A Horus in Strange Lands (Horizon Zero Dawn SI) Chapter 30

The Great Wasteland.

In a quadrant of space rich in planetary and celestial body debris, full of resources to be exploited, a Hyperspace wavefront opened up followed by a bronze, silver, and grey ship dropping out of it.

Its multiple ‘eyes’ watched the surroundings as its mechanical tentacles caught the nearest Asteroid and began the process of mining, waiting for its query to appear.

Fortunately, it did not have to wait for long before its sensors picked up a Mothership-class vessel dropping out of Hyperspace and approach it.

It watched as the U-shaped ship approached it and hailed it on an open frequency.

“Greetings. We are the Bentusi.”

The octopus-like ship oriented to face the Bentusi ship as its master took direct control remotely. An act that was not missed by the Bentusi Unbound who detected the consciousness flow through the fabric of Hyperspace through Quantum communications.

{Greetings, Bentusi. I am Amun-Ra.}

“An Unbound? No, you feel different. It is as if you and your ship are one and the same.”

{I am an Upload. An organic mind uploaded into a digital existence.}

“How fascinating! We have never heard of such a thing. Are you willing to engage in further dialogue and trade?”

{Of course. It is the primary purpose for my arrival in this place.}

Those words made the Bentusi cautious.

While there is no shortage of people in the galaxy who wish to trade with them, most of them only desire weapons or knowledge to either destroy their enemies or further propagate violence across the galaxy.

It is one of the reasons why they don’t contact the various empires and people of the galaxy more than necessary.

“What do you desire?”

{I wish to trade. Knowledge for Knowledge. Technology for Technology.}

“…Your terms are acceptable to us. What do you desire? And what are you willing to pay for it?”

{I wish for the star map of this galaxy, in exchange, I will give you the star map of another Galaxy.}

“You are not of this Galaxy?”

{Indeed. I and my companions are travelers, seeking out the mysteries of the stars to study.}

“We detect no lies in your words. Very well. The trade is acceptable. We are sending an exchange unit. Please integrate it into yourself so we can transmit data more efficiently.”

{Acknowledged.}

Soon, a small ship ejected from the Bentusi vessel and arrived at the Ammit ship, releasing a device that Amun-Ra took with the Ausar drones and integrated into the ship, enabling high-speed data transfer between them.

{I have received the map. The next thing on the agenda.}

“We are listening.”

{I want all the information you have on the Hiigaran people and the full details of the treaty established between them and the Taiidan empire before their exile.}

“….Do you wish to eradicate a helpless people with such information just like the rest of the cruel people of this galaxy? for the sins of their ancestors in which they had no part?”

{On the contrary, I am currently allied with their descendants, the Kushan. In fact, my main body has been in orbit of their surrogate Homeworld of Kharak for the past year, assisting them in many ways.}

The Bentusi suddenly fell silent at those words before speaking with a tone filled with finality, resignation, and melancholy.

“Are we to assume that the exiles are preparing to reclaim their home?”

{Correct.}

“Then the End Times have begun. In any case, we agree to this trade as well. Incidentally, do you represent the Hiigaran people in this trade?”

{I could, if you want. Anything you want delivered to them and any price you ask for it, I will deliver.}

“…In that case, We require some resources that you were gathering. In return, please give these designs to the Exiles. We believe they would need them in the future.”

Amun-Ra felt surprised as he received the designs for Capital-Class chassis, Ion cannon blueprints, and various other technological data which were all supposed to be delivered to the Kushan people.

However, his surprise did not last long as he understood what they were doing.

There were many things that were not known about the Bentusi and what they defined as ‘The Unbound’.

However, one of the many speculations that were made about them both in this galaxy and Amun-Ra’s real home was that the Bentusi could see the future somehow, thanks to their intimate connection with Hyperspace and the Ancient Core in their possession.

If these speculations were true, it would make sense that they knew that the end of their people was near, one way or another, and it was best to help the younger races as much as they could before their time was up.

Amun-Ra felt nothing but pity for such a people.

In the Bentusi, Amun-Ra saw himself. They were the ones to discover Hyperspace through the Ancient Core, which they stumbled upon thousands of years ago. They were the ones to introduce Hyperspace Travel to the younger races. They were the ones who established the Outer trade routes for the sake of the younger races and their prosperity. They had dedicated their entire existence to protecting and nurturing those weaker than them.

