Rumors

To Be Expanded - While the lore here is subject to expansion, it is still canon.

Rumors

Space is a big place, and not every story can be traced to an origin, proven, or otherwise verified. Here is a collection of some of the more popular rumors, tabloid stories, and conspiracy theories that might make their way to Vir.

Media Sources

Below are media sources where you might stumble across some of these folk tales and myths in your travels. These are not definitive lists, and more are likely to exist.

Monsters from Beyond

An Exonet conglomeration that runs forums, blogs, and surprisingly flat-faced news articles regarding rumors, conspiracies, and creatures lurking in the dark. They are generally mocked by any large-budget or professional news outlets, if not directly then by their supporters.

Ancient Aliens

The portion of the MfB conglomerate that discusses precursors, generally opposed to the idea that the Singularitarians are the one and only ancient species to ever exist in the Milky Way.

The Symbionts

A species that some believe to have existed during the reign of the Singularitarians, possibly near their fall. According to recovered artifacts, they appear to have dwelled within a band of space ‘above’ the Bowl and the Pearlshield Coalition, stretching out toward Nyx; this region is not well mapped due to the difficulties in reaching this area with current Bluespace Drive technology with the absolutely abysmal tachyon density of the region.

Many of the artifacts obtained from their worlds suggest a syncretic or even symbiotic connection between two distinct species, leading to their name above. Imagery on the final pieces suggest one of the pair may have even been a coraloid of parasitic nature, though due to the pieces’ ‘eccentricity’ they are widely considered to be some form of propaganda against them by whomever was under their domain.

The few worlds that sourced these artifacts are covered in incredibly widespread, usually semi-or-totally aquatic flora of eerily similar appearance and humid zones, known to contain many open caverns near the poles. Expeditions within were halted prematurely due to unexplained food shortages and disappearances.

This species is often considered by the more eccentric of the Monsters from Beyond subscribers to be the direct, true reason exploration of the worlds was ended prematurely, often citing the disappearances as ‘the gathering of hosts’, as per the parasitic coraloid view commonly circulated on the site-run exonet boards. These claims are not often endorsed by any credible scholar.

Gorquaran

An amphibious species believed to have lived during or possibly before the reign of the Singularitarians. Incredibly few artifacts have been confirmed to originate from this species, apart from a single vessel and its contents, found within a long-since hardened submarine volcano during routine surveys of the planet's oceans.

The artifacts incorporated curves and transparent materials to an almost foolish degree, seeming to follow the design philosophy of form over function. The partial petrified remains of a single individual were recovered from the vessel’s midsection, in some form of reinforced chamber.

The creature was estimated to be five meters long, with six grasping appendages along the body, four most likely used for locomotion in assistance of the serpentine body that earns them their name, from the combination of ‘Gorgon’ and ‘Aquatic’.

Life

Conspiracies and theories generally regarding species or fauna that may or may not exist in modern times.

Bluespace Bugs

Rumours have arisen following the Skrellian annexation of the Almach Protectorate that the sudden invasion was in truth directly tied to a much older Skrell story about entities creating "shadow-puppet like" images against "thin spots" in the fabric of the universe itself, supposedly brought about by technology similar to that used by the Whythe Superweapon.

According to the theory, the firing of the Whythe Superweapon was the final straw that tore open a portal to another "dimension" (Or timeline, or universe, depending on who's telling the story), and unleashed otherworldly creatures that somehow naturally utilise bluespace technology. These "bluespace bugs" are said to devour matter and convert it into copies of its own genetic material, reproducing at a frightening rate, intent only on destruction.

Some sources suggest that the loss of the ILS Harvest Moon in 2564, an auxiliary warehousing station in Isavau's Gamble was "this universe's" first victim of the Bluespace Bugs. The few survivors report a "bluish glow" accompanying the seemingly inexplicable disappearance of entire sections of their station - described as "clean cuts" in the structure, as well as "blue-green creatures" darting amongst the wreckage. Officially the station suffered a catastrophic structural failure resulting in the detonation of its fuel stores, and the loss was attributed to a botched vox salvage raid. Further supporting the theory, leaked communication logs suggest the facility was holding "illegal smuggled parts" for the Almachi weapon project.

