The Calypsis Project – notes

Alana Carmen (linked to Kenon Valinquint – other half of “the key”)

“When a vykord forms a pact with a student, their energies begin to merge – like you and the human girl, for instance. The process had already been completed when Avhelliss and I met our demise. It was this combined power that traveled through the Valinquint bloodline until it could find a suitable host.”

“In order for a merge to commence, a vykord’s energy must be equal to that of their apprentice,” Doramire said, then gestured to Alana. “Though human, her energy is equal to your own. This is what enables you to seek each other out even when great distances divide you, and also what drew you to her in the first place. As such, yours began to merge with hers the moment you met.”

– CP2:R, ch 2

Ancient humans

If she was right – if Serenity was indeed a human creation, as her avatar suggested – it could open countless doors for mankind. It would mean that, not only had ancient humanity created artificial life vastly superior to the current era, they had achieved space flight! And if they had accomplished that much, who knew what else they were capable of?

– CP2:R, ch 2

Artificial Intelligence

“Modern technology does not allow us to outlive our expiration dates without flaw. When an AI is restored from their basic programming, fragments of their former selves remain embedded in the personality matrix. This old data corrupts the new, scrambling memory and moral codes until the program can no longer discern right from wrong.”

– CP2:R, ch 2

Ayla

Kenon continued into the room calmly until an unusual object floated into his peripheral vision, catching him off guard. Startled, he took an involuntary step backward and leaned away from the thing bobbing up and down inches from his face.

The object was rounded, metallic, and seemed to have no sense of personal space. It had a pair of short metal arms fixed to its carapace underneath a single bright light placed in the center of its face – an eye of some kind. The thing blinked twice at him and clicked its small hands together.

Kenon thought at first that it was an entirely mechanical being, but then he noticed the tangle of turquoise and orange tentacles dangling from its underside.

He couldn’t figure out whether this thing was an organic being concealed behind layers of armor plating or a life form composed of both synthetic and organic materials.

The creature reached out to him with a tentacle and brushed the side of his face. It felt strange – cold and smooth, almost wet. He pushed it away gently and tried to distance himself from the creature to get a better look at it.

The Drahkori raised his hand, giving the creature’s metal shell a curious tap with his claw. It reacted by lifting the lids off two circular openings positioned in between its arms and shooting a pair of red lasers out at his hand. They stung, burned his skin and left a dark line across his knuckles.

He withdrew his hand, and when he growled furiously at the robotic creature, it let out a strange noise that sounded like something akin to laughter.

“You have already met Ayla, I see.” Kenon turned around to see Levian approaching with a shorter, darker warrior following close behind. He glanced back at the colorful creature beside him and recoiled as it started poking the back of his shoulder with one of its mechanical fingers.

“What is it?” he asked.

“An artificial organism built by the Empire to manufacture and maintain equipment,” the Leh’kin explained, motioning for the AI bot to give the recruit some space. “Ayla is one of two hundred units tasked with the creation and distribution of Drocain body armor. She has been assigned to the construction of your suit.”

A high and joyous hum emitted from deep inside the AI’s body when it – when she projected a beam of golden light from her central eye and ran it over Kenon’s figure, scanning him.

– TCP ch 2

Caelevit

Doramire reached up to the gem embedded in his chest. “These crystals, our Caelevits – They did more than grant us power. They connected us on a deeper level than most could ever comprehend. We were bound by a thread that transcended time and space, and when one of these strands was severed from the rest …” A pained expression crossed his face. “It felt as though I had lost a part of myself.”

– CP2:R, ch 2

“When a vykord forms a pact with a student, their energies begin to merge – like you and the human girl, for instance. The process had already been completed when Avhelliss and I met our demise. It was this combined power that traveled through the Valinquint bloodline until it could find a suitable host.”

– CP2:R, ch 2

Calypsis artificial world/planet

Kenon drew up beside Levian’s gravity throne and gazed upon Calypsis in awe.

The world captured on the viewscreen was no longer the paradise he once visited. Most of the water had drained from the seas and oceans. Vast rivers of lava now snaked across the land in their place. Electrical storms surged over the fractured continent where the Terrak Mountains resided, and some of the terrain had been stripped away to reveal the planet’s true form.

Beneath the terraformed land was a metal shell composed of overlapping armor plating and complex layers of machinery. Luminous lines traced the cracks between these formations, forming a series of geometric patterns that stretched across the globe in an intricate web of light.

“At last, we see the weapon unveiled.” Levian summoned up a control panel with a sweep of his hand and initiated a scan of the planet’s surface to locate an opening in the armor – an entry point that would lead Echo Team inside the planet.

– CP2:R, ch 2

Crehta (humanoid, lavender skin, cerise eyes). Named major character: Ahlaie Yhehiel, Queen of the Drocain Royal Empire.

Crytal

Kenon anxiously tightened his grip on the crytal-loaded firearm he’d been supplied.

Crytal was a substance that could be used in a variety of ways, the instructor had told him. It could be liquefied, hardened, or baked into a crystalline state, and was most commonly used in the Empire’s artillery, as it made a powerful and highly lethal ammunition.

