The Prophecy
The last sixteen pages of the message were simple, unlike the pages preceding it. Lacking the subtlety and complex form of the observations of Man, these last sections were a mere structure of two columns separated by the symbol representing “equals”.
Professor Walt Augeman would make the original connection that the left column represented a year, and the right represented an estimate of the human population at that time. The precision of these estimates were frighteningly exact, pinpointing within a mere one million people from the actual census taken. What interested the Institution were not these past observations, but rather future predictions.
The message had extended thousands of years into the future, and predicted a very dramatic growth in Man’s empire until the 5800’s, in which it would very sharply decline. Several hundred millions of lives would disappear each year until the final line of the section and of the message entirely:

(See picture)

“6392=0”, predicting the disappearance of the human race, when only five years prior it was predicted to hold over seventy six trillion people. Though the question was on everyone’s mind, no one dared ask the obvious, the public would never know of the message’s existence.

Shivers
Mankind would hear from their neighbors again in 3553, but this time not with a message, but with a gift. A patrolling Saturian Scimitar-class cruiser, Impervious Honor, came across a unique signal pattern unfamiliar to Sol databases. In an act of caution, the Impervious Honor investigated the signal, believing it to be an Elysian reconnaissance probe. What it found, however, was far more startling than a design of enemy subterfuge.
What was brought to ALRAM, an advanced engineering firm on Venus, was immediately identified as Voyager II, a satellite that had be launched thousands of years prior to Man’s expansion beyond Earth. Voyager II had been lost as soon as it had left the heliopause and went silent, and how it had returned to Sol was beyond the understanding of anyone in that room. Further investigation would show that Voyager II had received upgrades, in the form of strange materials enhancing its structure and integrity, and software revisions that vastly improved its efficiency. To the surprise of everyone studying the device, it still had considerable power in its cells, a consequence of its improved design, it was even broadcasting the original frequencies it was given when it was first launched.
A deeper look at its transmitter would reveal that it was also broadcasting a new frequency, a strange cipher aimed for a specific location, the lane in which we received our first alien communication. After much deliberation, Sol Defense Union agreed that for the safety of Man, Voyager II must be shut down and dismantled. Though it was a comforting thought, no one truly believed that this would be the last evidence of life we would receive.

(Thanks fellas)

>>5509079
Is that some Cosmic Call?

Not to be a weener, but why would scientists freak out because some alien predicts that humanity will be wiped out about 3000 years in the future?

>>5509126
No. No. No. No. No.
Read it again.

OP, what is this? OC? And if not, PLEASE SUPPLY SOURCE.

>>5509126
It's a real bummer? Given the accuracy it seems like they're pretty right on the button about the expiration date.

THEY'RE FUCKING COMING

>>5509084

This seems familiar....

>>5509169
Really? Is this source? I must know.

I NEED TO KNOW.

>>5509157
As said, it's OC for a game I've been in development with a friend for the past year or so. I've been leaking out bits of fluff to /tg/ now and then and you've guys have given great feedback.

It's a system we're calling "War of the Heavens" and it will hopefully be a space fleet game with minor RPG elements. The basic setting is The Sol Alliance's war with two other large human factions, the Elysian Empire and the Gentec Conclave.

This little story I've leaked is hints of a forth group which man later calls "Sovereign", they're a mysterious race who shows near limitless power, but motivations man has yet to fully understand. The fluff is designed to give a sinister feel to the Sovereign but not fully give evidence that they're evil.

>>5509169
Yes, it is a throw back, but this is the only mention of Voyager II in the fluff.

>>5509192

I thought it was too good to be OC, teehee. You have certainly done well. Maybe I don't want to know what happens. Not yet.

You wouldn't happen to know what it might be filed under on sup/tg/, would you? Perhaps you have archives of the threads on your computar, readily available for /rs/ing?

>>5509192
>Sovereign

Ever heard of Mass Effect? It's cool if you haven't, but the BBEG of it is a gigantic sentient robot named Sovereign.

>>5509234
Since I created it... wouldn't it be OC?

Also it's not on sup/tg/ because I've never filed it there.

If you want a little more, I could go into detail how Faster-than-light technology works in this system, since /tg/ responded well the first time I discussed it.

Here's a little snippet:

The following was found in a series of lost documents in the Elm Desert Ruins and are believed to have been written thousands of years ago by native St. Jerriah of the Terran Covenant, and are believed to predict mankind's vast reach in light of the supernatural power known as "The Creator". It is written in a dead tounge translated by Covenant scribes on parchment matching wood pulp of the surrounding Elm trees.

.... let them bear no markings to our own.
Blessed are those who can form council, for they will be the progenitors of empires.
Most Holy are those who speak not as one doubtless voice, but as countless thoughts.
Sacred are those who do not yell to be heard, but rather those who need only a whisper to send shockwaves.
'Blessed are you', spoke the Creator, 'for you shall become sovereign amongst the stars'
And so they would be [Kings of Heaven]*, and live forever amongst the angels"

*There is constant argument over the translation of this phrase, as the word is translated both as "Kings of Heaven" and "Architects of Change". Although it would appear that context would dictate which meaning is more accurate, the translators are stuck in debate because the usage does not indicate one way or the other. Most commonly the formor translation is printed.

