The Dark Fantasy Of Science

Episode 03: Imaginary ⍼

Season 01: An Unexpected Yet Horrific Discovery

█ █ █ being: Fret not for things are safer now.
Little girl: ?...
█ █ █ being: The discipline will soon take effect and you shall be reborn.
Little girl: !
...
......
.......

"...the words real and imaginary are picturesque relics of an age when the nature of complex numbers was not properly understood."
— H.S.M. Coxeter
...
.......
...........
.......
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Apateonas: Did you find anything?
Crew leader 001: No sir!
Crew leader 954: Nothing here sir!
...
Schwere: I've searched far and wide. There's not a single trace.
Congelatio: I searched as far as I could and found nothing.
Penelop: I found nothing as well.
Apateonas: Unbelievable.. How could everything just disappear?
Penelop: Do you think Starllete sent the wrong coordinates?
Fulgur: The coordinates are right. Since Achilles was using my Micare so I knew where he was but I couldn't track him anymore after he reached here.
Apateonas: I see... In that case... Everyone, we're falling back to Xavier.
Penelop: Huh? We're leaving? What about the crew and Achilles?
Apateonas: We've spent a very long time here and found a whole bunch of nothingness. I suggest we consult Issac Einstein about the matter and besides if we spend more time here then who knows even, we might disappear...
Penelop: ...
Congelatio: The general is right, it is better if we fall back.
...

Confused, the team had to fall back empty handed. After getting back to Xavier, Apateonas consulted Issac Einstein, the seventh genius of the era, and informed him about what happened.

Issac: How interesting...
Apateonas: What do you think this could be?
Isaac: I can't say for sure but I do have a hunch...
Apateonas: And what would that be, professor?
Isaac: I can't tell you just yet... Let's just say that it's an unexpected yet horrific occurrence...
Apateonas: ?
Isaac: Take a look at this symbol-
⍼
Isaac: What do you think this is?
Apateonas: I don't know...
Isaac: As expected.. I have unfinished business to attend to. Let's meet later.
Apateonas:  Wait! At least tell me what that symbol means..
Isaac: All I can say is that... You better prepare for a tough fight as there is a storm approaching.
* Issac leaves *
Apateonas: ... (A storm? Does that refer to the aliens? I guess I better form a defensive line.)

Meanwhile on the planet Sotiría, a planet very close to planet Xavier... The fourth strongest elite squad members of the solar system Peripheria were having a relaxing day until...

Alexander: Did you hear it?
Violette: Yeah, did you hear it too?
Alexander: Of course! Everyone's been talking about it!
Hector: Do you guys think we've finally encountered aliens?
Violette: What makes you say that?
Hector: Well... It's unusual for the UZSA to dispatch the entire space military of a planet in one day..
Alexander: Yeah.. I find it strange too... I also heard a rumour that the 827th expedition team went missing...
* Says Alexander while sounding like he's hiding something *
Hector: That makes it more suspicious...
Epimelitéas: Hm.. This is a great shock. No one has been able to confirm what happened to them and we don't have a single lead. This might be the greatest threat we will ever face if they are alien hostile forces..
Alexander: Look! Isn't that the general on the Announcement screen?
Epimelitéas: Impossible! So this must be something serious after all!
Apateonas: I hereby order every military personnel stationed in Peripheria to prepare for combat and form a defensive line towards these coordinates... Just to be clear, this is not a drill.. Everyone must treat this order as urgent.
Everyone: Yes sir!
Alexander: Hey guys before we get there... I want to show you something important.
Epimelitéas: Huh? What could be more important than the general's order?
Alexander: Actually... This is something I was hiding from you guys.. I think it might be related to the disappearance.
Epimelitéas: Oh?
Alexander: Anyways please follow me.
Epimelitéas: Hmph, fine.

And thus, the rest of the team follows Alexander towards a dark alley. After walking for a few seconds.. they see a golden light towards the end.. and the source of that light shocked all of them...

Epimelitéas: This is...
Viollete: A space riff!?

The riff was glowing bright golden and the sounds of mechanical objects and clock ticking could be heard coming from within...

Hector: How in the-
Alexander: I saw a golden light emitting from this location last night while I was stargazing. When I came here to check it out I found this.. I thought of reporting it but I thought it was Viollete's newly developed Cosmic Piercer so I didn't bother...
Epimelitéas: You.. How could you be so careless?
Alexander: I'm sorry...
Hector: There's no point arguing now. Let's report this right away.
Violette: Yeah, Hector is right.
Epimelitéas: Hmph

While the team was making a call, an unknown force pulled Epimelitéas inside the riff...

Epimelitéas: !
Alexander: Epimelitéas!

Alexander tried saving Epimelitéas but it was futile. The force was too strong. Strangely... The force only affected Epimelitéas...

Violette: What!?
Alexander: ...
Hector: No way... Epimelitéas, this is Hector, can you hear me?
(No response)
Hector: Epimelitéas, this is Hector, do you copy?
(...)
Hector: ...
Alexander: ...
Violette: Guys.. do you think I should try my Cosmic Piercer to search for him?
Hector: No.. It's too risky.
Alexander: Uhm.. guys... Epimelitéas's body sensors show that Epimelitéas is...
Violette: No way... This can't be..
...
......
........
Epimelitéas is dead

Right after that, The golden light from the unknown riff started glowing brighter. The sounds of unknown mechanical objects intensified and just then... The riff exploded knocking the team back and a golden beam charged upward illuminating the entire blue sky then a wave of golden light seemed to have been spreading to all directions and after the wave hit the surroundings of Peripheria... It revealed that alien ships had surrounded all planets of this solar system.

ㅤ                                       To be continued