Built by a so-far unidentified KII Civilization, Kazix has become the subject of much scrutiny and dozens of probes, drones and automated surveying systems have been sent to the system in order to attempt to answer the burning questions; Who Built Kazix? How did they Do this? and Why?, but most of all everyone wants to know if it is safe to approach this incredible specimen of alien astroengineering.
What is Currently Known...
Preliminary surveys, mostly via automated probes, have ascertained that the Kazix system is composed of hundreds of overlapping Dyson Swarms coordinated and maintained by a gravitationally-synchronized rosette of four so-called 'Jupiter Brains' situated just within the inner-surface of the shell enclosing what remains of the original, inner solar system.
The outer surfaces of the composite 'swarm-shell' encompassing the Kazix System are covered at random intervals with billions of 1,000 mile tall needle-like pinnacles. Each of these pinnacles is hollow and many are host-sites for various nanological flocks of disassembly-mechanisms most of which are in static hibernation.
Recent Developments...
Probe GX-1120-K launched from Mechapublic Projected Security Cordon Authority at Mov (Coord.: 05.00) two years ago suffered a malfunction and crashed into one of the 'Needle-Nests.' Video and other data captured from the ill-fated probe revealed the presence of the nanoflocks. The probe was presumed completely disassembled down to its very molecular matrix and considered lost.
Two weeks ago an encrypted message bearing the Ident-Sequence for Probe GX-1120_K was intercepted by three different individuals off-Mov. One was a low-level AI in the Astronomical Analysis & Assaying Office at Tregio (Coord.: 00.03) that was subsequently deleted by party or parties unknown. The second was a Teaching Assistant at the University of Kaaldu's Deep Time Photoarcheology Station currently in operation in an Unclaimed Region (Coord.: 02.03). The TA is missing and presumed dead due to circumstantial evidence found at the scene (rumors concerning cellular-disruption weapons, clone-capture, or darker things have not been confirmed nor denied at this time by representatives of the University of Kaaldu). The third person to intercept the possibly spurious transmission was Mortimer J. Shalimar, a probationary member of the Hartley Bequest. The disappearance of M.J. Shalimar has brought about a full investigation by the notorious Threat/Hostility Integrated Response Defense Division of the Hartley Bequest.
Immediate Repercussions and Subsequent Events
Several dozen agents and operatives from across the Lithus Sector and beyond have converged upon Mov in order to evaluate the nature of the intercepted signal and to determine further action or reaction for their respective principals.
All mention of Kazix has been expunged from the LocalNet by rogue censorware. This is a known issue and NetIntegrity Specialists are currently doing everything they can to restore full data-access to all clients and subscribers.
A sealed and hardened nanodrive was installed in the brain of a tabby housecat named Felix, once the personal pet of now missing Mortimer J. Shalimar. The cat's enhanced brain may contain some sort of clue to what exactly happened to M. J. Shalimar, as a rather large set of files were downloaded into the cat's proxy-drive by way of a triply-bounced, ultra-encrypted and thoroughly re-directed contingency transmission. The cat's onboard systems have identified the download as coming from M. J. Shalimar.
There are no fewer than six major intelligence services currently trying to trace the data-pathway used by M. J. Shalimar's contingency transmission.
One of the PCs is watching their friend Mortimer's cat while he's off undergoing his Initial Training for Duty in the Hartley Bequest...
That is a great hex-to-map miniature. I don't think I've seen that done before. Very elegant design.
ReplyDeleteThanks. We've been experimenting with all the various maps around here. we're doing something else for K-22B/Sector T3, and a few variations on this approach for some of the wilderness stuff we're working on like Threshold, The Arhcipelago, Red Wastes, and all that.
ReplyDeleteThe whole thing is a notch or two above the top. It's going to be a really wild ride through this sector, that's clear, and satisfying without actually doing the satisfying itself, just as it should be of course.
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