FTL Net

As the human empire crumbled and its citizens fled back toward Earth, the last and greatest feat of engineering had begun. For 10 light years around the Sol System, a network of devices, the likes of which have never been seen before or since, were constructed to encompass the entire three dimensional space surrounding the system. There have been many attempts to breach it, using sub light drives, by those desperate to escape the destruction that was befalling their people. These attempts ultimately proved futile, as attempts to go to Sol, or any other system within 10 light years, via FTL methods met with failure, the drives simply stopping at the edge of the 'net', while those who attempted to breach using sub light drives only served to hasten their own deaths as their computer systems began running on their own, contrary to any input from the crew, turning off life support, venting atmosphere and people into space. Even to this day, no one knows what happened to Earth and its inhabitants, while some may wish to know what happened, an old proverb eventually worms into their thoughts "be careful what you wish for".

Discovery

It is unknown how it was researched or created, the first any in the Orion Spur knew of it was when the first human refugee vessels approached its borders only to succumb net's defenses. Ships went silent and without life support, their inhabitants died. There are few who are enterprising enough to raid these pristine vessels as many do not wish to tempt fate enough to join the field of the dead.