The Iconian Gate.... because I've got that on the boil.
First mapped by the USS Enterprise in 2015, it had long been known that something was strange about the Epsilon Eridani system. The inner planet, named Arcadia, supported a Devonian biosphere with a fully developed aquatic ecosystem, with seed bearing plants having recently colonised the surface. The planet was covered in lush green forests and vast grasslands.
Only, by all rights, it shouldn't have been. Arcadia achieved in 500 million years, what too the Earth over 4 Billion.
To study this system, Starfleet Command initiated Project Genesis. Starbase Three was constructed, orbiting Epsilon Eridani b, the base being completed in [spam]. The Starfleet began quietly mapping the system, searching for evidence to explain the advanced state of life on Arcadia. Specifically, they suspected that there was another Tannhauser Gate somewhere in-system. Or had been at some stage. Initially, the Gas-giants were suspected, as Arcadia had only a single moon.
At the same time, Arcadia quickly became a popular holiday destination for the first big interplanetary cruise lines. A week's cruise on-ship, a week on planet, a week's cruise back home. It made for the perfect itinerary.
In late 2022, a group of anonymous tourists travelling by themselves discovered what appeared to be metal objects on the surface of Arcadia, just offshore in shallow water from what would later be named 'Ford Island'. Initially suspecting them to be debris dropped by tourists, or from an orbiting spacecraft, they paid them little attention, bringing the objects to Starbase Three in the hope that Starfleet might be able to find which cruise line dropped them....
Initial tests however, told a different story.
The sample of metal was much older than seven years. It matched the composition of the Tannhauser Gate and Night's Door. Radiative decay testing suggested that it had a similar construction date. It was clear that whatever Gate had been orbiting Arcadia had been of the same time as the two known gates, and had somehow been knocked out of orbit and broken up before, either before or during re-entry.
Starfleet's biggest worry, was that the remains of the gate would become a mecca for scavengers eager to loot themselves a piece of verifiable alien technology, at the expense of the Arcadian biosphere and possibly costing humanity the chance to understand more about the gates functions. The discovery was classified Top Secret and disseminated solely among high-ranking members of major factions SMoF, while they decided what would happen to the thing and how it would be approached. (Is this valid, or should it be made public like the other two?)
The gate's discoverers meanwhile, were equally keen to remain anonymous for their own safety.
-----
Stealing a 14km-wide gate is tough. Mining chunks of one smeared across the surface of a planet is less-so..... and not nearly as good for the planet.
The anonymous tourists.... well, it should be obvious who they are..... everyone needs a holiday (Unless anyone else wants it). And they're smart enough to know that even being suspected of holding valuable alien technology makes them a target of avaricious eyes. They really wouldn't be able to defend themselves against that kind of attack.
While the Trekkies get most of the samples from them... Mackie, who found the thing by running into it with a jet-ski, takes just enough home with him that he can try leech the ancient wavium out of it, then see what happens when he starts poking it.
Oh.... and share shards of gate-material with anyone who wants it, and who has reason to think Jet/Mackie would quietly send pieces them when she got back. (If they don't have any from the other two already, that is)
________________________________
--m(^0^)m-- Wot, no sig?
First mapped by the USS Enterprise in 2015, it had long been known that something was strange about the Epsilon Eridani system. The inner planet, named Arcadia, supported a Devonian biosphere with a fully developed aquatic ecosystem, with seed bearing plants having recently colonised the surface. The planet was covered in lush green forests and vast grasslands.
Only, by all rights, it shouldn't have been. Arcadia achieved in 500 million years, what too the Earth over 4 Billion.
To study this system, Starfleet Command initiated Project Genesis. Starbase Three was constructed, orbiting Epsilon Eridani b, the base being completed in [spam]. The Starfleet began quietly mapping the system, searching for evidence to explain the advanced state of life on Arcadia. Specifically, they suspected that there was another Tannhauser Gate somewhere in-system. Or had been at some stage. Initially, the Gas-giants were suspected, as Arcadia had only a single moon.
At the same time, Arcadia quickly became a popular holiday destination for the first big interplanetary cruise lines. A week's cruise on-ship, a week on planet, a week's cruise back home. It made for the perfect itinerary.
In late 2022, a group of anonymous tourists travelling by themselves discovered what appeared to be metal objects on the surface of Arcadia, just offshore in shallow water from what would later be named 'Ford Island'. Initially suspecting them to be debris dropped by tourists, or from an orbiting spacecraft, they paid them little attention, bringing the objects to Starbase Three in the hope that Starfleet might be able to find which cruise line dropped them....
Initial tests however, told a different story.
The sample of metal was much older than seven years. It matched the composition of the Tannhauser Gate and Night's Door. Radiative decay testing suggested that it had a similar construction date. It was clear that whatever Gate had been orbiting Arcadia had been of the same time as the two known gates, and had somehow been knocked out of orbit and broken up before, either before or during re-entry.
Starfleet's biggest worry, was that the remains of the gate would become a mecca for scavengers eager to loot themselves a piece of verifiable alien technology, at the expense of the Arcadian biosphere and possibly costing humanity the chance to understand more about the gates functions. The discovery was classified Top Secret and disseminated solely among high-ranking members of major factions SMoF, while they decided what would happen to the thing and how it would be approached. (Is this valid, or should it be made public like the other two?)
The gate's discoverers meanwhile, were equally keen to remain anonymous for their own safety.
-----
Stealing a 14km-wide gate is tough. Mining chunks of one smeared across the surface of a planet is less-so..... and not nearly as good for the planet.
The anonymous tourists.... well, it should be obvious who they are..... everyone needs a holiday (Unless anyone else wants it). And they're smart enough to know that even being suspected of holding valuable alien technology makes them a target of avaricious eyes. They really wouldn't be able to defend themselves against that kind of attack.
While the Trekkies get most of the samples from them... Mackie, who found the thing by running into it with a jet-ski, takes just enough home with him that he can try leech the ancient wavium out of it, then see what happens when he starts poking it.
Oh.... and share shards of gate-material with anyone who wants it, and who has reason to think Jet/Mackie would quietly send pieces them when she got back. (If they don't have any from the other two already, that is)
________________________________
--m(^0^)m-- Wot, no sig?