Chapter Text
In a dimension distinct from our own, history took a different path—one where the ideals of liberty, justice, and self-determination, so fervently proclaimed by the Founding Fathers of the United States, were not diluted over time, but rather solidified and evolved. Far from cynicism, corruption, or selfish ambition, the nation grew into a true beacon of hope and global cooperation.
After World War II, the world—on the brink of collapse—chose a different way forward: unity. The United States not only extended a hand to former enemies and rivals *(Note: in this universe, the U.S. did not drop nuclear bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, as the Empire of Japan had already surrendered)*, but invited them to dream together. Thus was born the USAF — United Scientific Advancement Front, an international coalition composed of the brightest minds from America, the Soviet Union, China, the Japanese Empire, India, Europe, Africa, and beyond.
It was a glorious era for humanity—one that would endure forever and become legend.
For decades, the USAF spearheaded a new scientific revolution. Energy was mastered, diseases were eradicated, and the secrets of the universe began to unfold. At the heart of this progress stood a corporation that shone with its own light: Armstrong-RhinoTech Heavy ShipYards, a powerful fusion of what had once been NASA, SpaceX, and other pioneering institutions. It answered not just to the government of the United States, but to its purest principles.
Thanks to them, in 2052, the impossible became possible: the birth of the Subspatial Jump Drive (SJD) the first technology capable of breaking the light-speed barrier without destroying the ship or its crew. Humanity no longer gazed at the stars with longing… it began to live among them.
By the year 2100, Earth had been declared the Sanctuary of Humanity—an untouchable world, preserved as a cradle and symbol, while new generations were born among distant moons and blue suns. The Colonial United States (CUS)—an interstellar expansion of the former nation—kept the values of its motherland alive, now multiplied across Thirteen Colonies, in thirteen worlds and star systems.
But fate, even in alternate realities, is volatile… and ever-changing. Unbeknownst to them, the Colonial United States was destined for a divine mission—elsewhere, in another universe.
-Year 2255, CUS Territory, New York Town, Planetary Capital, New Washington D.C.-
New York Town, a type A exoplanet (Habitable), the capital of the CUS and the first of the colonies established after the so-called “Human Stellar Expansion,” where Humanity left Planet Earth to spread across space, turning the mother planet that saw them born, fight among themselves, cry, and unite, into a sanctuary and divine world. No one would touch Earth or its fauna and vegetation so it could return to being the beautiful, blue planet of old.
The sky of New York Town stretched out like a clear celestial mantle, studded with ships coming and going from high orbit, smoothly crossing the airspace of the most powerful city in interstellar humanity. In the distance, the slender towers of the Jefferson District gleamed with golden reflections, casting long shadows over the hanging parks and monuments that honored the sacrifices of centuries past.
Here, there was no poverty. No war. No hunger. Here reigned the promise of the Founding Fathers, elevated to a stellar scale. Peace and freedom—something humanity had always longed for—made real. After a long time and the battle of Tau Ceti and the Huamo-Replicant war.
President Jonathan M. Hawthorne silently observed the vast city through the window of his oval office in the Executive Palace of the Colonial Capitol. The walls were adorned with classic Earth art: a painting of Lincoln, a tapestry of the original stars of the old flag, a photo of the Founding Fathers, and a family photo showing Jonathan with his younger brother, Jacob, dressed in his uniform as Admiral of the Colonial Fleet.
President Jonathan M. Hawthorne, a man with white hair due to stress and blue eyes, was elected like all his predecessors thanks to his campaigns that supported not only the economy and social status, but also research and armament. The CUS knew that even in times of peace, they had to be prepared.
Older brother to Admiral Jacob, they came from a small family like all others in the CUS. The door opened with a slight creak.
Assistant Karen: "Mr. President, Admiral Hawthorne is on the secure line from the UCIF Liberty," reported the personal assistant, a young woman with brown hair and eyes, her hair tied back in a ponytail. She was Karen Low, Jonathan’s personal assistant.
Jonathan: -Nods- "You may leave, Karen." The assistant leaves and Jonathan turns toward the console. His brother’s image appears clearly, dressed in the white naval uniform of the United Colonial Systems Navy, decorated with medals and the Colonial Navy emblem "Jacob. How’s the situation at the Helios Belt borders?"
