The time limit becomes impossible to measure because it extends beyond all existing time measurement systems.Vael typed a rapid sequence of Progenitor mathematics into his glowing datapad. The reinforced heavy blast doors at the far end of the server room opened with a silent pneumatic hiss. The private sanctum of Warlord Malakor remained hidden beyond those doors.The Grand Archivist informed Ethan that the audio sensors remained inactive while he maintained his steady gaze at Ethan. The guard will detect the telemetry feed freeze after five minutes has passed. You must succeed in your mission, variable.Ethan did not answer. He crossed the threshold. The blast doors closed behind him, sealing him inside the Warlord's royal dark territory.The large vaulted space developed from the removed bridge section of a Harvester dreadnought's control center. The structure served as an unpleasant tribute to pirate activities. The deck space became filled with haphazardly arranged containers wh

The Deep Null. Approaching the Silent Quadrant. Time: Unquantifiable.The feral dropship tore through the endless grey sky of the Deep Null.Inside the cockpit which had restricted space, Ethan did not sit in a pilot’s chair. He was anchored to the floor on his knees while his chest which had visible scars, heaved with the effort of his work. His right arm was extended forward, the two synthetic fingers of his charred hand driven deep into the pulsing, fleshy port of the central flight computer.He was not in control of the ship at all, as he was the ship itself.TheThe anti-gravity thrusters emitted micro-adjustments which created sharp pain that traveled through his spine. The friction of the dead atmosphere against the calcified hull translated directly into a burning sensation across his skin. He struggled to control the Harvester vessel because its feral intelligence behaved like an angry beast which tried to escape the chains that restrained it within his mind. The Dissonance Co

The Deep Null. The Cathedral of the Choir.Time: Unquantifiable.The chassis which had been damaged moved its great height of fifteen feet from the smooth tile surface. The dark matter armor of the suit functioned as a continuous repair system which restored the armor's original condition after it had faced heavy gravitational stress. The massive machine used its absolute zero halberd to initiate the attack sequence which would drive the frozen weapon down onto Ethan's skull.Ethan remained still while he faced the incoming attack without moving to either side. He remained in his position without preparing to meet the incoming object.He held the glowing blue cylinder containing Jarek’s organic brain securely under his right arm. His feet planted on the floor as he stood base. The man moved his body upward to show the black neutronium crater which had fused to his sternum in front of the descending machine.He stopped fighting against the violent energy which had taken control.Ethan

The Deep Null. The Iron Graveyard.Time: Unquantifiable.The feral dropship set down heavily on the rusted carrier deck, its calcified hull groaning as the anti-gravity thrusters finally cut out.Ethan stood at the base of the twenty-foot-tall Titan-Class dreadnought. The massive bio-steel machine was completely inert, purged of the parasitic nanobot swarm. The open joints where the armor had been blown away by Elena’s sniper fire revealed thick, pristine hydraulic cabling and heavy servo-motors. The machine functioned as an engine that required a pilot for its operation.Vael descended the dropship’s boarding ramp. The Grand Archivist carried the glowing blue cylinder containing Jarek’s organic brain with extreme care. Elena walked closely behind him, her sniper rifle slung securely over her shoulder.Vael announced that physical integration would work in basic form yet it would still operate at its essential level. He used his black eyes to examine the open chest area of the dreadno

The Deep Null. The Spire of the First Note.Time: Unquantifiable.The temple of sterile perfection was the inside of the Spire.There were no shadows. The walls, floor and vaulted ceiling were built of an impeccable light-absorbing dark matter that somehow emitted a blinding omnipresent white light. The atmosphere was completely without dust or odor or heat. It was a mathematics environment, not a biological one.Ethan and Jarek were standing directly inside the huge bronze doors.The building is smooth, the heavy, synthesized voice of Jarek was rumbling out of the vast external speakers of the Titan-Class dreadnought. The large machine slowly scanned its crimson optic sensors over the major entrance hall. "No structural weaknesses. No visible power conduits. Just solid, compressed logic."There is never enough, Ethan replied, his nakedness flaunting the savage warmth of his Dissonance Core.There was harmonic chime, high-pitched, ringing in the ideal hall.The floor in front of them