ones. The upshot is that several hundred thousand years ago they accurately predicted that HyperSpace travel could stop working from overuse.

Portal Spawning travel will continue to work, but it will continue to damage the fabric of space. This is why they developed the Warp Bubble transport technology.

Apparently they perfected it just before they disappeared. They hint about more advanced forms of travel, but provide no specifics.

They were at work on a massively powerful artifact designed to strengthen the fabric of space-time after these assaults. It does not say where this artifact is, but refers to it as an iridescent latticework.

Sorry, that's the best we can do on the translation.

Paydirt! Captain, we've found a large cache of Precursor records about genetic engineering. Evolutionary development of sentient and non-sentient species appears to be a consuming passion for them.

We'll continue to update you as we translate them.

We found a Precursor data pack that describes large Precursor sites in the Anshar, Zaniah, and Mahakala systems.

These genetic engineering records show that the Precursors were seeking to quantify the environmental and genetic forces that shape sentience. They hypothesize that for sentience to develop so similarly in that many races, there must be a universal tendency toward developing sentience.

They hint at some dark and ominous trend here, but we don't fully understand the reference. They believe that great individuals in all sentient races appear to make great breakthroughs that advance the whole race.

One or a few advance, and then the whole race suddenly lurches forward. We can't translate the word they use for this potential in sentient beings, so we're calling it "Precursor Potential."

We found another Precursor artifact that actually indicates that the Precursors are still alive and well and living on many of their old worlds throughout the galaxy!

It seems that they live on worlds full of functioning Precursor machinery. Still alive, but somehow hidden. We can't translate HOW they are hidden, but it says that it's vital that they have access to their familiar food supplies, which are also on every Precursor world.

That would explain why the Xchaggers had an Ortog from your native planet. The Precursors probably put those cows on all their planets. Just think, Captain. You might have grown up eating the very same food as the Precursors. Food of the gods!

Anyway, some of our researchers think the Precursors might be invisible, or just slightly out of phase with the physical dimension, so they are standing there next to us, laughing at us because we can't see them.

Or maybe hiding in vast complexes in the fiery planetary core--complexes hollowed out by fleets of Mycon Podships, where the Precursors can only teleport out--or teleport food in.

Or maybe the Precursors ARE the planets, merged with the very rock somehow, and eating the decaying plants and animals!

Fascinating. Thanks for the report.

Uh, yeah. How long has it been since you guys have had a vacation?

The Precursors were apparently frustrated in their quest to reach their full "Precursor Potential" because of galactic devastation wrought by a mysterious and even more ancient race; a race so dangerous that they must never actually learn its full name.

They refer to this race as the Eternal Ones. We can't tell if this devastation happened in their past, or if they're anticipating it in their future. Or some sort of ongoing devastation.

It's very hard to translate this. We suspect that the Precursors have a different relation to time than we do.

The Precursors were so threatened by these Eternal Ones that they had to "go away" or "go back," or "go under." We can't fully translate this "gone" word. It appears to refer to a technology we're not aware of.

And maybe our minds can't yet conceive of it. Possibly "go back" in time. We're also having trouble with the tense of the verb. One way to read it is that they not only "went away" once, but that they will have to "go away" again.

Or are continuously "going away." They have definitely "gone away" more than once, and seem resigned to "going away" some time in the future. But they are continually in a state of being "gone away," except when they're not.

We apologize for the vagueness, but this is such a strange set of concepts that our it has sidelined three of our best xenolinguists on temporary mental health leave.

We've determined that the Mycon were created by the Precursors to perform terraforming duties on a vast scale. The Mycon were also charged with stabilizing planetary crusts during the galactic devastation that followed in the wake of these mysterious Eternal Ones.

The Precursors wanted the Mycon to last beyond the time the Precursors "go away." So they genetically engineered the Mycon race to be born adult and undergo no childhood development.

The Mycon could manipulate their own genetic material to accomplish specific tasks, but have no possibility for the kind of random mutations that can allow a race to develop on its own.

If they could develop normally, they might die out, and the Precursors needed them around too much for that. But ironically, that caused the Mycon to be unable to fulfill their "Precursor Potential."

We've discovered an item that resembles a twenty foot tall flat spoon. The Precursor records refer to this as the Plasma Regroover. We have no idea what it does, but the notations indicate that it's important to Precursor terraforming.

We have no technical expertise to allow us to confirm or deny the Crux allegations about the Chmmr. The parameters are too vague and the Chmmr architecture is too alien.

