Sandbox:Minzeyes
Anomalies
Since the very onset of the human interstellar era, countless artifacts of yet unexplained make and origin have been unearthed among the stars. Though still quite rare even to this day; the further from known space one travels, the more frequently one stumbles upon these objects of eerie design - and the more frequently one is unwittingly exposed to their oftentimes hazardous effects. This phenomena has since become the cause of growing excitement for those in the now burgeoning field of Anomalistic Sciences, and great dread for most other sentient life within the Orion Spur.
History
Though hushed rumors and folk tales of unexplained happenings within space had been spread by frontiersmen since they first set out into the stars, the first confirmed anomaly on record was one sold to, and subsequently taken in for study by, Zeng-Hu pharmaceuticals in december 2273; which gave it the rather dry moniker “Object #B375.” Its now declassified incident report mentions it was sold to the Corporation by three frontiersmen - (Individuals ‘A’, ‘B’ and ‘C’); none named.
‘B3’, as it has come to be known in the years after news of it first reached the public - was thought by said individuals to be a metallic hilt, allegedly found floating in the opening of a shallow cave on a frontier exoplanet. Thinking it valuable, the frontiersmen took it in hand without immediate incident, though soon unearthed the artifact’s more hazardous properties. Fifteen minutes after discovery, Individual ‘A’ playfully swung the hilt towards ‘B’ - and sliced clean through hardsuit plating, skin, muscle tissue and bone - seemingly without any physical contact.
Object #B375 is - as stated by the declassified Zeng-Hu incident report - a non-projectile weapon of yet unknown make, around two-thirds as dense as air yet incredibly hardy. Its blade is slightly curved, at 134 centimeters long, and to the research team’s surprise; went undetected by the frontiersman due to being only 2.5 atoms thick, entirely translucent and therefore invisible to the naked eye. Attempts to replicate such a material or attain anything resembling its level of structural integrity have thus far completely failed, the weapon now held within the Headquarters of Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals’ Coalition branch. Needless to say, the notion that something as innocuous as the hilt of an old sword could pose such a hazard to sentient life quickly mobilized researchers.
Classification
Not two years after the discovery of #B375, Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals put into effect its first draft of the Aldan Saraspova Index - a standardized guide for the retrieval, containment and study of anomalous objects within the Spur. To this day, it is periodically updated as more specimens are found and cataloged - presently classifying anomalies by Type, Potency and Hazard. Below is a simplified and general guide for the classification of anomalies as they are presently known.
Potency:
Describes how far reaching an anomaly’s effects are.
| Potency | Description |
|---|---|
| Rho(ρ): | Anomaly affects only that with which it comes into direct contact with. |
| Psi(Ψ): | Anomaly affects the general area around itself, such as a room or isolation cell. |
| Gamma(Γ): | Anomaly affects at least an entire deck. |
| Omega(Ω): | Anomalous effect is ship-wide. |
| Ouroboros(⥀): | Purely theoretical. System-wide anomalous effect. |
Type:
Describes the anomaly’s specific manifested phenomena. An anomaly can be classified with two or more Types, provided they fit criteria for such.
| Type | Description | Example(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Spatial: | Any anomalous object or entity that alters its environment with regards to distance. | An object that causes everything east of it to move five times slower and everything north of it to move five times faster; A door leading into the interior a suburban home despite being situated on an asteroid and therefore attached to no such structure. |
| Cognitive: | Any anomalous object or entity that alters sentient perception or thought. | A visible, tangible object the appearance of which cannot be remembered nor described upon looking away. |
| Biological: | Biotechnology or biological phenomena are thought impossible by all standards of modern science. | A statuette that wounds the skin of nearby creatures from a distance, siphoning blood and turning it into violent xenofauna. |
| Radiological: | Any object that radiates ionizing energy despite lacking a discernible source. | An obelisk found to produce the exact lethal dose of radiation for any species that approaches it. |
| Material: | Any material technology which cannot be replicated by modern science, seemingly defying the laws of known physics. | A sword with a blade only 2.5 atoms thick. |
| Psionic: | An anomaly able to affect or produce psionic phenomena in some shape or form. | An artifact that grants non-psions the ability to interface with psionic phenomena; an artifact which blocks out all psionic phenomena in a given area. |
| Sentient: | Interchangeably utilized between beings of anomalous origin and those irreparably affected by the effects of an anomaly. | An alien entity able to phase through walls through unknown means; an Unathi crewmember which has undergone sudden psionic awakening after interacting with an anomalous object. |
Hazard:
Describes in ascending order the threat level said effects pose to ship and crew.
| Class | Description | Example(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Class-0: | Containment is trivial. The anomaly poses no possibility for physical or psychological harm. | A faintly glowing dagger of unknown make. |
| Class-1: | Containment is easy. Personal harm is possible, threat to crew is negligible. | A stone that vitrifies all biomatter it comes in contact with. |
| Class-2: | Containment is challenging. Personal harm is likely, threat to crew is possible. | A machine that spontaneously generates toxic gas. |
| Class-3: | Containment is difficult. Personal harm is unavoidable, threat to crew is likely. | A statuette that wounds the skin of nearby creatures from a distance, siphoning blood and turning it into violent xenofauna. |
| Class-4: | Containment is impossible. Threat to crew is completely unavoidable. | An object that slowly yet surely turns all metal aboard into liquid mercury; an object that nullifies all energy within a hundred and fifty meters of itself. |
Standard Protocol
The Aldan Saraspova Index further stipulates guidelines for the handling of anomalies. Most of it is fairly standard - All anomalies which can be placed within containment units must be; any and all anomalies outside controlled testing environments must be handled with the proper safety gear, the like. Some important highlights, however, are:
- Naming Convention: Anomalies are most often named after the first four digits of whatever Sector in which they were first discovered, (Ex: #B375) though exemptions are often made for those found to be exceptional in some way or another, that is an incredibly rare occurrence. Objects or persons irreparably altered by the effects of an anomaly are classified as a subdivision of such, such as "#B375-b, #B375-c, and so on."
