Story
Last updated
Last updated
On March 3rd, 2075, at 7:25 PM AST, the environmental monitoring probes deployed across Terragrid, a region on the planet New Terra, detected a strange energy surge in the northeastern part of the area. More precisely, the anomaly originated from Plot T1, a mysterious underwater zone known for its unusual phenomena. An official warning was issued to all Corporate Leaders across Arcadia, advising them to remain cautious, as any unit sent into the region could encounter anomalies or unknown phenomena. Despite the warning, over 17,000 units were deployed to the region, even though fewer than 400 were originally stationed there. Despite the number of units, no major collisions or incidents were reported.
The next day, a bit before 8 PM AST, a strange artifact of unknown origin was discovered by Corporate Leader Cutthroat Miner (szkg2.wam) while mining Minium in the central part of plot T1. The Corporate Leader reported feeling strangely drawn to this particular spot in the region and began digging. The relic was not buried very deep but rather close to the surface, suggesting it may have been lying there for less than 1,000 years. The Corporate Leader mentioned that as he approached the artifact, a faint orange glow began to emit from the center of the object. Even though the Corporate Leader believed that the object was human-made and had been lost by the first miners in the region, he still reported its discovery to the Arcadian Council. The unusual shape of the object, along with the strange markings on its outline, prompted the Council to request it for further analysis.
However, many prominent figures in the Arcadian scientific community believed that the object should not be disturbed, as numerous strange phenomena exist in the region, and many unexplained mysteries persist throughout Arcadia. Some speculate that superior forces may be at play in the Arcadian system, with rumors circulating about advanced entities or even ancient civilizations that once inhabited the area and could potentially return. These whispers have unsettled many miners, who currently enjoy the peace and stability of their mining operations. Conversely, others believe that this object could be the key to fully unlocking Arcadia's true potential and gaining better access to its vast resources.
Divided on the matter, the Arcadian Council could not decide whether analyzing the object was a good idea or if it should be buried again and left untouched.Therefore, an Arcadian vote was organized, giving every Corporate Leader the opportunity to express their opinion.
On March 5th at 2:14 PM UTC, the vote concluded, with more than 82.9% of Corporate Leaders voting in favor of analyzing the object. Shortly after, a team of scientists, led by the head of the Arcadian Scientific Committee, was dispatched to Cutthroat Miner's base to examine the relic.
After two hours of analysis using the most advanced tools available to the Arcadian scientific community, the official report on the artifact was published.
Following the report, questions and shock spread among the Corporate Leaders. No one really knew whether this whole relic story was a giant hoax or the beginning of something much bigger.
Only a few hours after the publication of the report, a strong underwater earthquake struck the center of plot T1, with an origin that couldn’t be explained. As the council announced shortly after the event, the tremor lasted 3.14 seconds, and it was unclear whether the occurrence of such an event in the region was correlated with the discovery of the relic. The council issued a warning, cautioning that potential submarine landslides could occur in the area.
In the following weeks, calm returned to Arcadia as units and Corporate Leaders resumed mining operations. A few unusual vibrations were detected from time to time on plot T1. Some investigations were conducted by the Arcadian Council, but the origin of these phenomena remained unknown. No one was prepared for what was about to unfold.
On March 21st, 2 weeks after the discovery of the Relic and the seismic events on plot T1, Corporate Leaders began to notice a decline in their mining yields. Clones struggled to extract significant amounts of tokens, and mining rigs faced difficulties in harvesting large quantities of resources. Corporate Leaders couldn't understand why Arcadian resources were disappearing.
The council dispatched a special team of five scientists to investigate the issue. After three days of intensive work, the team was unable to determine where the resources were disappearing. On March 27, the Head of the Arcadian Council decided to personally inspect Plot T1. However, after three days of inconclusive research, no significant discoveries were made.
A few days later, the Head of the Council decided to test one of his theories: returning to the area, this time with the relic in hand. On April 1, a formal request was made to Corporate Leader Cutthroat Miner for the relic's transfer. He approved the request, and the artifact was securely handed over to the Arcadian Council. With the relic in his possession, the Head of the Committee set out once more toward Plot T1.
After two days of research, the Head of the Council arrived at a particular location he had noted during his initial inspection: the exact center of the plot, where a headstone lay.
During his first visit, he had reported a strange sensation when approaching the structure. However, preliminary analyses confirmed that the headstone was inorganic, composed of a mineral matrix with unidentified trace elements. Initial scans showed no energy signatures or signs of activity. With no immediate evidence of significance, the Head of the Council had moved on with the investigation.
