The Unknowing War (Optimum Project sequel)

Chapter 26

Sovereign Nation

I immediately thought something had gone wrong as I exited the warp vortex, as instead of coming out a few kilometers from the base, I ended up coming out in the middle of a city! The vortex had clearly given me an accelerated velocity, as I was definitely flying faster now then when I flew in.

I deftly maneuvered past some oncoming cargo transports and took a sharp turn around a sleek skyscraper before forcing my ship to gain altitude and stabilize above the unfamiliar skyline of the city. I took a breath and began to think.

"Ok, Tom, I need you to analyze the surrounding area and figure out where we are, can you confirm we went through the vortex correctly?"

"Dimensional vortex entry has never occurred before, however, based on inconsistencies in data recorded before, during, and after the event, I calculate a 89% chance we entered and traveled through the vortex, however it is possible that it didn't deposit us in the correct location."

"The correct location in our dimension or in the one the base is supposed to be in?" I asked.

"I believe this is the intended dimension we wished to enter." He replied.

"But Bastion's notes stated that this dimension had never developed any life  of any kind in a 300 light year area." I stated.

"Yes, though it is possible we were deposited anywhere in this dimension's local Galaxy, possibly this dimension's universe." He replied.

"And what are the odds we landed in a inhabited, clearly space faring and technologically advanced society?" I asked.

There was silence from tom for a moment before he calculated the odds, "1 to 364579927493684083649567926883678976388378891."

"Wow, no way are we that lucky."

"I concur."

Suddenly my com system turned on, "Unidentified spacecraft, you are in violation of protocol A9-13b, your vehicle was seen speeding in a high concentration ship and resident zone, prepare identification and land on pad C7-2/d. If you do not begin to comply in 15 seconds we will use lethal force."

I raised my eyebrows, "they speak English?"

"I will assume that question was hypothetical."

I reached out and tapped the 'transmit'  button, "This is Alliance soldier Noah Price, my CO is Pixel Reaves, I seem to be lost, could you please identify yourself and our location?"

"Noah Price, land on the building directly below you or I will open fire." Was the only response.

What else could I do? I landed.

The other ship landed nearby and the voice contacted me again, "Exit your ship slowly, with your hands visible at all times."

My ship's atmospheric sensors said the air was breathable so I popped the cockpit and slowly stood, hands raised, and hopped down to the ground.

"Maintain your position." This time the voice was projected from a loudspeaker mounted near the nose of the ship.

The cockpit raised and out stepped a clearly human pilot, cloaked in matte-black armor.
That clearly human pilot drew a pistol, and pointed it at me.

"Identify yourself." The voice snapped, the mask the person was wearing distorted their voice to the point I couldn't tell what gender they were, the armor similarly made any distinguishing body features invisible.