J.Weatherly Logs - Kansas Expedition - The Nebula

[vesoul]

James Weatherly, Starflier Subject: Kansas Expedition - The Nebula Date: 824-10-20 In the short time since I pushed myself to see more of this incredible world, never have I thought Sirius contains wonders as extraordinary as seen today. I was moored on Planet Erie awaiting an escort through Kansas, it was an enduring wait, yet all the worth once the comms channel pinged out. Today's flight plan includes a rendezvous above Planet Toledo, a path to the previously catalogued wreck known as "Rattlesnake", then a full sensor triangulation sweep between myself, piloting the CEV-Cyllene, and my expedition partner, Captain Amy Cromwell (known officially as the Venator of Vengence), and her crew aboard the Carrier ACV-Titania. The swirling nebula danced a mesmerized blue, purple, and pink (all spectra-analysis pending a data review), an enigmatic maelstrom of cosmic dust and energy. It was a breathtaking sight, the electro-static charging the dust with the occasional discharge of energy. As we navigated the nebula near the wreck of the Rattlesnake, our sensors picked up a faint, pulsating signal. This signal traced to a gravitational anomaly, a constructive interference nodal of the tidal flows in the fabric of space-time. 2.8 clicks to port. 1.75 clicks to visual confirmation. As we approached the anomaly, we noticed a faint, shimmering light emanating from its center. We decided to investigate further. As we drew closer, the light grew brighter and more intense. There is a sense this anomaly has existed for many millions of years, held in stability. It remains as, I remark, a sentinel would; ever at it post, ever keeping the secrets the nebula and this system contains. Looking at this ebbing gravitational heart. My mind trails off, thinking of the astronomical scale of its existence. Suddenly, the anomaly seemed to shift and distort, a static discharge tears through the background dust. In that moment, something was revealed in the electric flash. A massive, moon-sized object. The object was emitting a powerful electron-magnetic signal, distorted and weakened by the surrounding static. The navigation systems flashes to life "Docking protocol received...acknowledge for initiation...". We had stumbled upon a gate, a portal to another part of the universe. We cautiously approached it, our hearts pounding with anticipation. This gate was ancient, strong and battered against the passage of eons. The gate was much larger than I had expected. It seemed to cast a long, eerie shadow. As we got closer, we could see that it was covered in strange markings and symbols, some of which appeared to be ancient script. The patterns were intricate and symmetrical, and they seemed to glow with an otherworldly light. All the gate arms displayed signs of incredible damage, yet none capable by our known modern technology. I think back to the moon Olathe, orbiting Planet Topeka. How the rings were formed, and how the mass differentials detail how Olathe had moons of its own before losing them in a catastrophic event. Could the impact of an entire moon be enough to damage this alien structure. This impact would have been so powerful that it had shattered the moon into countless pieces, listing the entire moon-sized gate 62 degrees offset from its Z-Axis, and creating the whole debris field around this ancient gate. As we continued the study, I couldn't help but be filled with a sense of wonder and awe. Who had built this ancient artifact? What purpose had it served? And where did it lead? We spent hours analyzing the gate, collecting data and taking samples. We discovered that the gate was made of a material that we had never been able to properly catalogue, yet partially known in certain circles within the Barrier of Coronado. It was incredibly strong and durable, and it seemed to be resistant to all forms of damage, yet somehow the gate in Coronado was...disabled, and this gate itself was damaged yet stabilized. The more we studied the gate, the more it reminded me of the destroyed gate in Coronado. Both gates were ancient and had been damaged by a massive impact. Yet this gate stands strong, while the other broken and adrift. Could there be a connection between the two? I began to wonder if the gate in Coronado had been destroyed intentionally. Perhaps someone, or something, had wanted to prevent it from being used. The more I thought about it, the more convinced I became that there was a sinister plot afoot. As Amy and I left the nebula, I couldn't shake the feeling that we had stumbled upon something truly extraordinary. Something that could change the course of history. I can't wait to see what the future holds. This has been James Weatherly, signing off on this personal log. Safe skies, and godspeed to whoever hears this long after I'm gone.

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The Starfliers are the best faction.

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