Omega Reborn

The view of this frozen world is spectacular, but the satellites target isn\'t the naturally sculptured ice on its surface. Instead its target lay over fifty feet below the surface frozen in time. On board space station Orion one of the technicians picks up on the signal.
“Sir, I think you need to see this.” A young technician says. As he begins furiously entering commands, the image enlarges to a scale large enough to make out the outline of a massive object frozen within the icy world.
“What is it Johnson?” The lead engineer says as he walks over to the screen. “We finally find something worth mining on that over sized ice cube?”
“No sir, we found something more important than that.” He says as he enters commands that place a large red marker on the frozen object.
“What in Gods name is that?” The lead engineer says as he points to the outline. “How big is it?”
“Sir its easily one hundred and fifty feet in length and more than sixty feet in width.”
“This is bigger than I thought. Prepare an excavation team at once.” He says as he turns around to leave the room. “I\'ll be in the communications room making a report to my superiors.”
“Sir there are further extensions deeper down, they may be over one hundred feet from one side to the other.”
Light years away on earth, one of the planets most skilled scientists receives a priority message from space station Orion.
“Whats this?” The elderly scientist muses to himself as he reads the report. “Hmm, this could be serious.” He says as he dials up the U.N. Comity on stellar research chairman.
“Hello?” Chairman Niel Corbman says as he picks up the line. “what is it Doctor Riendner?”
“Sir one of our space stations has found something that could turn out to be vitally important. The lead engineer is sending an excavation crew to the surface to have a better look.”
“How important is this Chuck?” The chairman says as he sits up straight at his desk.
“Niel they found a massive humanoid machine.” The doctor says with no signs of humor in his voice.
“If your serious I want you and your best team on it immediately, I\'ll see to it that the UN sends a military escort along with you.” Chairman Corbman says as he begins writing out his requisitions request. “And Chuck, I want you to spare nothing in this. I want you to gather the best minds science has to offer.”
“Niel you know the United states is going to claim this for themselves, the report also stated that a copy was already sent to them.” He says calmly.
“Perhaps, but they will still want you to be along. Your the foremost authority on any alien artifacts.” Chairman Corbman says as he finishes his paperwork. “Be certain to be on that flight, and take Doctor Osetth with you.”
Typing up a report on astro-physics, Doctor Lin Osetth could hardly hear the phone as it rang directly beside her.
“Doctor Osetth, are you going to answer that?” One of the graduate students who is working with her asks. “The I.D. says its from Washington.”
“Oh thank you Simmon.” She says as she picks up the receiver. “Yes, may I ask who this is please?”
“Doctor Osetth, this is Doctor Charles Riendner, I\'m representing the U.N. Comity on Stellar Research.” He says before pausing for a response.
“Uh huh, and how can I possibly help the U.N.?” she asks incredulously.
“Doctor Osetth, We have found something that only a person with your unique skills can possibly help us identify, and examine.”
“Oh and what might that be?” She says maliciously. “An alien toaster perhaps?”
“Close Doctor, one of the United States space stations found a crashed alien vessel and we would like you to accompany our joint efforts recovery of this artifact.”
“What the hell is this, you expect me to believe that load of shit?” She yells at Doctor Riendner. “I can\'t believe you people would pull something like this.”
“Doctor Osetth, perhaps the reports from the station will make you believe this.” He said as he transmitted the data.
“Holy shit.” She says as she shakes off the absolute shock that passed through her as she looks over the report and the pictures. “Are you certain that these aren\'t fabricated?”
“Doctor, I received them from the chief engineer of the space station himself.” He says confidently. “I have known that man for more than forty years.”
“That\'s very nice to know, but honestly do you really think I\'m going to believe this?” Doctor Osetth says as she prepares to blow the whole conversation off as nothing.
“Doctor, I have been given permission to offer you a ten year grant worth three point seven million dollars.” Doctor Riendner says as he looks over the list of offers he
was given by Chairman Corbman. “And there is room for negotiations if you so choose.”
“You can\'t be serious, no one would offer such a price for....” Doctor Osetth was shocked beyond words, no one has ever offered her so much for her assistance.
“So you will consider this offer?” Doctor Riendner asks curious as to the long silence.
“How can I not consider this?” She says after a moment of thought. “When do we leave?”
“The carrier ship Excalibur is being outfitted for recovery, and delivery of the alien vessel.” He says when he pulled up the mission manifest. “We\'re being sent with the best in every field to make certain that this mission is a complete success.”
“The Excalibur?” She says, shocked at the thought of how many resources were being poured into this project. “Thats... isn\'t it...”
“Yes Doctor its the flagship of the United Nation\'s Interstellar Fleet.” He says without missing a beat. “As I said, we are being given every consideration in this mission.”

