Anomaly Encounter

Author: DeMichael Crimson

Original post: https://forums.eveonline.com/t/yc-122-newcwc-anomaly-encounter/241043

Entry for YC122 New Eden Capsuleer’s Writing Contest in the Prose category.

To: Agent Tamoko Raytio
Cc: Lai Dai Corporation
Bcc: Caldari State
Loc: Otomainen System
Bea: Red Rock Outpost

From: DeMichael Crimson
Date: YC 115-02-04
Re: Anomaly Encounter

Addendum to Mission Report - Wagon Christ

My initial report of successfully intercepting and destroying the Sansha envoy enroute to the Guristas forces in the Okkelen Constellation of The Forge Region still stands as completed.

While conducting a search of the Otomainen System to make sure no stragglers were left, my ship sensors detected a very strange Anomaly signal within the general area. I decided to investigate the source of the signal and after running multiple scans with Core Probes, I was finally able to pinpoint it’s exact location. Proceeding with caution in case this was some sort of trap, I preset my ship to drop out of warp 30km range from the signal source.

Upon exiting warp at the location of the signal, I encountered a single stationary object of unknown origin floating in space. I quickly activated sensor scans and after making sure there was no threat of a Guristas ambush, I started to inspect the object. While doing so I just couldn’t shake the feeling that someone, or something, was watching me and judging me. As such I would periodically check the local comm net and every time I did, the only ping I got back from the system router was myself.

The object itself appeared to be a rectangular shape, devoid of any external markings or defects. The deep glossy black surface of each side seemed to be smooth and reflective, completely uniform with no visible ports or any other obvious means of access. It was completely clean with no marks of cosmic dust on it, almost like it was just recently placed there. However I have a hunch that this object dates back at least to the time of the original Colonizers of New Eden, maybe even further back than that.

For some reason my ship sensors could not produce exact dimensions of the object but they did confirm that it conformed to a perfect 1:4:9 dimensional ratio. I’m sure the dimensional ratio itself is a very important aspect of the object but to what end escapes me.

In order to get the exact measurements of each side with some triangulation and geometric manipulation, I proceeded to get closer to the object. As my ship approached it, the object started to shimmer and change, almost becoming translucent with a million little lights appearing from nowhere.

I was truly astounded and all I could say was : “My God, it’s full of stars”.

Then my ship computer said : “Hello Dave, it’s good to be working with you again”.

Needless to say, my name isn’t Dave. Obviously there was something wrong with my ship computer so I bookmarked the object’s location for future study and gave the order to dock in the nearest station for a maintenance repair check.

That’s when my ship computer said : “I’m sorry Dave, I’m afraid I can’t do that”.

I had to regain control of my ship and the only way to do that was to bypass the main UUB Nexus Chip and Motherboard AI Circuits. After successfully regaining control of my ship, I was able to manually pilot and dock the ship in a nearby station. Unfortunately my actions in regaining control of my ship also resulted in a complete loss of all sensor readings of the object.

While waiting on Scotty the docking manager to do a complete reboot of my ship computer, I decided to do some research. According to DED records, Dr. Dave Bowmen on board the ‘S.S. Discovery’ is documented as having ‘First Contact’ with one in YC 103. The object was reported to be the cause of a mainframe meltdown of the ship’s Tech 2 computer system known as ‘HAL 9000’.

The ‘S.S. Discovery’ and it’s crew were presumed lost until the ship’s location was pinpointed years later. A joint Military-Research crew was sent to investigate it and after reactivating ‘HAL 9000’, they gained information on the fate of the ship and crew but not the secrets of the object, now being referred to as the ‘Black Monolith’.

According to their mission reports, the ‘Black Monolith’ initiated events that resulted in the formation of a Nuclear Fusion Star which the crew narrowly escaped. In the process of doing that, the crew received this message from the ‘Black Monolith’:

ALL THESE WORLDS ARE YOURS EXCEPT EUROPA
ATTEMPT NO LANDING THERE
USE THEM TOGETHER
USE THEM IN PEACE

Based on the information I have found and due to my own experience, I recommend that an Official Concord Advisory for the ‘Black Monolith’ be issued throughout New Eden with a warning - Use extreme caution when encountering a ‘Black Monolith’. Close contact may result in ‘Mainframe Meltdown’ of ship computer.

After completing repairs on my ship computer, Scotty the docking manager was able to retrieve one visual scan of the ‘Black Monolith’ 5.

Currently my ship computer seems to be working correctly now except for one small side effect, it keeps insisting that I call it ‘Hal’.

Oh well, at least it’s not calling me ‘Dave’ anymore.