Restless Sleeprs

Author: 4e6f74206964656e 746966696564

Original post: https://forums.eveonline.com/t/restless-sleepers/116983/3

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

It all began at Seyllin
Countless people across multiple systems died in the blue light of an A0-type star gone nova
It was soon discovered that it was caused by Isogen-5, but that was soon forgotten in what was to come.

Wormholes appeared across New Eden, and the four empires made some of the first forays in, followed by the Capsuleers
But where three Empires went in to explore, one knew where to look

The Amarr knew where they were going, and in doing so, found a Sleeper Enclave
They harvested implants from the countless sleepers they found, though “harvested” gives the impression that the sleepers were not alive and that they weren’t systematically killed off.
Some would have called that a genocide

After that, the Sisters of Eve started studying this new and interesting race of people while the Capsuleers began raiding their sites for riches.
The Amarr began their Templar project, which used the stolen implants to create immortal soldiers.

Hilen Tukoss, founder of the Arek’Jalaan project, whose purpose was to research the sleepers and their wormholes, reappears from a long absence
He asked the Capsuleers to get him various Jove Body parts, and he was obliged without question.
Why would he ask for such things when the information should have been readily available to him due to the nature of his research

Not long after, there was another transmission from Tukoss, but it was much more urgent and strange.
He says that the previous transmissions were not from him, but from his captors.
He says to abandon the Arek’Jalaan project since it is now insecure, though the damage was already done.

A strange green nebulae appears in the sky all across New Eden.
It was named Caroline’s star, and it appeared to be coming from Jove space.

Circadian Seekers appear across the cluster and begin scanning ships, gates, and whatever else they find.
The DED investigate the seekers and find that they are harmless unless provoked
Capsuleers proceed to attack them anyway

Jove Observatories begin decloaking across New Eden and the Drifters make their first appearance
While Concord begins their investigations into the Drifters, Capsuleers begin attacking them anyway.

The Drifters might wasn’t truly realized until a Capsuleer engaged a single Drifter Battleship in his Thanatos class carrier, and is subsequently destroyed.
Despite this, though, the Drifters are only hostile unless they are either attacked first, or their territory in encroached upon.
Only around the Jove Observatories and their wormholes, were they hostile.

The Drifters were still, mostly, a mystery.
A few things were certain though.
One, being that the Drifters were some sort of Jove, based on their ship designs, and of their advanced weaponry, which had characteristics of previously seen Jove technology.

Then, Hilen Tukoss contacted Capsuleers again.
He says that he will attempt an escape using one of their ships, but not before he described his captors.
He said that they looked like Sleepers, though they were no longer sleeping, and that they are biological and biomechanical.

Meanwhile in empire space, the Capsuleers continue their attack on the Drifters, and the Drifters begin doing something unusual.
After they have destroyed a Capsuleers ship, they will proceed to destroy his pod as well and take the corpses.
Perhaps they are doing this to make up for the loss of their own bodies to the Ciniel Caracal doctrine, or perhaps so that they could make new bodies for the sleepers who had their bodies taken from them.

The Drifters are also seen dismantling the Jove Observatories and taking the pieces they recover back through their wormholes.
Among these parts, they are also salvaging what was known as Antikythera elements, which was discovered in the wrecks of circadian seekers.

The Amarr, again tampering with technology they don’t understand, began researching the Antikythera elements, while forgetting that they have failed before with Jove technology, when sleeper consciousnesses began taking over their Templar soldiers, causing the Empress to call for a purge of all of them.
When their research was discovered, Lai Dai, of the Caldari state, offered assistance, even though Ishukone advised caution The Gallente and Minmatar both denounced these actions of trying to weaponize more Jove technology.

The Ciniel doctrine, used to kill 55 Drifters up to this point, has failed.
The Drifters have adapted
It is reiterated that the Drifters are not a threat unless they are either attacked or have their territory encroached on.

A Drifter body was recovered and taken in for study.
An autopsy was performed and some new things were learned while others were reaffirmed.
It was observed that the Drifters are similar to the Jove, as Hilen Tukoss stated in an earlier transmission.
It is also discovered that Drifters don’t have vocal chords, and though many saw this as proof that they are inhuman, they conveniently forgot that Capsuleers can still communicate while in their pod.
Also noted is that the body has artificial life support, which leads some to believe that this makes them simple meat puppets, when Capsuleers are essentially that. A puppeteer controlling a body.
No, the artificial life support is either meant to make a body, that has been in stasis for thousands of years, functional again, or help bodies, that have been exposed to hard vacuum, useable again.

While the results of the autopsy were broadcast to New Eden, a Drifter battleship interrupted with a high frequency data stream that shut down the fluid routers in 5 systems.
It’s after this event that the Drifters increase their presence in Amarr space.
And even after this, the Drifters are still passive unless aggressed, and Capsuleers continue to aggress at every opportunity.