Captain, the Crux have activated a Chmmr Bifurcator! The Chmmr are shattering into billions of separate pieces of Mmrnmhrm and Chenjesu again! They scream for us to help them!

The screams have died away now... The Chmmr have been split back into Chenjesu and Mmrnmhrm. But the Chenjesu are in a coma and the Mmrnmhrm are in pieces.

The Mother Ark Control Unit is missing from the shattered Mmrnmhrm pieces. The Chmmr are destroyed in every part of the Kessarri quadrant. They may even be destroyed from our home quadrant.

Gather them up and repair them!

It's not that easy. Back in our home quadrant, when you helped the Mmrnmhrm and the Chenjesu join to form the Chmmr, all you had to do was speed up the process with a Sun Device.

To restore them we will need more than another Sun Device. We will need to find a way to revive both races first, or they're gone. Perhaps forever.

We must find the missing Mmrnmhrm Mother Ark Control Unit before we can repair the Mmrnmhrm and re-hybridize the Chmmr. The Chenjesu must be brought to consciousness--at least minimal consciousness.

This Chmmr Bifurcator device is so alien that we scarcely know where to begin to study it. We're learning a lot from studying it, however. We've been able to locate a power source and a basic on/off toggle switch.

The Bifurcator is currently switched on.

Make sure it's switched on.

Make sure it's switched off.

Leave it that way.

Switch it on.

The Bifurcator is on.

Switch it off.

The Bifurcator is off.

Captain! Our Chmmr Bifurcator activated itself upon arrival! The Chmmr are shattering into billions of separate pieces of Mmrnmhrm and Chenjesu again! They scream for us to help them!

The planet-wide energy transfer from your ship to the planet has unleashed a maelstrom that is threatening to tear the ship apart! We've got to-

Captain, the minds of the Chenjesu are closed to the rejoining. They must be awakened. Our Psi team says that they will take a burst of psychic energy far more powerful than we can muster.

The Chenjesu must be mind-controlled to awaken, so they rejoin with the Mmrnmhrm and re-hybridize the Chmmr.

Those Syreen know their stuff. The Chenjesu have now revived. They are weak, but conscious enough to begin the process of rejoining with the Mmrnmhrm. But we need to use a Sun Device to re-hybridize the Chmmr. Or else the process will take decades.

We found an indestructible object floating in space along with the debris from the Vux ship. From the energy signature we'd say it's the Ultron, but it looks different.

It appears that the Vux have tampered with it and found a way to sabotage it.

The modifications have increased the Ultron's energy output, but the Ultron itself still does not look like it used to.

Captain, our simulations of the Harika immune system shows that the Xchagger cellular structure would be extremely toxic to the Harika, and would put them into a comatose state.

Without access to some comatose Harika bodies, we can't actually determine if we can extract the Xchagger Lost Dynasties without killing the Xchaggers.

But we do know that we can destroy the Xchagger Lost Dynasties without harming the Harika. We have developed an Xchagger Eradicator Serum that we can feed to the Harika and revive them from their comas. However, it will kill the Lost Dynasties of Xchaggers.

Thanks, but I'm not sure I want to use it.

Can we rescue the Xchagger Lost Dynasties instead of killing them?

We need some comatose Harika bodies to know for sure.

These comatose Harika are definitely suffering from an infestation of the Lost Dynasties of Xchaggers. We think we can make an Xchagger Absorber that can safely pull the Xchaggers out of the Harika bodies, leaving both the Harika and the Xchaggers alive.

But we would need some massive containers with a built-in Xchagger life-support system to hold the Xchaggers.

The Xchagger Eradicator Serum saved the Harika! They are awakening from their comas. It also slaughtered all the Lost Dynasties of Xchaggers.

This Xchagger Absorber is a miracle of micro-engineering. Those little guys can achieve some amazing effects that we can't, even with Precursor technology.

The Xchagger Absorber saved the Harika! They're awakening from their comas. The Lost Dynasties of Xchaggers are intact and alive!

We found a Daktaklakpak data pack. It reveals that the Vux worked for the Crux to help sabotage the Ultron, and raid League bases. It says that the Vux were eager to betray "those hideous League snub-snouts," and betrayed us for a very small reward.

Captain, we regret to report that our search failed at this time because the Rainbow Worlds are contaminated with powerful anti-matter wastes.

