It all started when Priory Machines flagged anomalies and summoned a Brethren of Inquiry, the Order's most serious instrument, deployed only when something is deeply wrong. It is an exception procedure, automatically triggered when the usual procedures and organizations fail to resolve a critical issue. As such, it is not welcomed by the authorities.
Though there are several threads that connect the stories of the Hub, I eventually settled on following Freddo Kin, apprentice to Brother Granska, as the narrative voice. Freddo is a native of Sed, which, prior to the rediscovery of Ninet, was the farthest colony. In the story he is a novice working under Brother Granska, a prominent librarian conducting the investigation at Ninet.
The Brethren is small: three librarians and their novices, all from outside the Hub. Besides Granska, there is Tintr Shaz, a librarian with an uncommon military past and no discernible previous experience in this kind of procedure, and Teal Nia, from Thanatos, a renowned logician with a long history in the Library and with Granska. The novices are Freddo, Cali, and Lee, each one the assigned assistant to one of the members.
This is both an investigation story and a story of Freddo coming of age, learning about the world beyond his restricted life in Sed. What they found was a web of crimes, conflicting testimonies, and mysteries that connected back to the Hub's deepest secrets. From the journey in the Ol'Liberty Planet Jumper to the Vault's forbidden artifacts, every lead revealed new layers of hidden truth and new mysteries. But the first mystery is the reasons of the machines and what common thread was behind the long list of seemingly unconnected events that triggered this investigation.
The Brethren of Inquiry is probably the more well developed narrative in text form. There are several chapters written and some of the scens are linked above and coverend in a couple of posts and reels. Bellow I tried to organize the making of in some of the more important moments of the story.
Onde important series of event follow the investigations of Granska begining at Brethren (ST32) and resuming at The Arcodex (ST59) and Ciceron (ST64r). Unfortunattely I think I already took out the making off of the kewy scens like the first time the group assmebled to meet the Captain of Ol'Liberty (image on the left).
Before reaching Ninet the group stood many months on a Planet Jumper Called The Ol'Liberty. There the novices got to know each other and Freddo realized there was more at stake in their mission. These posts began with One With The Crew (SU08-10), followed with The Novices (SU39), The Other Group- Cargo Bay 6 - The Lyra Puzzle (SU40, SU56, SU64r) and The Moment of Disconnection (SU-04-05 and SU20r).
The Journey North from the droppoinmt stations to the Hub location is quite eventful and the novices have the oportunity to investigate the mysterious other librarians Freddo met at the Ol'Liberty. This story is covered fiorst at SU04-06 Momment of Disconnection and later resumed at SU23-26r, 30r The Journey North and SU42-45 The Tolin Fields.
After stablished in Library Valley the Brethren investigations generate a couple of leads. One day, after eavesdroping at an impoprtante conversation the entire group is summoned by Granska to meet at The Citadel, ouside the confines of Library Valley. These are covered in SU88-91 and SU92r.
The Brethren is Formed and Dispatched
ST32 Brethren - The Brethren of Inquiry, a protocol within the Commons’ code, was activated to supersede local authority in exceptional…
The Novices and the Spaceflight to Ninet
SS74 Ferry to Ninet - For several tendays, I was aboard the Ol'Liberty, a Planet-Jumper that ferried our group from Sed to Ninet. It was a…
SS75 Hangar Bay - @nightcafestudio #scifi #sciencefiction #scuencefictionart #spaceship #spaceplane #hangarbay #digitalphotoart…
ST08 One with the crew - Life aboard the Ol’ Liberty was a crash course in camaraderie. My background in planetary forces training, a…
ST09 Hangar Bay - The Hangar Bay was my go-to spot on the ship. It was usually quiet, but it could get pretty hectic when we docked at a…
ST39 Novices - I found solace in the routine of ship life. While the main researchers were often absorbed in mission-related meetings, my…
The Akward Encounter
ST56 Cargo Bay Six - Freddo, unable to shake Cali’s mention of another research group aboard the ship, found himself wandering the dimly…
ST62 Lira - The sound emanated from a dimly lit chamber. As I stepped inside, I saw her—a woman I recognized but had never spoken to. Her…
Granska Queries the Arcodex
Arrival and The Journey North
ST10 The Journey North - Once we reached Ninet, we’d land at one of the three main dropcamps along the equator. With Ninet’s solar summer…
SU04 Before Descent - I’m strapped in the dropship, the steady hum of the engines my only company. We’re orbiting Ninet, and I watch as…
SU05 The Moment of Disconnect - We break away from the mothership. There’s a moment of eerie calm before we plunge. My stomach flips, and I…
SU24 Dropcamp - Activity thrummed through the drop base, a hive of urgency and purpose that dispelled the stillness we had just embraced.…
SU25 The Journey North - Our journey to the Hub proved more challenging than expected. Four land cruisers and two support vehicles made up…
SU26 Through The Tolin Fields - Six waystations separated us from the Hub. Those situated on the Tolin fields were mobile domes, relocated…
SU43 Erebus - The Tolin Fields had once been harvested for energy generation during the hub’s development. An incredibly vast maze of…
SU44 Outside - On the third day in the highlands, a silent tension enveloped the crew, their eyes darting between the instruments and the…
SU45 A Brief EVA - I only saw Cali again hours later. By then, the slow advance made by our caravan under safety scanning procedures had…
SU58 THN The Others - After sneaking out and charging with the sled as fast as we could in the direction Cali pointed, we found it in a…
Summoned at the Citadel
SU83 THN Summoned - Cali and I were still piecing together the last few days when we received word that Granska was summoning us to the…
SU88 Nightdrive - We moved fast in a small group, an unusually active sublimation flow made the travel rough and our vehicle was constantly…
SU89 Close - Inside the small vehicle space Cali and I sat awkwardly in front of Tintr. We had connected our suits to the rover supply and…
SU90 Cali and the “Robot” - I followed her inside Hightower. Just a few researchers were supposed to go there but we had done it many…
SU91 Eavesdropping - #spaceopera #robot #thehubatninet @nightcafestudio #lostworlds #worldbuildingart #scifi #scifiartwork #scifiart…