SSS-Tier Extraction: From Outcast to Overgod!-Chapter 85: The Beacon of Antecedence

The Beacon of Antecedence was a breathtaking sight. After weeks of traveling through a universe that looked like a spilled paint set, the Beacon was a vision of perfect, clean order.

It was a giant, spiraling tower made of a material that looked like a cross between ivory and solidified light. It rotated slowly, gracefully, in the dead center of a perfectly calm, stable bubble of reality.

For the first time in a long time, the stars on their viewscreen weren’t swirling or glitching; they were just still, silent points of light. It was the most beautiful and peaceful thing they had ever seen.

The calm lasted for about thirty seconds.

"Uh, guys?" Emma said, her voice tight with alarm. "I’m detecting multiple energy signatures detaching from the Beacon. They’re small, fast, and they’re heading right for us. And based on their energy profiles... I don’t think they’re coming over to borrow a cup of sugar."

On the main viewscreen, a swarm of small, sleek drones, shaped like angry metal insects, zipped out from hidden hangars all along the Beacon’s spiraling arms.

They were followed by larger, heavier weapon platforms, floating gun turrets that hummed with a menacing, ancient power.

"It’s the Beacon’s automated defense system," Zara said, her fingers flying across her console. "It’s thousands of years old, but it still works. It must see us as a threat."

"Can you talk to it?" Ryan asked. "Tell it we’re the good guys?"

"I’m trying!" Zara shot back. "But their security software is ancient! It’s like trying to send an email to a clay tablet! They’re not listening!"

The swarm of drones closed in, their movements perfectly synchronized. They formed a loose, surrounding net, cutting off any chance of escape. The heavier gun platforms took up positions behind them, their weapon ports glowing as they charged up.

Scarlett’s hands danced over the pilot’s controls. "Their formation is perfect," she said, her voice a low murmur. "They’re boxing us in. Standard fleet denial tactics. Whoever designed this system knew exactly what they were doing."

"Great. So we’re about to be blown up by a bunch of really well-designed, grumpy antiques," Emma muttered, frantically trying to boost the "Odyssey’s" shields. "This is just great."

Ryan watched the approaching swarm, his mind racing. He could feel the power building in the weapon platforms. They were about to be hit by a volley of fire that their little ship, no matter how advanced, probably couldn’t survive.

They couldn’t outrun them. They couldn’t outgun them. They had to outsmart them.

He thought back to everything he had learned from the Weaver’s archives. He remembered the long, boring files on Precursor military protocols, the stuff he had skimmed through because he never thought he would need it.

He remembered a specific section about how all Precursor technology, from a simple door lock to a giant battle station, was linked by a universal identification system. It was called the "Friend-or-Foe" signal. It was a simple, elegant way to keep their own machines from shooting at each other.

It was a long shot, a crazy idea based on a half-remembered file, but it was the only idea he had.

"Zara, can you open a direct communication channel to the lead drone?" Ryan asked. "Don’t send a message. Just open the line. I’m going to try something."

Zara looked at him like he was crazy, but she nodded. "Channel open. But I don’t know what good it will do. They’re not talking."

"They don’t have to," Ryan said. He closed his eyes and placed his hands on the console in front of him. He reached out with his mind, connecting his Weaver’s Interface Gauntlet directly to the ship’s communication system.

He wasn’t going to send a message in words. He was going to send a message in pure code.

He focused his will, gathering his energy. He thought back to the specific signature of the Precursor code he had studied. It was a complex, beautiful language of light and frequency.

He began to broadcast a single, simple signal, piggybacking it on Zara’s open channel. It was the ancient, universal Precursor greeting, the digital equivalent of a secret handshake. It was the "Friend-or-Foe" signal.

Hello. We are friends. Please don’t shoot us. We come in peace. Our ship is very new and we’d like to keep it in one piece.

For a moment, nothing happened. The drones continued to close in. The weapon platforms glowed even brighter, their attack imminent.

"Ryan, it’s not working!" Emma yelled, her eyes wide with fear. "They’re going to fire!"

But Ryan held the connection, pushing the signal out with all his might, pouring his own belief and intent into the simple stream of code.

And then, a miracle happened.

The lead drone, which was just a few hundred yards from the "Odyssey," suddenly stopped. Its glowing red "eye" flickered, turning a soft, friendly blue. It sent a signal back to the rest of the swarm.

One by one, all across the void, the angry red lights of the drones and weapon platforms flickered and turned blue. The menacing hum of their charged weapons faded into a peaceful, welcoming silence. The guns powered down. The attack formation broke.

The swarm didn’t leave. Instead, it re-formed, creating a graceful, ceremonial honor guard. The drones now flew alongside the "Odyssey," guiding them in, while the weapon platforms moved to clear a path.

The crew of the "Odyssey" let out a collective, shaky breath of relief.

"H-how... how did you do that?" Zara stammered, staring at Ryan with a newfound level of awe.

Ryan opened his eyes, a tired grin on his face. "I told them the magic words."

They were escorted through the automated defenses and guided towards a large, glowing docking bay that opened up on the side of the spiraling white tower.

Scarlett expertly maneuvered the "Odyssey" inside. The moment their landing gear touched the deck, the bay doors closed, and the room filled with breathable air and a soft, warm light.

They had made it. They were inside the Beacon of Antecedence.

They stepped out of the ship and onto the deck of the ancient Precursor station. The air was clean and still. The chamber was vast and silent, a testament to builders who had vanished millennia ago.

In the center of the docking bay, a single console rose from the floor, a blue light pulsing on its surface. As Ryan approached, it came to life.

A holographic image appeared above the console. It was a star chart of the Outer Voids, but it was damaged and flickering. In the center of the map was a new, terrifying symbol: a "Collapsed Star god," a place where a star had died and created a swirling mess of gravitational chaos. And next to that symbol was a tiny, faint, and rapidly fading point of light.

A synthesized voice, calm and ancient, echoed through the hangar.

"Continuum Transponder signal detected. Source: Lost Expedition. Location: The Collapsed Star god. Warning: Reality anchor signature is critical. Estimated time until total signal loss: 47 standard cycles."

The source of the distress call. They had found it. But the message was clear. The Precursors they were looking for were in one of the most dangerous places in the universe, and their time was running out.

The Beacon was not their final destination. It was just a pit stop on an even more dangerous journey.

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