2722 Spacedom: Güdan's Sacrifice to Save the Children's Camp

Asram Güdan's sacrifice to save the children's camp in the blue sector of the Sky Cathedral.

Güdan and his two comrades are the sole survivors of an armored infantry unit that attempted a landing on an asteroid as part of one of many failed attempts to liberate the Sky Cathedral. Despite the failure, the three soldiers, equipped with armored combat suits, have sufficient delta-V to head for the Sky Cathedral, which is merely 200,000 km away from their current location. After a week-long journey, they finally arrive at their destination.

At the same time the inhabitants of the blue sector of the Spica section find themselves in a fierce defensive battle to protect the children's camp. The camp boasts two concealed escape tunnels that have served as vital evacuation routes in the past. However, these tunnels have been compromised during the recent weeks. The nanocomplexes of the first command node attempt to infiltrate one of these tunnels, only to be met with intense resistance from human guards. During their approach Güdan and his comrades notice the flickering of electrical discharges emitted during the fight, which are caused by the high-voltage grids used by the defenders to sabotage the nanocomplexes' internal information processing as they advance through the escape tunnels.

Utilizing the last of their maneuvering fuel, the trio of soldiers steer towards the ongoing battle. The nanos are on the brink of penetrating the tunnel when Güdan and his comrades arrive to join the fight. Combatants on both sides – humans and nanocomplexes – are only armed with primitive weapons. So, the powered suits and weapons of the armored infantry are far superior to the attackers. The soldiers can quickly destroy several nanocomplexes, effectively stopping their advance. The defenders succeed in barricading the tunnel while the soldiers are holding the nanos at bay.

The nanocomplexes then charge through the alternate tunnel but are met with an equally strong defence. However, the ammunition of the three soldiers is running low, their high-velocity darts magazines depleted. They still have their grenade launchers though these were not supposed to be used in confined spaces. Nevertheless, the soldiers have no choice but to fire grenades down the tunnel, while the defenders of the children's camp seal the tunnel’s exit.

The nanocomplexes, bound by the war treaty that prohibits damage to the structure of the Sky Cathedral, never break through walls themselves. They only use existing corridors or entrances caused by others. With both escape tunnels now closed, the children's camp is unreachable to them. Adhering to their programming the nanos break off the attack.

Tragically, one of the grenades used in the closed confines of the second escape tunnel causes collateral damage, tearing open a gaping hole in a nearby wall. In an instant, the nanocomplexes enter attack mode again redirecting their focus towards infiltrating the camp through the damaged wall.

With railgun darts exhausted and grenades being too destructive to be used inside the camp, the defenders have to resort to their primitive weapons. These include swords made of steel bars taken from the Sky Cathedral, reminiscent of weaponry used during medieval times. These weapons are aimed at disrupting the nanocomplexes' mechanical structure and information processing, while the nanos are trying to damage human bodies by means of sharp extrusions formed from their microbots. The human warriors are trying to protect themselves from the nanos' actuators by makeshift shields fashioned from wall plates of the Sky Cathedral. Such has been the fight between nano and human for years: humans do not have access to advanced weapons and the nanocomplexes – limited by the war treaty – pretend to be unarmed.

Unsurprisingly, the defenders are hopelessly outmatched with this primitive equipment. It is true in direct combat, humans have managed to defeat nanocomplexes multiple times. However, this has only been achieved when the nanos were greatly outnumbered and with significant losses on the human side. It takes at least five skilled fighters to stop a single nano.

Now, at the newly created breach in the wall of the children's camp, humans and nanos face each other one to one. The humans don't stand a chance. They are forced to retreat as the nanos pour through the opening. Güdan bravely fights on the front line, using the primitive weapons of the locals since he has run out of ammunition. Luckily, his armored suit offers at least some protection against the nanos' actuators while it still has power, but it is already running on reserve. Without modern weapons and power, it is only a matter of time before the nanos will gain the upper hand storming the camp.

Feeling guilty for his misfiring, Güdan quickly devises a plan to use the nanos’ programming against them. Bypassing two invading nanos he uses his suit to block the gap in the wall. Then he welds himself tightly to the wall using signal flares, making it impossible for the nanos to penetrate. This action causes the nanos to perceive Güdan’ suit as a structural component of the Sky Cathedral, effectively rendering the wall impenetrable to further attacks. The two nanos inside the children's camp are ultimately neutralized, but not without significant losses. As a result, the attack comes to an end.

After the attack is over, the nanocomplexes exit combat mode and many units retreat to their service stations. The remaining nanos begin to repair the battle damages, as it is their mission to protect the Sky Cathedral’s structure. They even produce wall elements in autofabs and attach them as best they can.

Güdan is still stuck in his immobile battle suit. It is impossible to rescue him without opening the gap and exposing the children's camp to attack again. The nanos would immediately switch back to combat mode and overrun the camp.

Asram Güdan dies from the welding torch of a nano employed to repair the wall.

The wall containing his corpse, his suit, the hall of the former children's camp, and the surrounding station areas are all obliterated by a nuclear blast several years later when the last human survivors are rescued from the Sky Cathedral.

Today, a holo-installation near Blackstar Hall commemorates these events. It can be found on the tour of the memorial just behind the statue of "Gee – the friendly nano" which usually receives much more attention.