Beyond Earth; First Horizon Ch. 01 - Teaser (Patreon)

“For years, the Horizon Accord has remained silent,” the Admiral began. “Peripheral, contained, and a distant irregularity operating beyond the boundaries of relevance. They have chosen to change that.”

A subtle shift rippled through the deck, not movement or sound, but awareness sharpening into something more acute.

“In a secure Dominion research facility in orbit of Venus, our scientists achieved a breakthrough,” Tolliver continued. “A new form of transit technology. A wormhole drive. Unlike conventional faster-than-light systems, this drive does not traverse distance but bypasses it. With proper calibration, it allows instantaneous movement between two fixed points regardless of separation. No transit time, cryostasis, or generational delay.”

Ethan felt the weight of it settle into place, piece by piece. No distance, no delay or waiting to traverse the vast gulfs of space. Such technology would elevate the Dominion to the dominant power in the system overnight. His eyes shifted to the officers on the bridge with him, and he saw the implications of it written all over their faces.

“The prototype has reached final operational phases,” Tolliver stated. “It is not yet refined or scaled, but it functions… and it has been stolen.”

“The Horizon Accord executed a coordinated raid on the facility,” Tolliver went on. “They secured the prototype and withdrew before a full response could be mounted. Their current trajectory is unknown, but their intent is not.”

The display behind him shifted, projecting a simplified schematic with rings of energy, coordinate matrices, and the faint outline of something that looked less like a drive and more like a doorway waiting to be opened.

“If they succeed in stabilizing the system, they will no longer be confined to this system. They will have the means to leave and establish themselves beyond our reach. To operate without oversight or constraint,” Tolliver said as his expression tightened visibly. “That outcome is unacceptable.”

“This technology belongs to the Dominion,” he continued. “It represents the culmination of decades of research, sacrifice, and controlled advancement. In the wrong hands, it destabilizes the balance we have maintained across the system.”

He did not speak about the Helix Ascendancy or the Quantum Hegemony, and he didn’t need to. Every soldier in the Dominion knew who they were arrayed against. Given the cold war that had enveloped the system, with each faction jockeying for supremacy while trying to keep the ceasefire intact, it was a foregone conclusion they would make a play for it.

“This mission is therefore of the highest priority,” Tolliver said. “You are to locate the Horizon Accord vessel in possession of the prototype and recover the wormhole drive intact. If recovery is not possible, you are authorized to destroy it, no exceptions.”

The deck remained still as everyone processed those words.

“Denying the Accord this capability preserves the strategic equilibrium,” Tolliver said. “And ensures that humanity’s future remains guided and not fractured by those who would abandon it.”

There it was: the underlying mandate of unification, continuity, and control. The Dominion’s purpose, stated without ornament.

“Understood, Admiral. We will carry out our orders,” Ethan stated as he rose from his chair, straightening to his full height. Tolliver regarded him for a moment, measuring him perhaps, or simply confirming what he already knew.

“I expect nothing less, Captain Stroud,” he said.

Then, with crisp precision, he raised his hand in salute, and Ethan returned it without delay. Across the deck, every officer followed suit, the motion synchronized, practiced. And then, as one, the words came automatically, ingrained, spoken not as a question, but as a certainty:

“For the Dominion.”

The transmission cut out, and the display shifted back to tactical overlays. The quiet hum of the ship reasserted itself as systems resumed their full operational cadence. For a moment, no one spoke as Ethan lowered his hand and looked out across the fleet. He then thought of the hundreds of lives, all aligned behind a single directive as he turned back to the deck.

“You have your orders,” he said, voice steady and controlled. “Execute them.”