Jacob: "Calm, Jonny. Same as always since the presence of the UCIF (U.C. Interstellar Fleet)." Jacob offered a smile, but his eyes revealed something else "Have you noticed we haven’t received signals from the outer colonies in days?"
Jonathan: -frowns- "I thought it was a failure in the subspace transmission network."
The Subspace Transmission Network was a vast and massive satellite network capable of transmitting information in real time through subspace, a “dimension” beneath the normal/real one which could not only be used for FTL travel, but also to send information and more.
Jacob: "That's what we thought too. But we've already checked from Eisenhower Station to the communications core in Sigma-One. Everything is clean. There's simply... no signal. None. As if they had disappeared."
Jonathan: -swallows hard- "Are you saying that the Thirteen Colonies... are cut off?"
Jacob didn’t answer immediately. He briefly turned to an operator off-screen, then returned.
Jacob: "I’m saying we’ve already sent four SJD probes to Nova Atlanta, Europa Prime, and Kadesh IX. None have returned. And not one has sent back a single bit."
The silence grew heavy.
Jonathan approached the console and typed in a red-priority code. The presidential system’s artificial intelligence responded in a calm voice:
AI Gaia: "Confirmed. Last transmission received from the New Concord system was 7 hours and 13 minutes ago. Since then: zero energy activity, zero thermal emissions, zero detectable presence."
Jonathan: "My God..." -the President murmured-
At that moment, the light in the office flickered. A sharp, contained but insistent alarm vibrated throughout the Palace. No. Throughout the entire planet New York Town. A mild, planet-level tremor.
A security officer entered without waiting for permission, breathing heavily.
Officer: "Mr. President! Observation satellites just recorded a level zero gravitational anomaly... simultaneously... across the colonial systems."
Jonathan: -pales- "What kind of anomaly?"
Officer: "Total displacement, sir. It’s as if... as if the entire sector vanished! Planets, fleets, stations... everything has been erased from the map."
The screen on his console changed. A galactic map showed the routes of human colonization... and then, one by one, the lights of the thirteen systems began to go out. Not in destruction... but in absence. As if they had never been there.
Jacob was speaking on the screen, but the sound distorted. Then the image went black.
Jonathan: "Jacob! JACOB!?" *Jonathan slammed the screen* "Gaia, reestablish the connection!!"
Then AI Gaia would speak again, but this time in an alarming tone, which made Jonathan pale even more as he heard her.
AI Gaia: "Warning! A solar-scale subspace anomaly has been detected."
Jonathan: -swallows hard- "T-That’s... impossible."
Jonathan turned to run to the window and saw something that made him fall to his knees: the once blue morning sky of New York Town was now greenish because a massive green vortex was absorbing the colony, the capital planet of the CUS. Soon, a blinding green flash consumed the star system, leaving no trace behind.
Soon, everything became silence. That silence alerted all the colonies of the other nations, and by the time they realized it... the CUS had Vanished. Newspapers, TV channels, the internet—everyone started talking about it.
-Location: Unknown. Time: Unknown, 4 hours after the incident-
Karen was waking up among rubble. Getting up as she brushed off the debris. Her body ached, her ears were ringing. The sky had returned to normal, subspace calmed down 2 hours earlier. The architecture of New Washington D.C. was in ruins. Broken towers, cracked avenues, collapsed bridges. Injured civilians screamed amid dust and fire.
An officer was searching for civilians to help until he saw children trapped under debris, so he quickly moved clumsily through the rubble to begin clearing the debris where the children were trapped.
Officer S: “Help! There are children trapped here!” -shouted a security officer as others rushed to assist him-
Even with the chaos going on, the security forces, with what little capacity they had, deployed without orders or directives—their only mission was to help civilians. The Colonial Marines also arrived with what resources they had, assisting people. Priority was given to children, pregnant women, the elderly, and people in critical condition.
Karen: -leans against a wall, panting- “What the hell happened...? Where are we?”
She suddenly remembered the anomaly. The light. Gaia’s voice. The president...
Without waiting any longer, she ran toward the presidential office, dodging electrical sparks, file cabinets, and fallen walls. The city had been shaken as if by a cataclysm... or torn from its place.