We don't have the technology or the basis in anti-matter theory necessary to create the specialized anti-matter containment field that we need to continue our search.

This Anti-Matter Scoop will let us temporarily collect the anti-matter wastes so we can scan a Rainbow World for the Mmrnmhrm Mother Ark Control Unit. It does not, however, let us collect things from the surface of the Rainbow World.

Our Tech Team members with high Psi ratings report that there are indeed some very unpleasant mental emanations coming from the surface of Exquivo.

Those Syreen really know their mind control. We can detect NO brain activity in this Tech Team that equates to anything resembling conscious thought.

Wow. It was pretty weird to have no thoughts. Huh. I guess the Exquivan let us down here. Our thoughts returned and they don't seem like they're about to kick us out. Time for us to get to work...

OK, our mobile lab has reached the site. A massive Precursor ship has crash-landed. There's a semi-sentient computer still functioning here. It's screaming in unbearable cybernetic pain. It's pretty unnerving...

Take it easy, friend. We're gonna help you out... if we possibly can. Captain, the ship's few remaining circuits are stuck in an endless loop. The computer is trying to shut itself down, but an alien artifact is preventing it.

The computer identifies it as a data-pack, but this strange-looking device is no data pack we've seen. And no technology we've ever seen. Wait- the Precursor computer heard me... It's trying to talk back...

Captain, the computer says that the data pack contains an equation that makes up the True Name of the Eternal Ones. The computer knows that it's been driven mad from trying to calculate the formulaic True Name.

If we take the pack out of the computer, the computer's pain will stop, and the screaming will stop too. But the computer will shut down. Should we take the pack out of the computer?

What does the computer want?

To die.

Yes. Remove it.

Remove it.

Brace yourself, friend. This will only hurt for a second...

Captain, we disconnected the data pack, and the semi-sentient computer stopped screaming. It promptly shut itself off. The last image that faded from its holographic readout said... "Thank you."

We're bringing the True Name data pack back to the ship, but I recommend against ever trying to let a computer read it. Any computer would be destroyed in an attempt to process this insidious information.

Fortunately, no other computer would be capable of broadcasting the same dangerous mental emanations to the Pkunk.

Captain, we have found this... well, it's a small, blue-gray mountain... Sensors detect the same kind of energy readings we get from the Clairconctlar, but to the Nth degree.

It's talking... or rather, it's transmitting a powerful signal that our translators can decipher... It's calling out for its children... the Clairconctlar. I think this mountain is... the Clairconctlar Queen!

It's calling for her children to rescue her from this cold and lonely place. That's about all we can make out. We can't begin to budge this mountain.

The only thing we can move is a strange light blue rock we found near the Queen--about the size of a baseball. Some kind of oval rock we've never seen. It sheds small blue flakes...

Our scanners read it as having a physical structure slightly similar to the Clairconctlar, but it doesn't register as being a living creature, like the mountain.

We found another Conc Rock. We're bringing it on board.

Captain, we have found a beacon in space. It says, "The war for control of the stars has dragged on long enough. Meet me tomorrow in orbit around Calliope 2 to discuss terms for a mutually agreeable end to the war. Signed, Plexor, Chief Executions Officer for the Ploxis."

I wonder how far I can trust a guy who calls himself a "Chief Executions Officer."

Good question. We have no idea.

Understood. Thanks.

Whatever you say, sir.

The Owa Anti-Matter Explore Vessel allows us to land on the highly contaminated, anti-matter laced surface of the Rainbow Worlds to collect artifacts.

This Anti-Matter Containment grid allows us to collect anti-matter from the surface of the Rainbow Worlds, leaving them decontaminated, and clean as all other Rainbow Worlds in the galaxy.

The grid is now 10 percent full. It's mostly empty, and can take a lot more anti-matter.

The grid is now 20 percent full.

The grid is now 30 percent full.

The grid is now 40 percent full.

The grid is now 50 percent full.

The grid is now 60 percent full.

The grid is now 70 percent full.

The grid is now 80 percent full.

The grid is now 90 percent full. It's almost full.

The grid is now 100 percent full. It cannot hold more anti-matter waste. The Rainbow worlds are all clean now!

If the Rainbow Worlds work properly, galactic HyperSpace will return! Of course, it could take a few years... but that's better than nothing!

This relic leads us to believe that before the Precursors left, they deposited a large cache of records in QuasiSpace, accessed by QuasiSpace Portal G. We're transmitting the coordinates now!