The Aratakas Research Consortium continues to enter and clear out Drifter wormholes, as they have done since the Drifters emerged, but this time, they found something new.
This time, they came across a new Drifter type, the Hicanta Tyrannos, though that was the least interesting thing they found that day. They also found Jove corpses in what are called, “sleeper canopics”, and the corpse of Hilen Tukoss.
It appeared that everything he had learned about them couldn’t save him, so how could ARC or the Amarr empire expect anything more.

Sarum Prime, home of the Mekhios Graveyard.
Empress Jamyl Sarum gives a speech commemorating CVA’s victory over a horde of Drifters.
During the speech, Elder Mentor of the society of conscious thought, Matshi Raish, began scanning Sarum’s Avatar class Titan.
He states that he is investigating potential existential threats and that his actions are legal.
He was nevertheless told to leave or be fired upon.
After a brief back and forth, he began to leave, stating that he learned what he came to learn, and was fired upon before he could warp out.
It was a rather extreme and paranoid action to execute someone for doing something that wasn’t only legal, but done on a daily basis by many Capsuleers across the cluster.
She was hiding something, or someone else was hiding something.
Whatever it was, she didn’t want the Society of Conscious Thought, a Jovian corporation, to get the information.

Then they finally came for Amarr.
The navy assumed it was unprovoked, but some knew better.
The Navy ended up coming out on top, with the aid of Capsuleers, but not before great losses were incurred.

After the victory, Jamyl Sarum appeared in Safizon to congratulate her people on their victory and their loyalty.
Then the Drifters plan was realized.
A fleet of Drifters warped in, assassinated the Empress, and left.
Something to note, however, is that they only attacked Jamyl. Nobody else was attacked.
She was the sole target, and not because she was the leader of the Amarr, but because of what she has done since she returned.

She knew exactly where to find a Terran weapon, and knew how to use it.
She had known exactly where to find a sleeper enclave, in space she had never been before.
She committed genocide on those sleepers to get their implants.
When finding out that the sleepers she had killed for the implants were taking control of her soldiers through those implants, she ordered them killed again.
She took Drifter technology, the Antikythera, and attempted to weaponize it.

After another culling of the Amarr navy, the Drifters were sure they wouldn’t attempt any more acts of aggression against them to avenge their fallen leader’s.

But there is still more to tell, but not of the Amarr.

A Sisters of Eve flotilla was discovered in a Drifter hive system researching their technology and behaviors.
Later they launch Project Discovery to research the Drifter Genome, with the hope of adapting their technology, even though they were warned of the dangers.
It appeared that the SOE had not learned from the Amarr.
Drifter activity in wormholes begins to indicate a possible expansion of operations in known space.

The Sisters of Eve, using the knowledge from Project Discovery, launch their new alpha cloning technology.
Unsurprisingly, the Drifters attack fleets from the four empires that are escorting SOE scientists involved in the alpha cloning program, with the intent of capturing or killing the scientists responsible for the use of the Drifter technology.

From the Amarr to the Sisters of Eve, more factions begin researching Drifter technology, at the risks of reprisals from the Drifters. Another such group, would be the Schism, a faction of the Guristas.
Fatal, the leader of the Schism, successfully attacked Drifter ships and looted their technology.
The Valkyrie are subsequently forced to ask the aid of the Capsuleers to help them keep up in this arms race.
Though both sides successfully upgrade their arsenal, The Valkyrie having gotten help from the Sisters of Eve in the process, Fatal is now forced to hide, in constant fear of being taken and tortured by the Drifters for his transgressions if he ever leaves the safety of his station again.

A curious turn of events.
Damaged Drifter fleets begin appearing across the cluster
They were attacked by an unknown enemy, who had the power to make them retreat.
Perhaps the Drifters, in this moment, saw a greater danger, or perhaps it was for their own survival.
But it appeared the Drifters needed assistance. Perhaps they put aside their differences with the Capsuleers and were asking for help, we may never know.
It’s possible, if they were asking for help, that they were broadcasting on a frequency we didn’t have access too.
Regardless of the circumstances, the Capsuleers destroyed them with ease, especially when it’s considered that they did not aggress first, even in their vulnerable state, and after the first wave of Capsuleers attacked, the Drifters ceased their fire, accepting of their fate.

From the wreckage, was recovered corrupted trinary data vaults coded in a strange new language, showing a new enemy to the Drifters, and potentially to New Eden.
It is unknown why the two were fighting, and it will likely never be known, since peaceful contact will not be attempted.

And that brings us to the most recent event.
The Society of Conscious Thought unveils their new Praxis Battleship.
It is built with Jove technology, and made to combat the ever expanding threats of New Eden.
It’s not too far of a reach to think that some of the Jove technology used, could be Drifter, since the Drifters attacked the shipyards shortly after launch of these new ships.
Whatever you think, if the powers that be don’t stop repeating the same mistakes, one day, there will be an enemy we cant fight.

Signed -The Speaker for the Dead