Dike: Message in a Bottle

“Void Fisher” Dyke reels in a sealed bottle from a crack in reality. Inside are a distress signal and star map left behind by the advanced civilization known as the Lightweavers before its destruction. Their location is only a few light-years from Earth. The human world is thrown into a frenzy: politicians crave their technology, scientists seek their wisdom, and the public falls into fervent worship. The authorities assemble an expedition, with Dyke as its guide. But when they arrive, they discover that the distress signal was a trap. The Lightweavers were torn into fragments of consciousness by the “dimensional ascension” technology they created themselves. These fragments yearn to “coalesce,” intending to devour the expedition’s consciousnesses and reassemble themselves. Facing the core of the Lightweaver fragments amid the wreckage of their ship, Dyke hears their anguished cry and realizes the truth: “We weren’t calling for help. We were warning you! Stop the coalescence, or you’ll be next!”