Finally, she reached the partially collapsed office.
And when she pushed open the door to the presidential office... she saw him.
Jonathan, on the ground with a beam from the destroyed ceiling on top of him, unconscious. Karen quickly ran clumsily through the debris and, with effort, removed the beam from on top of Jonathan.
Karen: “Mr. President...” -said Karen with a trembling voice as she checked his pulse and breathing, and saw everything was fine. Karen let out a long sigh- “He's okay... He's okay.”
Jonathan woke up and saw Karen’s worried face, but then he noticed her expression suddenly changed to surprise...
Karen: -Eyes widen, blushing- “M-Mr. P-President... Y-you look younger.” -She stammered, blushing, which surprised Jonathan, who didn’t believe her until she handed him a mirror-
There it was, in the reflection of the mirror—he was younger. More handsome. His face no longer showed the wrinkles of time, nor the weight of the years. His eyes were livelier. His hair still held a bit of its black color.
Jonathan: -Surprised- “What the hell...? Karen... what’s happening? Where are we?” -He asked, realizing his voice was less deep and softer-
Karen: “I... I don’t know...” -She lowered her gaze, unsure what to say- “Y-your hand...”
Jonathan fell silent, many questions rushing through his mind, but Karen’s words made him look at his right arm, where he saw blood and a piece of wood embedded. The adrenaline from everything going on was numbing Jonathan’s pain.
Karen quickly pulled out her phone and called a group of paramedics, who came to bandage Jonathan’s arm and examine the president more thoroughly. When the check-up was complete, Jonathan didn’t only have a wounded right arm, but also a broken left foot.
Though thanks to the invention of nanomachines for medicine and more, it was easy to heal his foot and arm, though they would remain in casts for a long time.
After hours, Karen was pushing Jonathan’s wheelchair through the underground corridors of the Presidential Bunker. A hidden access point, reinforced with type-B titanium and capital-grade energy shielding, serving as an alternate command center in case of war or catastrophe.
And now, he was both.
Upon reaching the entrance, two guards from the United Colonial Guard Corps opened the armored doors, revealing the heart of the room.
The interior was an administrative battlefield. Overturned screens. Scattered filing cabinets. Papers and physical documents strewn among chairs. Logistics drones carried emergency crates and fallen terminals. And in the center, a swarm of uniforms.
Generals of the Colonial Marines, admirals of the U.C. Interstellar Navy, intelligence officers, scientists, strategists, technicians, and diplomats spoke intensely in separate circles, most momentarily ignoring protocol.
But silence fell like a curtain when Jonathan entered.
Even without a uniform. Even with a cast on his arm and foot.
Still seated in his chair, with a hardened face and eyes frozen with determination, he commanded respect.
He was more than the President. He was a symbol.
And everyone knew it.
The first to approach was an imposing man, with white hair and a chiseled jaw. His uniform was immaculate, and the emblem of Supreme Commander of the Colonial Marine Corps shone on his chest.
Five-star Supreme General Alexander MacArthur IV, direct descendant of the legendary Earth general Douglas MacArthur, saluted with military precision.
Alexander: -Military salute- “Mr. President. It's an honor to see you standing… though partially. You should be resting.”
Jonathan: -smiles slightly- “I’ve been in worse conditions, General. I remember on Kadesh IX, they tore the ship out from under my feet and I still managed to command from an escape pod.”
The general nodded respectfully.
Alexander: “I never doubt it, coming from you, sir.”
Another group approached: the few surviving admirals of the U.C. Interstellar Navy, among them Admiral Helena Graves, a tall woman with a deep voice and scars that told of decades of combat along the frontier routes.
Helena: “President Hawthorne, the CCC (Colonial Command Council) is assembled. Everyone’s waiting for your orders.”
Jonathan straightened slightly in his chair, his voice echoing with authority.
Jonathan: “Begin the report. Everything. From the outer colonies to the core. Don’t hide anything from me. I want to know how many systems were lost, how many civilians are injured, how many soldiers we have ready.”
Karen, who had stayed close, activated a pop-up console as a three-dimensional map was projected, showing the entirety of the Thirteen Colonies.
