Anu Station - the full story

2025-07-16T20:13:06Z

Anu Station is a large space station situated in a largely-unexplored solar system, in orbit around a planet with the designation UP-2136-188b, which has been flagged as having environmental conditions ideal for the development of life. The station plays host to rotating teams of scientists from various fields and specialties. One of these outfits is Cassius Mining Corporation, which has interest in mining rare earth minerals for use back on Earth. Corporate presence on the station is somewhat controversial, but station commander Anton Greenspan is committed to fostering an environment that's inclusive towards scientists from the private secor.

While aware that caution must be taken due to UP-2136-188b's status as a planet that could potentially harbor life, a manned survey mission is sent down to analyze potential mining sites. During the mission, surveyor Baltasar Stefansson wanders off on his own for several hours. While he's gone, the rest of the survey team encounters the planet's dominant intelligent species: a race of telepathic shapeshifters. Alarmed by the presence of unwanted visitors and sensing their interest in mining, the aliens kill the survey team and take on their forms, intending to hitch a ride back to their place of origin in order to continue investigating the threat that they pose. Stefansson returns to the group, unaware of what has gone down in his absence, and assuming that the team's strange behavior afterwards is due to anger over him having split off from the group. (The general distain with which the rest of the station crew views his actions does nothing to dispel this.)

While laying low and posing as crewmembers, the aliens do what they can to learn about the station's purpose and its intentions towards their planet, sharing information with each other as they go. They learn that Commander Greenspan's form would be useful to them, both for the purposes of information-gathering and (if necessary) controlling/influencing the crew away from an ill intentions towards their planet. They kill Greenspan so that they can use his likeness with impunity, without risk of interference from the genuine article.

While some crewmembers note the strange behavior of the returned survey crew, things only come to a head when an alien posing as Greenspan orders the entire population of the station to congregate in C Wing - this, the aliens have decided, is the best way to contain and control everyone while they try to figure out next steps. While many are irritated, confused, or outright suspicious, everyone does ultimately do as they're told (with a little urging from undercover aliens). Some forward-thinking members of the ship's security crew choose to arm themselves before following the commander's orders. Once everyone is inside, communications are disabled, and Greenspan's emergency lock keycard is used to seal C Wing.

And we all know what happens after that.

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2015-04-14T01:51:02Z

[Late afternoon, there comes a voice onto the Barge's network. It has the same quality as the Admiral when making announcements - resounding, seeming to come from everywhere and nowhere, unaffected by the glitches that plague normal communicators trying to connect from planet to ship.

It doesn't quite sound like the Admiral. Does it?]

Passengers, do you know what the nature of creation is? That is to say, this universe and all others? I searched for a long time to know the answer. It was my assignment to bring order to chaos, you see - to ensure that no living thing had to suffer because of our oversights. Where there was evil I was to redeem it. I was rather like some of you, in that way.

I found, of course, that the more chaos I eliminated and set right, the more would spring up all around it. It was as if my task itself was an unnatural intrusion upon a natural order, like Sisyphus pushing his boulder. That is how I knew. This creation of ours cannot and should not be fixed. Its inherent nature is that of evil and suffering, and it must be put out of its misery so we can begin again. To try to redeem is pointless. But, if you insist on continuing to delay the greater good...

I suppose you force my hand.

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The Last Voyages

Anu Station - the full story

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