[…] Kenon raised his weapon, aimed at the soldier, and squeezed the trigger. Shards of hardened crytal flew forth, shining like golden icicles. They splintered the human’s chest plate, piercing his flesh and spraying crimson blood across the grass.(TCP, ch 3)

Digred – saurian species.

Named major character: Suro Katspara (TCP ch 2)

Director Darren DuFrayne, head of BSI

The crafty son of a bitch could hide behind as many smiles and good deeds as he liked, but as head honcho of one of the galaxy’s shadiest organizations, everyone knew he was trouble.

[…] Although DuFrayne wasn’t an official member of the council, he had earned his place on the panel by being the second most powerful person in the colonies – right next to Talbot. In fact, he probably had even more influence behind the curtains, what with all his sneaky dealings and likely connections to the Calypsis Project.

– CP2:R, ch 2

Desmond Pérez’ immunity to Metamorphosis plague

Larson walked to the end of the bed and met Desmond’s bewildered stare. “Mr. Pérez, I am pleased to announce that you are officially in remission. Your body is healing, and your blood will be the catalyst for a cure.”

“I-I don’t … How is that possible?”

“I’m sure you’re aware long exposure to the cold slows those transformed by the plague due to the difficulty they have generating body heat. Similarly, the virus itself has trouble coping in lower temperatures because it can’t feed on frozen tissue.”

“So you’re saying it starved to death in the chamber?” “And gave you a fighting chance, yes.”

– CP2:R, ch 1

Drahkori (grey saurian aliens with luminous blue blood, head hair and tail tufts) – live on planet Dyre in the Phoenix star system

Gray skin, brown hair on his head and tail, webbed hands and feet.

– CP ch

Named major character: Kenon Valinquent

Drocain High City, Oreva Alkastoran

A station like no other – an edifice of striking magnificence, wrapped in an almost daunting air of royalty, and guarded by a defense fleet of more than six hundred Royalty-Class vessels. It was a jellyfish-shaped structure that measured an incredible two hundred and ninety-three kilometers from the top of its bulbous head to the end of its stem – making it the largest constructed habitat in the whole of the Empire. Thousands of docking tethers spread outward from its stalk, rotating and extending to catch and release vessels.

– CP ch 1

Kenon Valinquint

“Kin’Sevor … Born of Blood,” he said. “You are a vykord conceived by mortals – something that should not have been, but was. Veldin often dreamt of your name. We searched for you for centuries to no avail. Now I see why we could not find you.”

At once, every last one of Kenon’s thoughts scattered. “No.” He shook his head. “No, you’re lying. Sypher said the vykords possessed crystals that granted them extraordinary abilities. You said as much yourself! I do not have one, therefore –”

“You were meant to,” Doramire interrupted. “Had you developed inside a cultrik chamber, you would have been born a pureblood with a Caelevit to show for it. You, however, are a hybrid – meaning you have the essence of one running through your veins. This is what makes you the key to Calypsis. This is what makes you special.”

– CP2:R, ch 2

Khael’hin

Levian peered out from a darkened corridor as a couple of bronze-skinned guards sauntered into view, heads hung low in conversation, oblivious to the warrior watching them from the shadows. They were Khael’hin, the giants of Si-Gheila – often called walking tanks among humans. Most of them had remained loyal to the Empire after the schism, despite many other species leaving.

– CP2:R, ch

“That’s them,” Chambers said. “The big ones are called Khael’hin.”

“They’re huge …”

“Most are around ten feet tall and weigh close to a ton. Being the giant bullet sponges they are, it can take two whole teams just to bring one down. Or a well-placed sniper round.”

– CP2:R, ch 1

Named character: Phero Jherkin (TCP)

Homeworld is Si-Gheila in the Phoenix System, which serves as a Drocain Royal Empire Training & Ordnance Facility

The gray stone beneath him was ice cold, and the harsh winds only made this place more unwelcoming. It was vastly different from the temperatures he was used to.

In the distance he saw the snow-dressed peaks of mountain ranges, frozen bodies of water that expanded outward for miles, and above, a dark indigo sky dotted with stars that refused to fade as a dull white sun began to rise.

Kenon turned at the sound of footsteps and saw the blue-skinned warrior he’d met earlier. “Welcome to Si-Gheila,” he said with a smile.

“Si-Gheila?” the recruit echoed.

“The quiet abode of the Khael’hin, home to some of the largest weaponry facilities in our military. What you see around you is what covers most of the planet’s surface,” the Leh’kin said, then muttered, “Not exactly my favorite place to be.”

The lift came to a stop at the top of the shaft and an icy breeze flowed over the Drahkori warrior. It was dark and frigid out here. Night had fallen over the planet and the gas giant, Athe, had risen into the black to accompany Si-Gheila’s three moons: Capta, Roh, and Ocion. In spite of the low temperatures and stormy weather, Kenon had come to like this place. It had a pleasant feeling to it.