However, when approaching the headstone with the relic in hand, the stone began to react as the water in the area turned darker. A faint blue glow of energy emerged at its center. As the Head of the Council stepped closer, ancient engravings started to appear across the stone’s surface, and a cavity revealed itself in the center, seemingly designed to house the relic.
Upon this discovery, the Head of the Council immediately returned to the Arcadian Council chamber to report his findings. The event was promptly documented in a classified report for further discussion with other council members.
The three stages of the headstones were heavily documented as scientists returned to the headstone with the relic in hand. With every attempt, the same phenomenon occurred: the stone reacted, and a hole appeared at its center.
At the end of April 2, while the main scientific team was studying the stone, the main page of the condition report, redacted earlier, leaked among the community, triggering a wave of questions and curiosity. The Council waited two days to make an official announcement.
On April 4th, after long discussions, the Arcadian Council decided to place the relic on the headstone. The time was set for 12 p.m. UTC.
As soon as the relic was placeda massive electromagnetic wave was detected on Plot T1. Units were quickly dispatched. To everyone's surprise, a gigantic, underwater citadel, previously concealed by an energy shield, was revealed at the center of Plot T1. The Arcadian Council immediately locked down the area, forbidding any miners from approaching it. The citadel was monitored for several hours, but no activity was detected. The head of the council decided to send a crew of five explorers to investigate the structure.
Forty-seven minutes after the order, the team arrived on site. Moving cautiously, they documented every step. They confirmed that the citadel’s shape and composition were unlike anything ever seen before. The team slowly entered the structure through a massive opening that resembled a main entrance. Inside, they struggled to describe their surroundings. The architecture was utterly alien. One thing was certain: this place was not man-made.
The team established their checkpoint in the first main chamber and began a systematic exploration, mapping the citadel room by room. Soon, they reached a small chamber where they discovered a strange resource with a white and blue tint. The team members reported feeling an inexplicable attraction to it, instinctively recognizing its immense value. Without hesitation, they requested immediate transport support to extract and secure the resource.
Meanwhile, two other crew members exploring the northern section of the citadel reported reaching a vast chamber, at the center of which stood a massive pillar. They also noticed that resources seemed to be flowing downward into a lower chamber located beneath the pillar. They made their way through a small tunnel and reached the chamber below, where they discovered a colossal device: an enormous machine that appeared to be extracting minerals from deep beneath the surface.
As the explorers approached, the ground beneath them began to shake and crumble. They quickly turned back and returned to the upper chamber. As they exited the tunnel and were about to leave the room, they spotted an ominous rotating sphere resembling a giant eye, glowing red and turning toward them. Suddenly, an earsplitting, rhythmic screech echoed through the chamber. Moments later, they were under attack, targeted by projectiles described as red, intensely hot, and generating clouds of electric dust and arcing lightning.
Under heavy fire, the team was forced to flee. Despite the relentless attack from far more advanced weaponry than they had ever encountered, they managed to extract most of the discovered resource from the citadel. Every member successfully escaped, and the resource was secured.
Shortly after the mission, the Arcadian Council convened an extraordinary meeting to discuss the situation. Despite some members' reluctance to return, the majority agreed that the citadel could hold even more valuable resources. Additionally, the presence of the massive, unknown device absorbing the resource posed a significant threat and needed to be deactivated. This urgency compelled the Council to authorize a new mission.
The Council issued an order for the best pilots and their ships to assemble as a fleet, preparing for an all-out invasion of the citadel. The fleet was dispatched. However, as soon as they approached the citadel, the entire fleet was completely wiped out by a massive energy pulse shot from the structure’s shield. Witnessing the devastation from the Council room, the head of the Council slammed his fist on the desk in frustration. The mission had failed.
Head down and on the verge of giving up, the head of the Council received the help of the Alchemist who made his way into the room. He mentioned that the resource extracted from the citadel had a unique thermodynamic signature, which could be the key to returning to the citadel. He then proposed studying it and, thanks to the resource's unique properties, developing new weapons, armor, and consumables that could leap human technology forward, enabling clones to safely cross the citadel's doors.
A small-scale experiment was conducted using a device built with Lumite, and it successfully entered the citadel. The Council then authorized the large-scale production of weaponry and other items using Lumite. The Lumite Forge was created, and the Council granted permission for clones to enter the citadel with the objective of deactivating the device at its center, which was absorbing the resources.
The race was on!