>>5509192

I must say, OP, the Soverign sound a lot like the Shivans from Freespace. Conflict with a roughly equal foe or to interrupted by OMGWTF alien race, which causes warring factions/races to present a united front.

Humanity has always been good about stuff like that.
Me against my brother.
Me and my brother against my cousin.
Me, my brother and my cousin against the stranger.
Me, my brother, my cousin and the stranger against the foreigner.

Also, I agree with the guy above, the Voyager II thing sounds a lot like Startrek: The movie. Not bad, just pointing it out.

>>5509272
By all means, go ahead.

>The fluff is designed to give a sinister feel to the Sovereign but not fully give evidence that they're evil.
Personally it doesn't feel sinister to me at all. Why would you go to such lengths to effectively warn a species about a coming danger? Questionable motives, for sure, but I don't sense any malice in the act.

>>5509303
Good, I'm glad you get no inklings. The fear comes more when the Sovriegn appear and start tearing up ships with no rhyme or reason, dissapearing taking components also with no pattern.

>>5509338
I'mhalf-juggling dinner right now, so I'm going to finish this up then I'll throw the FTL drive at you

>>5509287
I can sleep a happy man.

Hopefully this'll be alive in 9ish hours. For the record, is there any program that can force a browser to F5 until 404? For example, open a new tab every time the page has changed? Would that be tough on the CPU or whatever?

tl;dr, Spot on, lads.

>>5509344
Oh, I'll just take the liberty of archiving it on that site that we for some reason aren't supposed to mention. That's what it says on the site anyway. I never figured out why.

Yes, sup/tg/.

>>5509350

There are programs called auto-refreshers that automatically make your browser refresh once every set interval

>>5509407

That'd give me a 404 if I don't get back in time though.

I was hoping for some alternative to filling suptg with threads that may not be as popular as I'd like to believe.

But now I'm threadjacking. Fuck off, Anon! Yes sir.

Alright, I don't have time to rewrite it in fluffy words, so here's my discussion about it with my co-writer in "BRAINSTORMING" mode

First off the reactor that drives this whole hootenanny was discovered, not invented. I figure in my story mankind isn't smart enough for this for obvious reasons. Long story short it's not "Oooo spooky alien device" but in the same vein, I won't explain that aspect. Anywho this reactor is simple enough for man to operate and even duplicate, however they cannot, using human expression or intellect even begin to describe how it actually functions. All humans CAN explain is that it has an on/off function and will fling the ship forward relative to the reactor.

Once activated, the reactor exploits the Higgs boson, to the point that all matter within the field generated by the reactor (usually built to engulf just the ship) will in a unfathomable split of a moment lose its definition of mass. It's not to say that the matter becomes energy like other particles (i.e. photons), but simply loses mass.

Without mass, the structure of whatever is inside breaks its bonds, then the ship and all within essentially dissapear. They only appear invisible, due to their lack of mass, but with all technicality are still there.

The reactor then, within this same moment, exploits the new property of the vessal and rockets it forward without expenditure of any energy (since it is effortless to move nothing). The only energy required is to power the complete reactor.

Now there are hiccups to this system. When the ship enters a strong enough gravity well, usually caused by a star or system, the reactor fails to keep its hold on the effect and the ship pops back into existence fully intact. This means that the ship may not jump unless it is free of a star's gravity well, in case those were curious why ships didn't hop all over the place.

>>5509546

The ship moves an infinite distance, halted when a gravity well rests in it's path, which is ultimately bound to happen according to what we assume. It moves any distance in the same amount of time, which is an indefinably small amount of time, theorized as "instant". The problem is that a navigator needs to predict where he is going, and jumping is essentially throwing a dart at a board. If there are several gravity wells in the path then they must make multiple jumps, spending time to exit each well, and if he miscalculates, then the jump misfires and they end up god knows where.

Other curious effects caused by this system is the instant feeling of your very atoms destabilizing and then popping back. Most humans can't feel the sensation due to the speed of the reaction, though some get "jumpbumps" afterwards and describe an intense cold sensation. Some claim it disrupts thoughts.

Another matter of concern is the violent wake caused by jumps, in the space where the ship once occupied dust and even radiation are dramatically drawn towards the center, and when the ship arrives a brief flash of radiation pulses out as well as a visable puff of cosmic dust as matter is obliterated when it's pushed aside as such speeds. The effect appears similar to dust shaking off an old wall when struck hard, except the wall is the hull of the ship. This also spells disastrous results should the ship ever jump into the same space occupied by another ship.

>>5509546
>>5509554
I recognize these. Neet-o.
Any more fluff?

>>5509705
I got one I'm working on, but no where near done. I'll see what else I can dredge