From the look of the laser damage and remains of Vux limpets, it's pretty clear this planet was attacked by Vux Intruders.

We can only partially translate this Precursor relic. As best we can determine, the Precursors are saying "We must quickly remove ourselves, or we will be removed." We're not sure about the translation of "remove."

Captain, the Warp Bubble engines cannot take us there. We are prevented from entering the area by some kind of shield that repels the Warp Bubble. We need to generate a unique transponder code to get in.

Since the Ploxis fly the Precursor vessel, it stands to reason that only the Ploxis have the code.

On close inspection, we see that the Mmrnmhrm Mother Ark Control Unit suffered some damage to its microscopic nanotech filaments. It won't function until we perform microsurgery on it.

But that sort of work is beyond our capacities. Our tools are not fine enough to do that sort of high-granularity work.

This repaired Mmrnmhrm Mother Ark control unit checks out. All functions optimal. Those Xchaggers really know their stuff. Their work is on a level we can't approach even through Precursor technology.

Now that we have added the Mother Ark Control Unit, we need to use a Sun Device to rejoin the Mmrnmhrm and Chenjesu and re-hybridize the Chmmr. Or else the process will take decades.

The Deep Children appear almost identical to the Mycon, except with much richer thought processes. They may be stronger here in the Kessarri quadrant because we are so far from our home quadrant and the main group of the Mycon elders.

The elders are less capable of forcibly erasing their minds. Back in our home quadrant it may be another story. The elders may still be strong there. We won't know till we get back.

That ship is a Kohr-Ah Marauder. But they were all destroyed after the end of the Ur-Quan war. We don't know where that ship came from, since we did not bring any Kohr-Ah with us to the Kessarri quadrant.

That ship is a Kohr-Ah Marauder. But we didn't bring any Marauder's with us to the Kessarri quadrant, and the Ur-Quan Kzer-Za were not supposed to build any at their colonies.

We have uncovered a Precursor artifact that looks like a crystalline dish. This must be the Plate Crystal.

We found a nearly-empty Precursor Cache. The only thing remaining was a large, five foot animal bone fashioned into a concave container. This may be the Ivory Sheath.

If this bone is part of a Precursor, then the Precursors are made of flesh and bone, and not metal as the Daktaklakpak surmise. If that's true, then it appears the Daktaklakpak have recreated their gods in their own image.

We're receiving reports that the Pkunk are rapidly declining in morale and productivity.

The Orz were clearly digging into an artificial mountain of solid titanium. It's taken us a long time, but we have unearthed a strange Precursor device that looks like a hinge made of ebony.

That Precursor vessel has a Warp Bubble engine, too. That would explain how Crux ships are able to travel around the quadrant.

The anti-matter is held in stasis by the Anti-matter Containment Grid. We can't safely jettison the grid anywhere in conventional reality. If we drop the grid anywhere, even in deep space, it will explode and your Precursor vessel will be torn apart in the backlash.

The only safe place we could drop this stuff is in the midst of a huge anti-matter field, where the two sources of anti-matter could neutralize each other.

Even worse, the anti-matter wastes continue to slowly break down. It's only a matter of years before they eat through the Containment Grid, and explode in all their fury.

We have to find a permanent way to dispose of this stuff.

We can't safely jettison the anti-matter wastes from the grid anywhere in conventional reality. With the current level of space time distortion, even if we drop the grid in deep space it will explode and you'll be torn apart in the backlash.

The only safe place we could drop this stuff is in the midst of a huge stable anti-matter field. There, the anti-matter field can contain the both sources of anti-matter and the containment grid, charged by a huge quantity of anti-matter, can neutralize them both.

There's a Precursor data pack down there, but we can't reach it.

We found an amazing data pack on that Rainbow World! It indicates that the Precursors created the Daktaklakpak to be maintenance drones: glorified scrub-bots!

The Dak appear to have deviated from their programming in a big way. Their most important task seems to be something about helping a possible "return" from wherever the Precursors "went away" to.

They are the guardians of something that we can best translate as the Cosmic Un-Devolver. It appears to be vital to the Precursors' plans for potential "resurrection"... no, "return from beyond"... no, that's not it either...

..."transformation from the beast"... no, better, but not right.. "re-evolution from the herd beast." That's about as clear as we can translate.

We think this Cosmic Un-Devolver can somehow change the course of evolution... but only temporarily and on a small scale. Whatever it is, the Daktaklakpak have it, but no longer know what to do with it.

