Echoes of Escher

[Izoh]

In the periphery of the Cologne system, an unusual installation drifts through the darkness of a nebula. Its hull plating shimmers in such a way that you can’t keep your full attention on it. Parts of the station appear worn, as if centuries have passed, while others look brand new. Variations of Gallic, Sirian, and other unknown structures seem to emerge the longer you look, yet when you glance back at earlier discoveries, they appear to have vanished--as if they were never there to begin with. There is a strange absence of crew, ships, and life here--there is something WRONG about this place. Starflier teams, endeavoring (as they often do) to chart the Cologne system, discovered the derelict station in mid-835 A.S. Attempting to pressurize the station led to unusual readings appearing on their sensors--readings not unlike those of an anomaly. This sensor anomaly was strange enough to warrant a call to their neighbors, the SLRC, who had experience with such phenomena after living near one for almost a decade. The Darkhorse arrived with its advanced sensor array sweeping the installation. Yet even the formidable experimental Zoner cruiser failed to uncover the station’s secrets. It was decided that a joint Starflier–SLRC boarding party would investigate. Upon landing, the teams immediately noted the absence of decay--it was as if the station had only recently been abandoned. The fusion reactors and foundries continued to hum beneath their feet, while the darkened windows of various offices stared out at them like empty eye sockets--devoid of life, yet seeming to follow their every movement. As they explored the winding corridors, the layout appeared to twist and shift like a labyrinth--at times turning back on itself, yet never retaining the same configuration when revisited...almost as if the station were reconfiguring itself on the fly. The walls were painted with unknown symbols, logos, insignias, and images. Some were familiar, but others belonged to groups, factions, and governments unknown to them. The air was thick with musk and decay, yet at times sterile and clinical. The oppressive atmosphere clung to their skin like a malevolent presence. Every corner held a sense of dread; every shadow concealed a lurking menace. As they moved through the halls, they couldn’t shake the feeling of being watched--observed. Occasionally, flickers of dim, sickly light illuminated their path, casting shadows that seemed to freeze in place as the glow washed over them--only to vanish again moments later. Distant voices echoed off the bulkheads before fading away, as if memories of the station briefly surfaced before sinking once more into obscurity. Phantom footsteps reverberated through the corridors, stopping when the teams stopped. An echo of their own? Perhaps--perhaps not. The discovery of a lone, powered console in the administration office loomed like an eerie warning--almost as if the station itself were snarling like a cornered, feral animal. On the screen blinked a solitary cursor, awaiting the team’s investigation. These are the logs discovered aboard the station--their stories stranger than fiction, yet disturbingly convincing. Initial Idea Draft by '\S/' & SLRC; starting post given shaped by SLRC

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'\S/' Starfliers.//.Argentum.//.Return home alive, pilots..
"Oh look a rock." - Albert McKenzie

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