“When do we leave Doctor?” She asks, now quite eager to find out what was so special about this alien artifact.
“Doctor, I was beginning to think you would never ask. We leave in two weeks, and we\'ll be gone for about six months.” He says as he reads off the mission parameters.
“Uh, where exactly are we going again?” She asks uncertain now whether this was real, and more worried that she was being illegally drafted into the service.
“The mission objective is located in the Orion Star cluster, on planet Xarious.”
The rest of the evening was spent haggling for Doctor Osetth\'s assistance, and other important details. They also spoke of all of the minor details of the mission such as equipments.
Two weeks later they stand along with their crew of more than fifteen hundred technicians, scientists, excavators, and medical technicians. The massive space-carrier they were about the spend the next six months in, the Excalibur is an impressive sight. More than two miles in length the carrier is the largest starship in the space navy. For the next six months the crew of the ship and its passengers would travel at incredible speeds towards their goal.
After three months traveling at several times light speed, the ship finally came to rest in high orbit over the planet Xarious. The crew was alive with activity as they prepare to disembark and set up camp.
“Doctor Osetth, we\'re finally here.” Doctor Riendner says as he comes onto the observation deck. “Its a spectacular planet, perhaps natures most perfect work of art in the galaxy.”
“It is wonderful, but how in the hell did the station find something on this barren world?” She asks as she looks at the still quite distant planet. “It must have been a one in a million chance of finding it.”
“To be quite honest Doctor, I personally thought it to be closer to a billion to one odds. But then again I\'ve never bothered with odds.” Doctor Riendner says as he begins laughing at the very idea of the near impossibility of finding such a thing.
“Are you alright?” Doctor Osetth asks as she turning a raised eyebrow towards her colleague.
“I\'m more excited than I had planned to be.” He says as he fidgeted a bit.
“Well calm down, its just a simple recovery mission.” She says hardly convinced.
Over the next three days the crew of the Excalibur begin preparations for sending down the landing craft, which would for a short amount of time become the base for this operation until more permanent buildings could be made. Progress turned slow as the weather on the planet turned for the worse. Many of the crew felt it was a bad sign, and that they should leave the alien artifact where it was. The captain and the researchers kept a level head and in spite of the rumors that floated around the ship of the alien artifact being cursed.
After a month of weather caused delays the crew finally had the base camp set up, and the excavation was finally underway. The ice of the planet was less than cooperative to the drilling, and blasting that was required to get to their goal, but with a few delays the alien artifact was finally uncovered. After about two days of using controlled thermite reactions, they finally found where the alien occupant had been, and with little difficulty they managed to get the cockpit of the vessel open so they could extract the corpse.
Another two and a half weeks were added to the already late mission as they continued to uncover the vessel. Soon what they thought was an alien starship took shape as a massive humanoid machine, with wings easily the same width from tip to tip as the machine was in height.
“Sir we have the full report of the alien artifacts dimensions.” One of the survey technicians says as he hands the PDA with the report to Doctor Riendner. “This thing is incredibly accurate in its dimensions, Highly precise in how its formed. Its perfect for interplanetary combat.”
“I don\'t intend to believe that this masterpiece is a weapon of mass destruction, although the thought cannot be pushed from our minds.” Doctor Riendner says as he takes the pad and begins to read it. “The construction is indeed quite impressive, however we have found no evidence of weapons on this machine.”
“Doctor Riendner, I\'d like to have a word with you.” Doctor Osetth says as she comes into the computer lab of the temporary base command post. “Its regarding what our satellite surveys have found.”
“Oh?” Doctor Riendner says as he put the PDA down and walks to his study. “Come in Doctor. Please tell me what you\'ve found.” He says as he seals the door behind Doctor Osetth.
“Doctor, We\'ve found another alien Mechanized Vehicle.” She says as she pushed the PDA from her side of the desk where she places it to his side. “This one is only passingly humanoid.”
“We weren\'t sent here to pick up two of these things, although given the opportunity I would gladly take this other one with us.” He says looking over the reports. “See to the preparations for transport, and try to make it as efficient as possible so we may be able to fit both into the hold. I\'ll get in touch with the captain of the Excalibur, and inform him of the possible change in our delivery plans.”
“Understood, should I commence with the excavation of site two now or hold off until we are certain of this one?” She asks before leaving Doctor Riendner\'s study.
“No, please wait until we are certain that we can fit it.” He says putting the new data into his personal computer. “If its hidden than no one else can get a hold of it, but if we uncover it for them... Well we\'d be handing them the keys to a new Mech now wouldn\'t we?”
“Yes Doctor, I see your point.” She leaves him in his study to mull over the new reports.
“What the hell happened on this planet, and how many more of these things are we going to find out here?” He thinks to himself as the door closed automatically behind Doctor Osetth.
The mech was loaded into the bay, and not a moment too soon as the planet began another winter cycle. The storms on the surface began to increase in intensity, as the temperatures began to plummet to the point where even the automated systems began to shut down.
“We\'ll maintain a satellite here to monitor the planets surface, We\'ll return for further excavation when the weather here changes.” Doctor Riendner said in his debriefing with his colleagues about their plans to retrieve the next Mech.
“I hope this winter doesn\'t last too long, the information we gleaned from this mech will pull our current technologies into the future for a century or more.” Doctor Osetth says making her own feelings known. “I hope that this other one will have some other information about the culture that made them.”
With that the Excalibur left the orbit of Xarious and headed home. Within a few months they would be back home, and a new age of advancement would bring mankind to a new place in the universe.
During the trip back to Earth, many unbelievable and mysterious occurrences begin to happen. Doctor Riendner, and three other leading technicians of the mission were assassinated by an unknown assailant. All of the data they had in their possession was stolen. No suspects were ever named, and the investigation went cold within a few months of the ships arrival on Earth.

“I want the body put into cold storage, it may have some useful information about its own origin.” Doctor Osetth says as she directs the military convoy where to send the storage container holding the corpse.
She looks the container over, making certain that it was in good condition. After reassuring herself that all was well she waves the military convoy by. They take the container deep within the underground facility that was set up for research of these alien artifacts, and the corpse.
“We have to conduct genetic studies of this body immediately” She thinks to herself.