– CP ch

Leh’kin (blue-skinned, blue-blooded saurian aliens)

The exposed skin of his face was blue, covered in dark markings, and it shimmered as though speckled with water droplets. He was Leh’kin – a species that inhabited a planet called Thei’legh, which resided within the same star system as Dyre. Kenon had studied them and their homeworld briefly.

– CP ch

Named character: Levian ’Nher

Leh’kin vs. Khael’in

Levian was no longer safe in Drocain space, and with such a large target on his back, he was sure the Queen would go out of her way to track him down and have him slaughtered. She might even go after his family. And after what Ume’aht had said, he was worried about what was going to happen to the rest of the Leh’kin.

His kind, being the most technologically advanced, had always served as the backbone of the Royal Empire, the right hand of the Queen – but now it seemed Ahlaie Yhehiel was favoring the Khael’hin; perhaps for their strength and eternal loyalty to her own species.

Suro Katspara, Levian thought with an inward sigh as he remembered what the Queen had said about only one warrior returning from the mission on Calypsis.

Suro always had been somewhat of an outcast, but now it seemed he had finally found his place in the Empire – working as a pawn under the direct orders of Her Majesty the Queen.

– CP, ch 1

The Great Schism (Sangheili vs. Jiralhanae, the latter now favored by the ruling San’Shyuum)

Nepherans (humanoid aliens, hairless, noseless, no external ears [auricules])

“The Nepheran High Lord sent his siblings, his seekers, to track us down and seize the power we possessed.”

“For what purpose?”

“Their galaxy was dying. Many of its stars had gone dark. Their planets were overpopulated, polluted, riddled with disease, and the few that were not colonized had already been stripped clean. Then they found our galaxy, ripe with habitable worlds – the perfect canvas upon which to paint a new life. And so, with the last of their resources, they built Calypsis. “The weapon was meant to clear the way for mass colonization. But to sustain a machine of such might, they would need a substantial energy source. So they scoured the systems far and wide, and soon enough, their scanners detected traces of an extraordinary power radiating from the Phoenix System. However, it was only when they arrived on Dyre that they discovered this power belonged to us. To the vykords.

– CP2:R, ch 2

Named major characters: Sol D’Vare and E’ly Korva.

Orion (Artificial Intelligence, created by Charlotte Chambers)

Dr. Chambers examined the drawing, tapping her lower lip thoughtfully with her index finger. Looking to a circular device sitting on her desk, she said, “Orion, I require your assistance.”

The pulsating dot in the center of the projector brightened and the holo-image of a man flashed into existence. The hood of his cloak was drawn over his head, casting a shadow over a pair of dark brown eyes that glittered with flecks of gold.

So this was the Doctor’s famous AI. He was a remarkable construct with twelve years of service, meaning he had surpassed the expected AI lifespan by three years, and, having achieved the highest intelligence of any known AI, had been tasked with operating both this building’s systems and those of the Hornet’s Nest.

Orion was one of few constructs who displayed any sort of real emotion. He had been described as cocky, charming, and, on the rare occasion, morose and irascible. He was also known to have a rather disturbing sense of humor, many of his jokes deriving from serious matters or gruesome situations.

He was unique in appearance as well – with the pointed ears of a mythological elf and a pair of huge, black-feathered wings sprouting from his back. Dark smoke flowed from the feathers and swirled around his feet, giving him an almost sinister image. His body was wrapped in many layers of elaborate, onyx-colored cloaks that pulsed with streaks of turquoise and orange light.

“Yes, Doctor?” His voice was smooth, and he spoke with a rich English accent.

– CP ch

Admiral Phillip Anderson, commanding officer of the United Nations Planetary Defense Home Fleet.

He continued clicking through the album until he came to a photo of a human shaking hands with one of the aliens.

[…] “That’s the admiral of Home Fleet, Phillip Anderson.” She pointed to the man in the white dress uniform and embroidered cap, then swept her finger to the blue warrior in shining armor. “And that is Levian ‘Nher, the commander of the Drocain Separatist Fleet. This photo must have been taken right after they signed the peace treaty.”

– CP2:R, ch 1

Rebels

When Desmond entered cryo sleep, the only thing humanity had had to worry about was the rebels’ fight for dominance in the galaxy.

– CP2:R, ch

Serenity (Artificial Intelligence; ancient human construct)

“I am TCP-zero-seven-four-SERENITY, overseer of the Sovereign-Class Pevancy starship Barlow.”

– CP2:R, ch 1

Slipspace bubble

STALLION >> … Slipspace bubble? LIBERTY ANN YELLOW >> Is that even a thing? STALLION >> I don’t see why not. As the theory goes, all you would need to do is enter the stream without preloaded exit coordinates. Once you’re in … you would essentially be frozen in time …

– CP2:R, ch

Thei’legh

Thei’legh, home of the Leh’kin – a planet covered mostly by vast lands of flat reddish stone, deserts, and lush rainforests. It was very much like the Drahkori home planet, Dyre, only warmer. According to the locals, it was like this almost all year round.

– CP2:R, ch 2