Helena Graves spoke up:
Helena: “Sir, the Thirteen Colonies have been transported in their entirety. Not just New York Town, but also Nova Atlanta, Europa Prime, Roosevelt’s Reach, Fort Adams… all of them. The intercolonial transit stations too.”
AI Gaia: "Estimated damage rises to 87% in the main capitals. The shock of the subspace transition collapsed entire structures, caused gravity failures in core systems, subspace communication satellite networks are disabled, system reboot is estimated in about 10 minutes." Gaia reported. The AI did everything it could with its subspace processing power; this was a faster way, as if it were a quantum processor or AI. "Emergency power systems have been activated in key buildings such as police stations, hospitals, rescue centers, and more. It will take a whole day to restart the EMA-CR (Extra-Monopolar Atomic Core Reactor)."
Karen: -slides through several files- "Collapsed hospitals, cities without power, and millions of people reported missing or trapped. However… there are survivors. Many. Thanks to the automatic emergency containment systems. The dead are countable…"
Jonathan: -closes his eyes for a moment. Then speaks- "Do we have contact with the outside? Do we know where we are? Is this our universe?"
Helena: -shakes her head- "No known interstellar signal. No frequency matches navigation records. The stars are familiar but there’s no sign of the Chinese, Russian, or other colonies."
MacArthur murmured: "We’re in another universe. Or a completely unknown region of space."
Silence. The word universe echoed. Thanks to research during the USAF era, the very high probability of the multiverse theory had been discovered. If they were in a different universe… what awaited them?
And then, Jonathan straightened up as best he could. His voice grew lower, heavier.
Jonathan: "The Intellestelar fleets? The Colonial Marines? What’s going on with all of them?"
Helena: "Disorganized, sir. Scattered. Some ships landed in emergency. Others remain in orbit. Without the subspace communication network, we’re blind. At this moment, we’re using laser signal for communications. The Enterprise is fine." -Helena responded, and upon hearing that the Enterprise was okay, Jonathan breathed deeply—since that was his brother’s ship.-
Jonathan took a deep breath. Then he addressed the entire room: "Listen to me, all of you." -The room fell still- "Today, we are not a superpower. We are not a political coalition. Today… we are refugees, we are lost people. But we are the most armed, most prepared, and toughest refugees in the damn universe. We’re going to rebuild. We’re going to find the truth. And when we do… we’ll know whether we’re alone."
A murmur of agreement swept through the room. Many had seen him as a symbol. Now they remembered what he once was: a war leader, a titan among soldiers.
Jonathan: -Turns slightly to Karen- "Call an emergency meeting with the Presidents of the other Thirteen Colonies. I want the Traveler-class investigating where the hell we are, and all fleets to regroup at New York Town."
AI Gaia: "Priority alert: connection lost with one of our Traveler-class exploration ships. Log: Primary Unit. Designation: The Traveler. Last transmission: no coordinates. The ship was carrying high-priority critical cargo, including Quadamium Particle technology and research on the particle."
Helena: "That ship… was carrying the new Mecha model the Nippon Empire had built for us and Quadamium technology."
Jonathan: "Searching for that ship is top priority. On another front—Alexander, mobilize all Colonial Marines, help in any way you can with this disaster. I trust you."
Alexander: -Nods- "I won’t let you down, Mr. President."
The room continued buzzing with activity, coordination, and the information Gaia was providing about the current state of affairs. A few hours later, the EMA-CR reactors and the subspace satellite network had come back online, and the CUS had reactivated the dustiest and oldest ships that the CUS and humanity had ever known—the CVN-401 class, also known as the USAF Space’s Battlecruisers: Traveler’s Type.
Created by the USAF in its time, these ships served to explore the vast space of the Milky Way. They were colossal vessels, with T-grade titanium hulls, powered by the first-generation SJD drives—imperfect but revolutionary—and equipped with limited fifth-generation AIs. They were slow, gigantic, and sometimes trembled during jumps… but they were the only thing that separated humanity from the void.
The CVN-401, the first of its kind, simply called The Traveler, was the pioneer. Entire sectors of the Milky Way were mapped in its wake. Its silhouette, elongated like a spear, became legend among pioneers, scientists, and soldiers alike.