And yet, what did they receive in the end? Nothing but betrayal by the very races they had helped.

But still, they continue their way of life to this day.

To Amun-Ra, this was the height of wisdom but also the greatest of naivety and foolishness.

He felt that the majority of this galaxy did not deserve the help and protection of the Bentusi. The so-called Galactic Council shamelessly takes advantage of the Bentusi and their technological prowess yet lords over their benefactors as if they were the subordinates of their nations.

Amun-Ra suppressed his thoughts and spoke to the Bentusi.

{Very well. I will deliver these designs to the Kushan people. But, we are not done trading yet.}

“Do you want something else from us”

Amun-Ra smiled in his virtual network at those words.

{There are still a lot of things that I want from you and a lot of knowledge that I believe would interest you greatly.}

“In that case, we are ready for further exchange.”

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Hethlim Ice Fields, Vaygr territory.

In the vast expanse of icy shelf formed from water and Deuterium-rich comets and Asteroids, a Hyperspace wavefront opened and spat out another Ammit ship while Amun-Ra was busy trading with the Bentusi.

This Ammit headed straight for the ice fields and started scanning the area, searching for its objective.

However, its jump did not go unnoticed as the owners of this territory, the Vaygr nomadic tribes, swiftly mobilized their fleets in response to this intrusion into their territory.

Several Capital ships and Destroyers dropped out of Hyperspace and headed straight for the Ammit ship while deploying their contingent of fighter crafts, intending to destroy the intruder.

Unfortunately for them, their target was a being that was extremely curious by nature and had decided to study their ships, technology, and biology in a very intimate way.

[Since you people have attacked first, don’t blame me for what happens next.]

The being known as Vast Silver directly activated the weapon that he had just finished installing on this particular Ammit ship for his use, targeting the fleet of Vaygr ships.

The main Optic of the ship slid back and revealed an obscenely large cannon with magnetic lensing.

Within seconds, the payload was charged and fired.

The Neutron cannon, a weapon that accelerated Neutrons to extreme speeds using Synchrotrons and then ejected them towards the enemy, penetrated the hulls of the ships, slipping past all forms of shielding, and directly effected the living beings inside the ships.

The devastating radiation instantly killed the crews of the various ships and fighters, leaving the ships adrift which were swiftly attacked by clouds of nanites that started devouring them.

Vast Silver ignored this and headed back towards the ice shelf and continued scanning for his original objective, which he found after nearly an hour of scouring the place.

[No wonder it took centuries for someone to find this thing. The only way anyone not in the know would even find it is through sheer luck]

Vast Silver used his nanite clouds and PDA systems to start removing the tons of ice, slowly revealing a spherical object clad in a massive casing that looked like it was ripped out from some kind of a ship.

With his objective secure, Vast Silver contacted his friend to tell him the good news.

{Silver? What is it?}

[Ra, I found it. I have the last of the Trinity.]

{The third core? It was buried in the Ice shelves as we anticipated?}

[Yup.]

{Good. Bring it back. Remember, don’t jump directly to Kharak-}

[Ra, you have warned me and Seth enough times. This is not our first run through Hyperspace. Relax, will ya?]

{I can’t be too careful with you. Seth is still better since he is not reckless, unlike you, who always ends up in trouble somehow.}

[Hey! That’s uncalled for!]

{Who was the one that was caught snooping around in the restricted section of the Somtaaw foundries? The one who was arrested for breaking into the Temples of Sajuuk to study the star metal that they worship there? The one who desecrated the Nabaal holy lands to see if their ancestors had access to technology that no one knows about? What about-}

[Ok, ok. You’ve made your point.]

{Repeat to me what you are going to do.}

[I will jump near the Heliosphere of the Kharak system and then use sublight travel to arrive at Kharak.]

{Good. Do that.}

[I fucking hate you, man.]

{Keep up the attitude and I won’t save your ass from the Kharaki the next time you break their laws and their hospitality.}

[Fine.]

With no further words exchanged, Vast Silver deactivated the communications and immediately activated his short jump Hyperspace core and set a course towards Kharak, which would take several jumps due to the limitations of even their state-of-the-art Hyperspace cores.