We see the Mmrnmhrm Mother Ark Control Unit! It looks battered, but intact! But we can't reach it.

We've got the Mmrnmhrm Mother Ark Control Unit!

Captain, we recommend against reading the True Name. Remember the semi-sentient Precursor ship.

Oh yeah. Forget it.

Captain, we have finally blasted our way through the twenty meter thick walls of the Daktaklakpak bunker. We have found a Precursor relic that looks like a rail in the shape of a red spiral.

This bunker was the best defended Dak site we have ever come across. This rail must be one hell of an artifact.

We have found a curious Precursor artifact. It contains Vyro-Ingo DNA, and some proto-Vyro-Ingo genetic material, as well. We translate its Precursor informational markings as "Vyro-Ingo Encrustation Matrix."

But we are at a loss to explain its workings. However, it's likely that the Vyro-Ingo are some sort of genetically manipulated species.

We have found another curious Precursor artifact. It contains Vux DNA, and some proto-Vux genetic material as well. It's markings translate as "Vux Encrustation Matrix."

We are at a loss to explain its workings, but it's likely that the Vux are some sort of genetically manipulated species. This is very much like the Vyro-Ingo Encrustation matrix we found. They are symmetrical, with highly complementary sections.

We are putting the Vyro-Ingo Encrustation Matrix together with the Vux Encrustation Matrix, using the technical information from the Lk. The process appears to be working...

Wow! The whole thing just changed shape and size- instantly! The process is complete.

Sorry, Captain. We can't seem to figure out how to join these two items.

It's a Precursor artifact that looks like a ratchet made of brass. Except that it's not made of real brass, but some synthetic polymer.

We have finally translated a physical description of the Precursors! They are described as six-legged, one-ton creatures that look like a lizard-cow. There are several strains of Precursor ranging from very scaly to very shaggy.

That sounds... like Ortogs!

We didn't understand it either.

Are you sure they are not describing the FOOD SOURCE of the Precursors?

Absolutely certain.

That would explain that description of the Cosmic Un-Devolver as causing "re-evolution from the herd beast." Thanks, tech team.

We found a bizarre artifact that says that the Precursors devolved themselves to avoid the Eternal Ones many times before. It says they re-evolve on planets that contain their favorite food sources, and caches of their technology.

Occasionally, the Precursors also rapidly re-evolve one of their race to examine the current state of Precursor development. Some of the tech team are speculating that this is the same thing the Arilou are doing with humans.

We have a fringe theory that is so extreme I hesitate to bring it up.

I'm too busy for crackpot theories. Come back when you have facts.

Bring it up anyway.

Well, some team members theorize that this may be what the Arilou are really up to with humans. This is why they take such an extreme interest in humanity.

They are the evolved FUTURE HUMANS, and we are the main race--the de-evolved Arilou!

That's interesting.

This theory doesn't fit all the facts, but it COULD BE that the Arilou are really the PRECURSORS, which would make humans DEVOLVED Precursors.

You guys have really wigged out this time. Get some rest.

I'll consider that. Thanks.

Yep. It's an Ortog.

All the readings show this planet to be completely ordinary. But when we used the Variance Key, we can see that the entire planet is a massive Precursor artifact that looks like a planet.

The Precursor information here indicates that it is called the Cosmic Un-Devolver, and that it can restore Precursors.

It indicates that the Daktaklakpak are supposed to re-evolve the Precursors by putting the devolved Precursor on the surface of this planet-sized Cosmic Un-Devolver and using the Variance Key.

But according to this, the Precursors are long overdue for a re-evolution. Looks like the Daks are goofing off and not following instructions. The Precursors are behind schedule. They've missed several Un-Devolves already.

By the way, from what we can determine from this technology, it kills the Precursors to re-evolve them.

Place the Ortog down there.

We have placed the Ortog on the surface. The Ortog is now within the domain of the Cosmic Un Devolver.

Nothing's happening. Was that... Nope. Nothing. Wait! The Un-Devolver is activating. The Ortog's physical characteristics are changing... We're recording significant neurological changes...

It's glandular system is undergoing a profound transformation... The Un-Devolver has initiated a massive data transfer to the Ortog's central nervous system. Now switching to external viewer...

The Precursor is dead, Captain.

The Daktaklakpak tried to process the True Name of the Eternal Ones, and it destroyed them. We retrieved the indestructible True Name data pack from the rubble.