Parasymnoids

A rumor that spread after the recovery of the ‘infamous’ Symbiont art pieces and revelation of the disappearances surrounding some exploratory vessels sent into their region. Commonly tells of the ‘last of the Symbionts’ picking off the members of the expeditions they believe to be fit for some form of activity. The described activity varies heavily from board to board, though many include the start of a new empire, a reignition of an ancient war (usually directed at the Vox in the stories, for the few individuals on the boards who truly believe their declarations of invention regarding the Positronics), or simply the enslavement of any and all sapient, land-dwelling organic species.

Extragalactic Gorgons

A generally laughable idea that the Gorquaran ship originated from outside the Milky Way, and was either a first contact vessel, or scouting ship using an ancient ‘intergalactic upwelling’ to arrive and prepare an invasion’s launching point. The miniscule size of the vessel the ‘gorgon’ was found in is often cited as the reason the second theory is probably incorrect.

Interstellar Entities

Rumors and tales regarding objects that traverse the interstellar medium, either at will or by fate.

The Gluttonous Ship

Believed to be a recursion or second testing of the Grey Tide, the stories tell of an absolutely monstrous ‘ghost’ vessel, forged by nanites from the hulls of hundreds or maybe thousands of different wayward vessels ranging from pirate sloops to massive warships and stations. ‘Spottings’ of the vessel are usually debunked as rogue asteroids in the interstellar medium. Other names are also ‘The Grey Flotilla’ or more jokingly by certain Positronic members of the board, ‘I.B.B. (Independant Battle Barge) Fuck The Five’, in reference to the Solar Five Points’ ban on self replicating nanotechnology. The sheer scale, absurdity, and threat posed by such an entity is the most common citation against this object, as it would pose an existential threat to any and all life, and would have a public presence outside of the dark reaches of the exonet.

Gargantuan Eel

A story regarding a planetoid-eating Eel thought to be lurking within the interstellar medium of the Bowl and Almach Association. Reports of the creature are often debunked as carp migrations, though images have cropped up of large, serpentine, but not world-eater sized creatures lurking in the kuiper-belt-equivalents of some star systems. The terrible quality of the images leads them to generally be considered hoaxes, however.

C.R.V. White Knight

One of the more ‘tame’ legends, tells of a flat white vessel of indeterminate design (See: multiple conflicting descriptions. Some theorize an entire ‘White Knight’ flotilla exists) that pursues vessels making the longer trips between stars. Generally considered a good omen, though some individuals choose to twist the story by suggesting that they are simply advanced pirate vessels searching for the perfect target, or targets.

C.T.V. Nowhere

A myth told regarding the probably-derelict C.T.V. Nowhere, a massive freighter that vanished when traversing the Bowl. The stories say that the vessel is now a ghost-ship, her crew dead and herself now piloted by the emergent and likely-insane AI that once managed the vessel's more intricate systems. Accounts of individuals who claim to have met the AI "Nowhere", as it calls itself, suggest that the machine harbors no ill-will toward non-drones in its eccentric state, and instead speaks of its attempts to harbor relics and heirlooms of those who wish them to persist within the 'museum' after all but the smallest stars die. Along with this, many claim that the ship's AI was even open to trade or barter, in order to keep its hulk in some form of repair.

Exocelestial

Myths and legends regarding an entire planet or celestial body.

Arsenal World

A planet believed to be located in a non-planar magnetar system. The rumor suggests that the planet’s surface, or possibly the entirety of its mass was converted into a massive weapons system by some ancient species; likely for the purpose of star-system defense. Solid evidence is described as difficult to acquire due to the described nature of the planet, and the likelihood of its retaliation upon attempted surveying. This alone forms the largest citation against the existence of such a planet.

Living Nebula

A massive nebula unlit by the fires of any roaring sun but a single magnetar within its depths. Reports suggest that the nebula is capable of consciousness and communication through complex, but slow, interactions through electromagnetic and spatial forces. Some say that if given the right question, it will form beautiful spectacles of light as arcs of energy bounce through it, illuminating the star's inky shroud.