The Primary Integration Voyage
Half a year had passed since Kaelen first stepped into the halls of House Ignis.
The Academy had become a rhythm of high-density learning, nutrient-rich meals, and the steady, warm hum of his Crimson Thread as it approached the Level 20 mark.
To celebrate the completion of the first semester, the Academy organized the Primary Integration Voyage.
For the first time, the thousands of five-year-olds would leave the safety of the Core's orbital rings to witness the true scale of the world they were being trained to inherit.
The Gilded Weaver
The students were transported via frigates to a vessel that defied their young imaginations: the UCC Mothership, The Gilded Weaver.
Kaelen stood at the viewport of the massive ship, his blue eyes wide.
The Gilded Weaver was a colossal city of metal and light, kilometers long.
Surrounding it was a defensive screen of Drakmor-class Destroyers, their jagged, black hulls looking like obsidian sharks patrolling a sea of stars.
Mina stood beside him, her silver thread vibrating with nervous excitement.
"Kael, look at the size of that hull. How does something that big even move?"
Kaelen didn't answer immediately. He was sensing the resonance.
The Mothership wasn't just a machine; it pulsed with a presence so dense it made his skin tingle.
He knew that only Level 500+ beings (Fabric Phase) could command a vessel of this magnitude.
To the public, such beings were legends—mythical pillars of the UCC who existed "somewhere" out there.
The Node and the Membrane
As the fleet moved, the stars didn't blur into lines of light. Instead, the space around them seemed to fold.
Suddenly, after some days, they were there.
Before them sat a Universal Node: a swirling, gargantuan vortex of pure Ribbon energy that acted as an anchor for the sector.
Placed upon it was a giant fortress, created by Mina's family to help their people anchor this specific node.
Beyond the Node was a shimmering, translucent wall that stretched into infinity—the End of the Universe.
But was this really the end of the multiverse or just the start?
Everyone present could see something far off that was not clearly visible, but it was undeniably there.
The Science of the Fold
Kaelen turned to Officer Hanes, the disciplined man responsible for the Ignis section's logistics.
"Officer," Kaelen asked, his voice calm.
"How did we get here in such short time? We shouldn't be able to reach the edge of the universe without breaking the laws of physics."
Hanes looked down at the five-year-old and gave a small, respectful nod.
"We aren't 'travelling' through space at all," Hanes explained.
"The Ribbons are connecting the two nodes. The Fabric Phase person on the mothership is responsible for this, working together with the engine of the mothership."
"Think of the universe as a piece of paper. We fold it so the two points touch, then step across."
Kaelen looked back at the vortex. "The Ribbon isn't a fuel... it's the shortcut."
The Mesh Phase
Hanes lowered his voice, looking out at the shimmering Membrane.
"People talk about Level 400+ destroyers and Level 500+ Fortresses as if they are the gods of the void. They are impressive, yes."
"But the real thing—the Node Shrouder that keeps the Hostile Universes from pouring in? Those are Level 600+ and beyond."
Vague shapes of beings could be seen out there, shimmering on the edge of perception.
Kaelen realized the Net Phase (Level 400+) beings were the guardians of the public, but there was a whole other tier of existence: the Mesh Phase (Level 600+).
"Are they far away?" Mina asked, staring at the dark shadows.
"Yes, very far away," Hanes said, turning them back toward other reinforced viewing window.
The Pillars of Logistics
As they stood by the reinforced viewing window of the Gilded Weaver, Officer Hanes gestured toward the massive fortress anchored to the Node.
"That fortress is the reason this sector remains stable," Hanes explained.
"It acts as a gravitational and dimensional anchor. Without it, the space around us would drift into the void."
He then pointed toward the horizon of the dark vacuum, where rows upon rows of battleship legions stretched into the distance.
There were just so many of them that they could not be counted without AI help.
Navigating this intricate system of the UCC would be impossible for a biological mind alone.
The Legacy of Aetherion
"It was the Aetherion family who, in our time of greatest need, came forward," Hanes continued, his voice filled with a rare edge of reverence.
"They created what now covers our entire human universe: the modern AI which handles all these complicated tasks."
Before the age of automated systems, the Aetherion family was personally responsible for all logistics handling.
With their super-fast brains, they were known as "monsters" when it came to calculation.
They could process variables so quickly it was beyond human imagination, but eventually, they distilled that genius into the AI network we use today.
The Sovereign Intelligence: Q.U.E.E.N.
"The most important of these systems—the leader of all AI—is stationed on Earth," Hanes whispered.
"She is known as Q.U.E.E.N.—the Quantum Units Emission & Evolutionary Neuron."
Q.U.E.E.N. is the supreme administrator of every other AI unit in existence.
She manages the fold-space calculations, the resource distribution, and the defense grids of every sector.
"And don't think she's left to her own devices," Hanes added with a sharp look.
"The Aetherion family still maintains total surveillance over her. They are the ones who take care to ensure the Queen never goes rogue. They are the final fail-safe for the mind of the universe."
A New Horizon
Kaelen walked away, but his mind stayed on the edge.
The system wasn't just a school; it was a ladder reaching into the heart of the multiverse.
Level 500+ to command a ship like this, Kaelen thought, his Crimson Thread glowing with a steady warmth.
I wonder... what does Level 1000 look like?