Date... Month... Year of the 10001st Dragonian era.
A man gazed down at his feet, legs resting comfortably on a sturdy white table crafted from an exceptional material. Vividly colored holograms were scattered across the table, their details indistinguishable from physical objects.
As he reached for the ship's log, a twinkle shone in his eyes. He carefully opened the log, but did not immediately begin recording the day's progress. Instead, he fell silent for a long while, lost in thought. Ultimately, he closed the log without adding any new content.
In his mind, he revisited past experiences, but found nothing worthy of recording. It was all too tedious to bother with.
"Don't you plan on recording anything today?" asked Angie, a personal artificial intelligence and subprogram of the spaceship's AI system, which he had reprogrammed to serve him exclusively.
"Arrange it for me instead. Write a general report," he replied, his tone indifferent.
"Understood," Angie said before pausing momentarily. "The draft has been prepared. Will you review it before I save it to the system?"
"Later, if I feel like it," he responded. He knew the effectiveness of the AI he had created. Any records she produced would perfectly reflect his voice and perspective, with such meticulous detail that even inspection tools could not distinguish them from authentic reports.
He did like this many times throughout the journey.
To get the position of the "Colonial Ship Commander" in his hands, he had to work hard in many ways. Though, he never thought of strictly following the rules of duty. Providing all information might bring danger to himself later.
As he pondered how monotonous his life had become lately ….
Something unexpected occurred!
Sonata Di-alno flinched as alarms blared from all directions. These warning sounds were only activated if the spaceship detected a risk level above seven. Even when they were near a battle between two groups of aliens, the risk level had only been assessed as level two.
Given that the spaceship's technology was potent enough to obliterate a planet ten times the size of Earth in a single blow, a risk level of seven was far from normal and instilled a sense of unease.
"Is that the Zerrian?" Sonata muttered as he hurried out of the room.
He referred to a notoriously fierce mechanical race. Despite the Dragonian Empire's eradication of numerous alien species, none had posed a significant threat. However, the Zerrians had never been wholly vanquished.
Although he didn't want his fears to materialize, the young Commander's assessment of the situation was spot-on.
As soon as he reached the spaceship bridge, he was met by hundreds of sailors awaiting his orders. Each person took turns reporting on the dire predicament they faced. They were trapped in the Zerrian's enclave, yet none of the ship's sensors had detected its existence beforehand.
"It's as if it didn't exist until just now. Sensors from other spaceship sectors have also found nothing. There's no record of it in the ship's log," one official said, his face filled with alarm.
"There are over two hundred enemies, and at least ten spaceships are of a higher class than our Doom Angel," another official hastily reported.
"Right now, they're stationary. This is a prime opportunity to attack," a fierce voice interjected from a middle-aged man clad in a black bodysuit, equipped with state-of-the-art gear. Unlike the other military personnel with distinct ranks on their uniforms, he belonged to the special elite unit known as the "Silencers."
Sonata rapidly assessed the situation. He was also a skilled Silencer, and he believed he could survive this ordeal. However, his survival strategy did not entail sacrificing the entire spaceship, which didn't consist solely of Empire soldiers, but also hundreds of thousands of civilians. If he made even the slightest mistake, countless lives would be lost.
Perhaps Sonata would not care if no one among them was loyal enough to follow him, but there were some who believed in him. He would not remain silent when he had supporters.
"Angie, calculate the shortest path to warp the five sectors apart," Sonata commanded.
"Understood. Shall I notify the other four sectors to prepare for separation?" Angie inquired.
"Yes, do it!" Sonata's order sparked varying opinions, particularly from Senior Silencer Erith Stand, who was unable to remain calm.
"What are you planning? Why are you ordering the other sectors to separate?" Erith demanded to know.
Sonata had not yet responded. Holograms of men and women materialized around him, appearing like real people. They wore the same high-tech black outfits as Sonata and Erith, but each outfit had unique, personalized details.
The first individual to appear was the Head of Sector Two. He had a fierce yet elegant appearance. The additional outfit he wore atop his Silencer's battle suit made him resemble a mafia boss or an elite from some planets.
The second hologram to appear was the Head of Sector Three. This young woman had Erith's hair, eyes, and facial features. Without any context, one could assume they were related.
The third hologram was the Head of Sector Four. He had a gloomy expression and cunning eyes resembling a fox, making him appear the most ordinary of the four.
The last hologram was the red-haired woman, the Head of Sector Five. Her attire showed off her upper chest, and white fur adorned her shoulders and neck. Her outfit appeared to violate military rules.
"Why are you ordering us to separate in different directions?" the first hologram questioned in a half-shouted voice.
"Be mindful of your tone. I'm still your Commander," Sonata replied in a hushed tone.
"Separate all five sectors. It seems to me that you're trying to keep us out of the loop," the blonde woman, the Head of Sector Three, attempted to exert more pressure on him.
"We're trapped in the Zerrian's enclave. Their attack is imminent, and we can't wait for the right time. Our only option is to separate and preserve some lives or risk fighting and dying together," Sonata explained. Without wasting any more time on their arguments, he immediately terminated communication with the other sectors and commanded the main AI to enforce separation, regardless of their willingness to comply.
"Your decision! You'll have to justify it to the inspectors when we return," Senior Silencer Erith glared at Sonata with hostility. Sonata remained silent. In fact, he had planned before assuming this position that he would not return under the Empire's or even his own family's wings.
...It was enough to work like a dog for the Empire. He would now seek a new world, far from the malevolent clutches of the Dragonians…
...but first, he had to find a way to escape the Zerrian's siege.
Sonata's orders caused the Doom Angel to split into five parts. The main control center where Sonata was stationed was called Sector One. It was nicknamed "Angel's Head" because it was the smallest and foremost sector out of the five, measuring only six hundred meters wide and two kilometers long. The largest sector was Sector Four, housing hundreds of thousands of individuals tasked with colonizing designated planets.
The previously dormant Zerrians suddenly sprang into action. These living machines rapidly evolved by attacking and stealing other races' technology. They locked their sights on each segment of the Doom Angel but hesitated to fire for an unknown reason.
As each part of Sector One assumed its designated position, Sonata ordered an increase in speed, but it was a few seconds too late. A planet-sized Zerrian ship had already launched its attack.
The expelled black matter coalesced into a Singularity, forming the center of the black hole. Although the Doom Angel was built to be sturdy and powerful enough to withstand the pull of a black hole and escape the "Event Horizon," this Singularity formed too close to the ship, preventing it from escaping even with its best efforts.
The five sectors were inexorably drawn toward the Singularity by its unfathomable gravitational pull, even light unable to escape its grasp. Sonata was powerless in this situation.
Then, everything plunged into darkness.