Chapter Sixty: Encounter

Icarus encounters an automated transport caravan carrying mysterious shielded cargo, follows it through multiple wormholes to the galactic core, and discovers the source of antimatter powering an empire called the Pan Galactic Federation. After being interdicted near the Central Antimatter Works, Icarus receives communication protocols and prepares to investigate further.

After exploring an empty colonized star system, Icarus detects a caravan of large automated transport vessels traveling between wormholes. Despite attempts at communication in Roanokian, the ships ignore Icarus's hails. SUDDAR scans reveal the vessels are empty of crew but carry shielded cargo in their holds—a technology Icarus and Dae have never encountered. Following one transport through a hub gate and then through a local gate, Icarus arrives at a geosynchronous space station where the transport docks and unloads its cargo. The station broadcasts a warning about antimatter storage facilities, revealing the transported cargo is antimatter. Reasoning that antimatter must have a nearby source, Icarus follows the transport vessel through multiple additional wormholes toward the galactic center. Upon arrival in the core region near Sagittarius A*, Icarus detects a brilliant plume of antimatter annihilation firing toward galactic north—the legendary antimatter fountain unknown to Earth astronomers. The source is revealed to be the Central Antimatter Works, the administrative center for what identifies itself as the Pan Galactic Federation. When Icarus attempts unauthorized entry into the interdicted zone, the station responds with warnings and offers communication protocol specifications. Icarus parks in orbit and receives detailed technical documentation in Roanokian format, establishing the ability to communicate via SCUT. Dae expresses concern about the delay this investigation will cause in reporting back to Bill and Roanoke, but Icarus persuades him that a further delay of fourteen years for reconnaissance is acceptable. They decrypt the received protocols and confirm no biological entities remain at the administrative station before preparing to explore further.