Shrouding Tower SCA-46
Shrouding Tower; Nihlus facility designation SCA-46, A.K.A. "Mirage"
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Sword Base Agatha:
Assessment Report 0000:
I've arrived at Sword Base Agatha and started my initial analysis of the situation. 60 kilometers across the tooltip: An area of sealed space, this this case prefabricated walls with point defense drones at intervals where no travel is permitted]quarantine zone[/tooltip] is a static anomaly; a circular black void apparently two dimensional a one sided gap in space, 8 kilometers in diameter, suspended 60 kilometers above the surface. Everything within 32 kilometers of the hot zone turn foul. The clear waters of the lake near the epicenter are adrift with reefs of moldering decay as if the void was rotting everything around it with a graduated effect.
Quarantine Zone:
During the rainy season personnel have claimed to witness a quivering ghostly spire perceived like the image of a fleeting dream1. Witnesses describe a construction of impossibly beautiful white rock rooted in the ground and piercing up through the mouth of the void and far beyond. Viewers are immediately afflicted with visions for approximately thirty seconds with, three outliers. The affected personnel describe the visions as a rapid-fire slide shows of places, people, sounds, feelings, and knowledge injected into the afflicted party. I have yet to witness this phenomenon for myself, but the claims are consistent with all witnesses. As of yet we cannot verify the Founders as the craftsmen of the towers. With the discovery of tower 46 that brings the placement pattern and count to ████. We speculate that they are ████. And so are somehow linked to ████. My own speculation of this phenomenon is these spires act as some sort of anchor, like mooring posts for a dock. Instead of boats they anchor worlds like our own in space time. The worlds beyond the gate appear to be stored memories played back and jumbled like a dream viewed through the mind's eye. Perhaps the ghostly tower is a dreamer, dreaming of places and peoples the Founders of these constructs wanted to preserve. They may be proof that at some time there was more beyond our skies than the Terminus Rings2 that grant us illumination across the globe. I do not believe that it is far-fetched to speculate that our world and the reality that we know is not as it should be. Like the worlds seen through the looking glass of the spire. I believe that our world is incomplete. The Founders artifacts are many and I'm sure they hold all the answers. If we can find more of these, we can glean a deeper understanding of the fabric of our reality and our place in it. Perhaps even reach out to ████. . . . Transmission end . . .
Field report 0002-A:
I deployed drones to the hot zone. Data suggests they are aging at an accelerated rate relative to their proximity to the phenomenon. The systems damage by the erosion phenomenon will not hinder phase 3 assessments. Entering the center of the hot zone reveals a doorway with a thin membrane covering it. The membrane has flat glassy sheen with apparent beveling at the edges. While appearing translucent there is only perfect blackness on the other side of the membrane. Directing drones to pass through the entrance.
Note: The drones IO signal has a 5 second delay at the center.
As a note I will requisition addition drones in case contact is lost. The scuttle system will be armed to prevent possible examination of the drone by outside parties. Can never be too careful.
Drone:
. . . Transmission end . . .
Field report 0009-A:
Remote connection is good. The area around the gate appears to be ████. All parameters are within allowable limits for safe ground team insertion. In the interest of caution, I would like to leave the drones gate-side for a two-week period. I request the destroyer Queen of Ash be contracted to support the additional security measures assigned base side following the discovery of ████.
. . . Transmission end . . .Field report 0042-A:
We are nearing the end of the two week waiting period. My suspicions were well founded. The signal of the drones has been washing in and out over the past few days. The gateway appears to be destabilizing. Video feeds show the world around the drones to be fading, like it is dissolving into nothingness grain by grain. My speculation of a dreamer may be correct. The pathway to these worlds may only be temporary as the dreamer moves on to other visions. I will leave the drones active for another few weeks to confirm the validity of my speculations.
. . . Transmission end . . .Field report 0096-A:
The drones were lost yesterday. The elapsed time from entry to disconnect was ████. I have sent a new set of drones through the gateway. As I thought the environment and skies appear to be completely different from the previous connection. If the connection time is on a consistent pattern I advise a ground team be sent to investigate gate-side as soon as possible to take advantage of the brief operational window.
. . . Transmission end . . .Field report 0004-B:
I am gate-side. I must admit it is difficult to contain myself. I am on unknown world after all! The erosion appears to apply solely to inorganic materials. Blood tests of the forward team display reduced mineral levels. Our gear also displays the same erosion present on the drones. During reconnaissance we encountered ████. We were not expecting this. Fortunately, we were adequately prepared. I advise immediate additional security measures be instituted base-side. I request four tactical heavy-support squads. be prepped for gate-side travel
. . . Transmission end . . .Field report 0038-B:
We are nearing the end of the safe operational period. Srg. Freeder stumbled upon ████ It is the first signs of ████. It may be pushing our luck but I request additional time outside the safe operation period to investigate this finding.
. . . Transmission end . . .Field report 0056-B:
There appears to be some sort of message embedded in this world, reality . . . or whatever this construct is, repeating over and over almost like an SOS. I presume this is a pattern within the mind of the dreamer something important, possibly a message from the founders?
. . . Transmission end . . .Field report 0061-B:
We have encountered ████. We are pulling out but are hard pressed. Advise base-side be placed on Immediate High alter, all hands on deck. Call all available forces! This may be my last transmission. To command: Do not stop the investigation into the anomalies! Whatever may come, this IS a turning point in or history, one we cannot undo! To my daughter ████ I know I haven't been there for you and your mother. I hope you can understand the importance of my work. I haven't said it enough, but this may be my last chance, so let me say it now. I love you with all of my heart, and I'm SO proud of everything you have become. Take care of your mother. Be safe, I know you will weather the coming storm. Everything I do, everything I HAVE done, I do for the betterment of our great nation.
. . . Transmission end . . .Purpose / Function
Unlike the White Halls that connect to our Outsider neighbors. I suspect this doorway connects to worlds that were, or maybe will be.
Architecture
Observation reveals the forms noted in my assessment and report 2-A. Additional notes about the second form.The arch differs in size, appearance, and material each time the connected world is shifted and depending on the size of the viewer. I suspect a warship would be granted entrance if brought before the doorway. I am very curious to know if access to the tower itself is possible and what wonderful things it can show us! I can scarcely imagine what it is like inside the body of the dreamer.
Communication Traffic Monitor
Unauthorized message unknown recipient. decrypting. . . decrypted:If only I had known the great and terrible power we would awaken in the mind of the Dreamer. The wondrous things they have shown me, the things we might become! To think I hesitated at that precipice of unknowable darkness beyond the gate. I do not regret the path these hands have wrought. It is the only path to salvation and the truth the founders want me to see.
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This is a really incredible article! I definitly love the way you detail this article and unfold its events. The formatting could use a bit of work with quotes and usage of apostrophes. Maybe you could use spoiler tags to show redacted information as well. Hope my advice was good though and keep up the great work!
Thanks so much for the comment! :) Tried to make it at least a little entertaining to read. Ya my grammar in life could use love. I haven't toyed with formatting of the articles yet, it's a little fiddly for me. But I'll try and improve to make it more pleasant to read. Theiket just told me about spoiler tags, or the redacted markup code. But I wanted to leave that information a mystery. As "In world" this is a redacted document with no more information to reveal. But I like the idea. Maybe I'll use it for encrypted media. Thank you again for your comment and suggestions I'll try and implement them :)