- On Anomalous Entities: Anomalous entities are not considered to possess personhood; but are theoretically granted the right to appeal for citizenship and/or employment within any state in which the SCC operates. High-ranking corporate and diplomatic entities on site are to tend to this request, but retain the right to freely deny it at their leisure. Crew members irreparably affected by anomalous phenomena may be held indefinitely provided said effects are harmful to ship and/or crew, but are considered people so long as they have not been made insensate or insane by the effects.
Corporate Regulation
SCC Standard Corporate Protocol regarding anomalous phenomena is rather curt. It is informed by, and updated according to, the guidelines set by Zeng-Hu's Aldan Saraspova Index. They are as follows:
- All anomalies acquired by an SCC vessel are thereby property of the Conglomerate. Due to their exceeding rarity and volatile nature, disposing of an anomaly in any way without the informed consent and order of a vessel’s research personnel or captain constitutes Neglect of Duty.
- Removing an anomaly (whether there is intent to dispose of it or otherwise.) Class-1 or higher from its assigned holding without the consent and supervision of a vessel’s research personnel constitutes Sabotage. Doing the same with an anomaly Class-3 or higher constitutes Terrorism.
- The use of reasonable force against an anomalous entity is to be considered Self-Defense, though residual matter is to be disposed of only in the aforementioned circumstances.
Cultural Impact
The initial revelation that there were things out there - lurking in the inky depths of space, which defied and oftentimes wholly disregarded all known laws of physics - sent massive shockwaves through humanity's collective cultural zeitgeist; kickstarting countless new age Spiritualist movements throughout the following decades. These - propped up by lofty, baseless promises of philosopher's stones and fountains of youth hidden among the stars - were by and large short-lived, killed by both Zeng-Hu's tortuously slow trickle of information and the esoteric, oftentimes obtuse nature of anomalies themselves. A particularly vocal Xenoarcheologist of the era jokingly said, in an interview on the topic; "If these artifacts are gifts from the heavens or the great beyond; neither God nor the dead are very fond of us."
Though this initial boom of notoriety soon petered out within humanity's core systems; the impossible reality they'd been faced with very much remained - a searing question etched into the minds of hobbyists and scholars alike for generations to come. Were these artifacts built by intelligent beings? If so, by whom, exactly? and for what purpose? It was not hard for those early humans to envision, when made to face the unknowable - beings of such frightening power that the laws of reality could be woven by them like a fine tapestry, or gleefully shattered like a thin sheet of glass. The hypothetical artisans behind these objects were; however, the least of concerns to many frontiersmen in the period surrounding the Interstellar War - who had more and more frequently been forced to adapt to their existence, devoid of the know-how or safety equipment readily developed by research corporations. Despite the evident peril, many whose lives were left in complete disarray by the conflict began aimlessly seeking out artifacts, be it for profit or absolution - giving rise to a myriad tiny cults and a fringe new economy in the very margins of civilized space; several groups of interest now vying to grasp the tantalizing unknown.
Collectors
Operating largely within the CoC and Human Frontier, Collectors are a little known; shady and poorly understood group within the Orin Spur. Their notorious use of proxies makes it difficult to discern if even the term ‘Collector’ refers to a single organization, or was coined to regard any engaging in this same activity. Postulation regarding them varies wildly among Frontiersmen - between a cluster of corporate and governmental entities, a massive underground cult dedicated to anomalous phenomena, or simply unrelated rich people with far too much money and little regard for the safety of others. No one knows for certain, and exceedingly few have any incentive to dig further into the matter. In spite of all the encircling mystery, however; their front-facing operations are remarkably straightforward. One brings anomalous objects to one of said proxy buyers, (usually learned of through word-of-mouth) and receives a large sum of credits in turn. Few words exchanged, no questions asked.
This simplicity crumbles when faced with the grim reality of actually acquiring said product, of course. The total lack of safety equipment and sheer rarity of anomalous phenomena meaning only the most desperate of scavengers dare actively look for these deadly artifacts; and that those who do - often called 'Leadboxers'; a play on the notion that dangerous anomalies are stored by them with nothing but prayer and lead-lined containers - often resort to taking by force objects secured by other groups. Overall, extended gunfights among those who plan on acquiring anomalies claim just as many lives as the anomalies themselves.
Though high-paying, the nameless Collectors are not the only avenue for the anomalous trade - with several Corporations and Coalition governments boasting credit rewards in exchange for artifacts. Solarian policy dictates that all anomalies found within its space are governmental property as a default.