Sifu peeks in...
Funny thing. I have been too busy too even lurk around here in I don't know how long, and what do I see on the home screen for CotI but ANNIC NOVA, the focus of a story I have been working on for the past few days. One must take advantage of serendipity, so have a seat, friends...
from novel TERRAN EXODUS, story ALPHA AND OMEGA
“Between spacers and spirits, you can’t go far without hearing the name Franklin.”
Rodriguez did not respond, being engaged in looking about the large room to see if they
were being observed. It did not appear to be so, yet he still seemed a bit nervous. Was
that why he activated their privacy screen?
Polarized duraplas panels slid down over the exterior of their booth. An air circulation
system began running, and a white noise generator ensured that any recordings would be
static filled and useless. As Rodriguez sipped at his glass and tried to resume his normally
calm demeanor, King spoke to him.
“There are some strange things going on, my friend. Our luck being just one of them.”
“What do you mean?”
“Just think about it. We are among a handful of Hamilton’s entire scout fleet that did not
get the Silicon Plague. Only one month in isolation, and we got our lives back. I really
feel sorry for the ones they have locked down in the hospital.”
“Heard any scuttlebutt about them?”
“That‘s strange too. Lojaks clamped down on everything. My usual Bay 13 contacts are
silent as well."
Rodriguez drained his glass in a single motion, then refilled it. Now he really looked
nervous.
“What’s wrong?”
“That tale sounds incredible, but I think mine is going to top it.”
“Let’s hear it.”
“Remember that fleet escort that came through last month, with all that security practically
tripping all over themselves to guard one man?”
“Yeah, they handed him off to the Lojaks and were all sent into quarantine themselves.
What’s going on with him?”
“He’s not local.”
“Sure, he’s not. There are so few live bodies out here that most of us recognize each other.
I bet he‘s just a Lojak plant, here to test security.”
“No, not a plant, according to my source in Receiving. He’s from another empire, outside
of our borders. Beyond our exploration zones to this point. We could be at war soon with
another aggressive human empire.”
"That's quite possible. With the Dominion in total war mode, things will become a bloody
mess. And here we sit, the tip of the spear."
"Don't lock and load yet. This story gets better."
"If that is the case, we need another drink."
Soon sipping at his refilled glass, Rodriguez continued.
"Remember that bulk transport last week, the one they isolated at the orbital element? It
was carrying his craft. Unusual design, they say."
"A Rifter design? Those pea shooters are incredibly tough."
"No, almost all of the assemblies are Terran standard designs. What really has those
"Greene's Heirs" engineers scratching their heads is how they are put together."
King shook his head slowly from side to side.
"That sensor won't lock-on, friend. Basic starship construction hasn't changed much
since gravity control was developed. Sure, there are a lot of strange craft out there,
but they can all be traced back to a few basic designs."
"Well, this certainly qualifies as 'strange' by any standard. Two separate G-space drives. No ion maneuver pack, in fact no normal space drive on the main craft. Two utility small
craft attached, both with thrust drive plates. The really strange part? No internal fuel
tankage!"
King sat mute, his face displaying a range of emotions as he compared his own engineering
skills with the information received.
"Another remarkable feature is the age of some of the components. Some of them almost new, others over a hundred years old!"
#
I've long been interested in the 'foreign' contacts of the Vilani (pre-1st Imperium and during) towards the Core in particular. 