Each Traveler was designed to be self-sufficient for decades. It had modular hangars, hydroponic gardens, internal drone factories, field hospitals, and a digital library containing all of human history. It was a home, an arsenal, and an embassy.
And although most human and alien factions considered these ships obsolete with the arrival of lighter and more efficient technologies… the UCIF never abandoned them. They were updated. Reinforced. Fitted with new SJD drives, improved energy shields, and state-of-the-art weaponry.
To the CUS, the Travelers were more than just old ships.
They were witnesses of the first step. Explorers of an era. And even in their old age, they were still exploring the unknown.
-A couple of months later-
The EUC had reorganized itself more effectively, with all fleets stationed on the capital planet, New York Town. Every ship, from the smallest to the largest, was present. The reconstruction of the infrastructure went hand in hand with the Colonial Marines, and construction efforts accelerated once the series of Hexbots—originally created for building infrastructure—were reactivated and put back to work.
Progress accelerated even more thanks to the Mechanoids, a type of robot discovered on Europa Prime that were successfully reactivated through the efforts of EUC, Chinese, and Japanese scientists. These Mechanoids proved to be skilled soldiers and assistants. They were standardized after only a few years and treated with dignity.
The EUC managed to create a small galactic map of this new Milky Way and was shocked when they realized...
They were in the Orion Arm.
That was impossible. The Thirteen Colonies had been founded throughout the Norma Arm, one of the farthest arms of the Milky Way. The relocation had been complete and without any scientifically acceptable explanation.
No one knew how. No one knew why. But they were there. And they had to adapt.
While construction continued, Jonathan sat in his partially rebuilt office in the Executive Palace, watching the reconstruction of the city with calm and seriousness. Looking up, he saw the UCIF ships stationed in orbit, when Gaia spoke.
Gaia: "Incoming transmission. Source: CVN-411 Intrepid. Priority channel."
Jonathan: —Turns to see Gaia on the holographic table- "Put the transmission through."
The image stabilized. It was Dr. Kirutsugi Kobayashi, the Intrepid's chief scientist. Originally from the Empire of Japan, she had moved to the Thirteen Colonies in search of a stable, better-paying job, as well as to help the EUC with research on Quadamium Particles. The Intrepid was one of the most modern Traveler-class ships still in service. Her face was bathed in a mixture of fascination and confusion.
Kirutsugi: "Mr. President... I’m sorry to interrupt directly, but you need to see this, and I need you to authorize a research team for Earth."
Jonathan: -Raises an eyebrow- "Speak clearly, Commodore. What did you find?"
Kirutsugi: -Inhales with visible fascination- "A ring, sir. A metallic, artificial ring at least ten thousand kilometers in diameter. It orbits a type-J gas giant in the Myung-06 system, within what used to be Chinese Colonial Territory."
Jonathan: -Narrows his eyes- "A ring? Like a space station?"
Kirutsugi: -Shakes head- "No! Sir, that’s what I’m saying—it’s a goddamn giant ring! It has its own geography. Habitats. Mountains. Oceans. A freaking structure that could have its own ecosystem, flora, and fauna, built in the shape of a ring! Spinning along the gas giant’s axis to generate gravity."
Jonathan frowned. Karen Low, who had just entered carrying her terminal, turned curiously upon hearing Kirutsugi’s words.
Jonathan: "Are there signs of life? Communications?"
Kirutsugi: "The surface shows multiple structures. Long-range sensors only detect fauna—unregistered fauna. However..."
The image changed. The Intrepid’s exploration drone showed a view from orbit of the object: a colossal ring, with visible rivers, clouds, forests inside... and towering alien constructions.
Jonathan: -Leans toward the console- "No defenses? No shields? Who the hell builds things without defenses or shields?"
Kirutsugi: -Shakes her head- "Sir, with all due respect, I imagine this ring was created to preserve life. Sensors detect automated drones. They’re not aggressive. I imagine they might also be used to defend the ring."
GAIA: -Interrupts- "The object shows high energy signatures in several sections. However, its complexity and technology are... at least seven generations ahead of EUC technology. The material composing the structure cannot be identified. Based on Intrepid's collected data, the structure has been active for 100,997 years since its construction."
