Artifact Theta-9: Generation Vessel

More about Artifact Theta-9: Generation Vessel

Artifact Theta-9: Unclassified Generation Vessel

Registry: Deep Survey Division / Object Log 07-451-C / Location: Perseus Reach, Drift Sector Gamma-31

Summary

Discovered 24 April 2259 AD by the ISS Helios Array during a long-baseline gravitational sweep of the Perseus Drift. Initial scans identified a mass anomaly consistent with a derelict orbital structure, but subsequent fly-through imagery revealed a fully intact vessel of non-Terran origin, measuring approximately 51.8 kilometres in axial length.

The hull exhibits no seams, welds, or modular joints. Its surface—an alloy-ceramic composite of indeterminate formulation—shows atomic lattice orientation beyond current fabrication capability, with self-repair traces still active in localised regions. Decorative etchings and relief structures appear to function simultaneously as heat-dissipation vanes and symbolic patterning, suggesting an engineering aesthetic where function and language are inseparable.

Technical Notes

Propulsion Core: Singular ventral spindle—probable inertial or gravitic pulse drive. Energy readings fluctuate in harmonic intervals of 0.297 Hz, indicating residual containment stability.
Interior Access: Unachieved. All detected ingress points are sealed beneath adaptive hull layers responsive to particle intrusion.
Material Chronology: Spectroscopic dating yields contradictory ages—outer hull approximately 4.7 billion years, internal conduits less than 10 million.
Telemetry Events: Six micro-bursts recorded post-discovery, repeating in logarithmic progression. Translation attempt ongoing; pattern aligns with stellar distribution of nearby M-class systems.

Crew or Occupants

None confirmed. Thermal differentials within internal compartments imply atmospheric integrity, yet no biosignatures—organic or synthetic—have been detected. A faint photonic bloom traverses the vessel’s equatorial ridge every 11 hours, resembling a circadian simulation cycle.

Interpretive Assessment

Guild xenologists propose the craft may represent a Generation Vessel, designed to traverse epochs rather than distances. Its current drift trajectory suggests completion of a closed loop around the galactic core—an odyssey of at least half a billion years. Whether its mission concluded or merely paused remains speculative.

The Deep Survey Division has declared Artifact Theta-9 a Preservation Priority One site. Orbital proximity is restricted to 10 kilometres.
No boarding operations authorised pending confirmation that the vessel’s core harmonic is non-sentient.

Filed 17 June 2261 AD, Exploration Guild Central Archive – Vol. 23: Extraterrestrial Constructs, Class VII Artifacts