It's been slightly modified as a result of their processing it. We don't dare process it ourselves to find out how it's been modified.

We retrieved the True Name data pack, and it seems to be highly modified as a result of the Daktaklakpak translation efforts.

We're sorry sir, the missile doesn't seem to be completing the activation sequence. Maybe we're out of range.

Captain, we found a Crux communique that reveals that a League race was working with the Crux to sacrifice every sentient creature in the League to the Sentience Silo.

Captain, the Ploxis Rebels are in cryo suspension. Our best xenobiologists don't know how to revive them.

Captain, these Ploxis are in cryo suspension. Our best xenobiologists don't know how to revive them. But the empty Ploxis ship has a built-in life support system that is designed to maintain the Ploxis physiology in a condition of optimal functioning.

We theorize that we can utilize the ship's intelligent life support system to bring the frozen bodies into a state of physiological homeostasis. Should we attempt to install a comatose Ploxis into a Ploxis Plunderer?

It's a risk we'll have to take. Do it.

Affirmative. Now installing a comatose Ploxis into the Ploxis Plunderer. Now activating Plunderer life support systems. Stand by Captain, it appears to be working.

The Ploxis is reviving. The Ploxis is coming to consciousness now. Vital signs reading strong. I'll turn on the Plunderer system and patch you in now.

Captain, the Ploxis ship has sent the right Transponder code. The Warp Bubble is able to form. We have reached Highpoint.

It's a Signal Deflector. We don't know how it works.

It's a Modified Signal Deflector. We don't know how it works, but now we know how to activate it.

Don't activate it yet.

Activate it now.

Modified Signal Deflector activated.

The signal deflector was too weak to work! The Eternal One signal has gotten out! We're too close to it! The signal is tearing apart the ship!

The Modified Signal Deflector has canceled the transmissions from the Ploxis ship. The Eternal One signal has been nullified! We're saved! Just in time, too. The Modified Signal Deflector just burned out.

Captain, we activated the Sentience Silo with the Key from the Orz, and we found parts of the Androsynth and the Supox. Perhaps the Orz DID kill them.

Captain! The Orz are using an unknown technology to fry our synapses! We have no defense...

Captain, the Orz are using an unknown technology to make a psychic attack on us. Our Psi people say that the attack is failing... The Syreen mental defenses are protecting us. We have survived the Orz attack!

It looks like the Orz were not very Eternal after all. Wait! That's ANOTHER Eternal One signal! The Orz just summoned the Eternal Ones! They used the True Name of the Eternal Ones to send the signal! We're doomed!

Pull yourself together!

It's a Sentience Thresher. It's the device the Heralds use to harvest the sentient energy in the galaxy. It's a simpler process than we thought. Actually, the process seems to be about 99.999% inefficient.

The Eternal Ones may be unimaginably powerful, but they are also not very elegant, economical, or concerned with efficiency. They lose almost ALL of the sentience they harvest.

Can we boost the efficiency and fill the silo ourselves?

It'll take some effort, but we might be able to.

Captain, we just don't have enough advanced technology to modify it enough. We need more artifacts.

Captain, we think that if we modify the Herald Sentience Thresher with the Daktaklakpak Sentience Collator and the Precursor Sentience Notation Device, we can boost efficiency exponentially.

Then we can use the Ebon Hinge to channel it into the open silo. The Modified Sentience Thresher can passively collect the by-products of sentience form beings who are in the process of THINKING, not dying.

It no longer needs a vast QUANTITY of sentience, but a wide and varied QUALITY of sentience. We need to increase the amplitude of the sentience energy with sentience from a variety of races.

If you can collect sentience from the homeworlds of at least thirteen races, we might be able to completely fill the Sentience Silo.

Captain, you did it! The sentience silo is full!

Captain, this is not enough sentience energy. We need more!

Captain, it's working! The Eternal Ones are eating the sentience! You did it!

Those Eternal Ones got off easy this time. Next time I'll fry them!

Somehow, I believe you, Captain.

We can harmlessly collect sentience energy and feed the Eternal Ones without dying! I'd like a donation of sentience energy from the human colonists.

Captain, you're a GENIUS! We humans are honored to be allowed to contribute!

Thanks, guys.

I'm on my way!

Whew!

Thanks for the help.

Thanks, team.

Just do it.

That's nuts.

Make it so.

Yes, sir.

Will do, sir.

We're on it.

Roger.

Aye, Captain.

Yes sir.