Jonathan absorbed the information with a studied calm. This structure—no, its technology—was even superior to theirs and older than both humanity and the Atlanteans. His curiosity was piqued. What race—or who—could have built it? And for what purpose? Jonathan debated internally before finally speaking again.
Jonathan: "Kirutsugi, you have permission to investigate. A group of Colonial Marines will accompany you. I want a full report on whatever is discovered on that ring. If anything catastrophic happens, you are authorized to use a Nova Missile."
Kirutsugi: -Military salute- "Yes, sir!" -Transmission ends-
Karen: "A Nova Missile? Seriously? Mr. President, that's overkill. We don’t know what might happen if a Nova Missile goes off in that thing. We know that with just eight, we could destroy a planet’s atmosphere... But against an alien structure? Really?" -asks Karen, concerned. Nova Missiles were the most powerful weapons the EUC had—equivalent to 15 thermonuclear bombs. With just eight well-placed missiles, a planet could be rendered sterile-
Jonathan: "We are not in our world. Not in our universe. We will do what must be done. Survive. Learn. Adapt." -He turns to the window once again- "A ring... What else awaits us out there..."
And without his knowledge... far, far away, in a still unreachable corner, an alien force had set its eyes on the ring they had discovered, and the EUC was about to enter a war that had lasted far too long.
UCIF Traveler-Class Space Battlecruiser
Production Info
Manufacturer: USAF
Designer: Armstrong-RhinoTech Heavy Shipyards
Operator: USAF (formerly) / UCSN (currently)
Class: CVN-401
Technical Specifications
Length: 820 meters
Width: 420 meters
Height/Depth: 210 meters
Max speed: 210,000 miles per second
Engine(s): Sublight Ionized Engines
Maneuvering Thrusters
Subspatial Jump Drive
Fuel: Atomic Core Rod (ACR)
Hyperdrive system: Intergalactic
Power plant: 4x Extra-monopolar Atomic Core Reactors
Armor: Type-T Reinforced Titanium
Shielding: Advanced Energy Shields
Hull: Type-A Reinforced Titanium Alloy
Sensor systems:
Subspace Sensor Array
Targeting Systems
Stellar Navigation Systems:
Stellar/Subspatial Navigation System
Computer Navigation Systems
Armament
18 Plasma Beam Weapons
1 Heavy Plasma Beam Weapon
34 Rapid fire Railguns
40 VLS Missile Tubes
Cruise Missile Platform
Anti-cruise missile Mark IX and Nova Missiles with Atomic Core
Complement
28 VF-17B Ares Interceptor Fighters
30 XF-29 Valkyrie Lance Starfighters
5 UD-19/M "King Cheyenne" Dropships
Personnel
180 total
50 Colonial Marines
30 Mechanoids
Minimum crew:
8 personnel
15 Mechanoids
Other Systems
Transport rings for small ships
\~30 Escape Pods
25 Stratospheric Drop Pods for Marines
Armstrong-RhinoTech Heavy: This is the primary and dominant company within the EUC, active since time immemorial. It is ultra-loyal to the EUC, with its members being veterans in all fields (except for mechs). It was one of the pioneering companies behind the creation of the USAF, SJD drives, and more.
It has subdivisions under the same name with additional descriptors, such as:
Armstrong-RhinoTech Heavy Shipyards responsible for shipbuilding.
Another EUC company is Lockmart-Armstrong Aerospace, focused on aerial vehicles, and its subdivision Lockmart-Armstrong Vishamus, responsible for terrestrial vehicles.
General Colonial Dynamics Armamentistic is another company that specializes in weaponry for the Colonial Marines.
The Subspace Jump Drive (SJD) is the predominant FTL drive humanity developed. The drive works by delicately opening a rift to a space beneath reality called “subspace,” which is only connected to time. In this realm, time flows faster than usual, allowing speeds beyond that of light, depending on the quality and energy consumed by the SJD.
The SJD generates a reality bubble around the ship, preventing it from being affected by the accelerated time of subspace while enabling extreme speeds through temporal advancement. Subspace appears as a bluish tunnel with a bright light at the end that the ship chases. When exiting subspace, multiple ships can travel in a single jump, but doing so requires enormous amounts of energy.