THE ROAR
06 Apr 2023Jav Marlo
THE ROAR28 NOV 3308, travelling through the Hyades Sector. Deep Space.
This is commander Jav Marlo, recording this log on board the Athena.
A lot has happened in these three months since my last log.
The Proteus Wave failed, and all contact was lost with any ships in the HIP 22460 system.
The Proteus Wave activating
The Thargoids swarmed the system overwhelming the coalition forces. Hundreds of ships were destroyed in a matter of hours. Thousands missing or presumed dead, Salvation included.
Thargoids attacking HIP 22460 system
In the Silent Aftermath, humanity realized that, rather than wiping out the Thargoids from the Galaxy, the Proteus Wave might have escalated the conflict to terrifying heights. The Second Thargoid War was about to commence.
The Alliance, Empire and Federation fleets withdrawn from HIP 22460. That system has become now the first Thargoid stronghold in human-occupied space.
Thargoids at HIP 22460 system
The superpowers prepared to withstand the new threat. New alliances and pacts were signed in the best tradition of human division.
There were even those who praised the alien victory. The Far God Cult celebrated the massacre, convinced that humanity’s extinction is inevitable.
Scapegoats were sought to justify the debacle, and Aegis was there to take the blame.
Scientists turned their views again to the study of Guardian technology as our best chance to counter the Thargoids.
And, finally, the reports about survivors of the Battle of HIP 22460 hearing a monstrous, overwhelming, ghastly Roar that shook their bodies and piercing through their skulls leaked, exciting the media speculation. Of course, all the survivors were placed under military quarantine, and no audio records were shown. The coalition forces denied it saying it must have been the result of collective trauma or hysteria. But I did believe them. And I did because I heard that Roar too.
Jav Marlo piloting the Athena
Salvation’s true intentions were questioned. The coalition forces now regret having put their faith on a fake Messiah.
From their new stronghold in system HIP 22460, the Thargoids commenced their expansion within the Pleiades region.
Azimuth Biotech confirmed Salvation’s death but, despise their disastrous campaign against the Thargoids and losing many facilities and assets during the aftermath, they managed to endure due to the critical research they posse on the Thargoids.
About one month passed since the Proteus Wave activation when they were detected in deep space. They called them ‘Flares’ at the beginning. Reddish-orange flares with faint radial patterns coming from beyond the Barnard’s Loop. Origin unknown... Oh, but I knew. And I already was on my way to the Barnard’s Loop on board my Krait Mk II, the Athena, with Ayumi monitoring the ‘Flares’, listening to the strange sounds they emitted on the FSS. But I did not need the FSS to know their origin. I could hear them in my head. Getting closer, coming to get us.
The Athena flying towards the Barnard´s Loop
Meanwhile, in the Bubble, the discussions about how to deal with the Thargoids after the HIP 22460 Battle gained Momentum, while ignoring completely that the real threat was approaching from the Barnard’s Loop. Even a Thargoid Advocacy Project was started.
The Thargoids continued invading the inhabited systems surrounding HIP 22460, and Pro-Xeno groups were put under vigilance.
Registers from the databanks of the vessels recovered after the Battle of HIP 22460 that contained recordings of the ‘Thargoid Roar’ finally leaked to the public. Several intelligence agencies started to investigate in the origin and purpose of the signal.
The ‘Flares’, that they now were called ‘Anomalies’, continued steadily approaching human space, impossible to be ignored any more, and causing even more paranoia.
Stargoid
The Superpowers agreed to reactivate the Aegis anti-xeno agency to coordinate the war effort.
Humanity won their first battles against the Thargoids since the Proteus Wave, mostly thanks to the efforts of independent commanders and their exotic AX weaponry.
The Alliance, Empire and Federation managed to hold their ground against the Thargoids.
Salvation’s identity was finally revealed as Dr Caleb Wycherley from the INRA project by one of his experiments subjects, Seo Jin-ae, who suffered horrendous procedures in an attempt to create a human pilot for the Thargoid vessels as part of the ominous Project Seraph.
The Alliance and Sirius Corporation taskforce continued winning battles against the Thargoids.
The Thargoids invaded the California Nebula.
Jav Marlo and Ayumi on board the Athena
Azimuth Biotech developed advanced anti-xeno weaponry and provided access to it to independent commanders.
Several research organisations, including Cannon Interstellar Research Group and Universal Cartographics, finally admitted that the ‘Anomalies’ were travelling towards human space.
Professors Alba Tesreau and Ishmael Palin, along with the engineer Ram Tah and Seo Jin-ae, formerly known as Subject D-2, released a statement about the ‘Roar’ nature. Ms Seo unique neural implants, designed to interface with Thargoid technology, make she believe that the ‘Roar’ was a transmission of great power including a call and a response that she described as: “We see them. We are coming”. In some instinctive way I cannot explain, I can hear them too saying: “We are coming”, inside my head.
Jav Marlo and Ayumi on the Athena
The Thargoids invaded too the Coalsack Nebula.
Tension in the Bubble increased as the now called ‘Rogue Signal Sources’ continued approaching human space.
With the ‘Rogue Signal Sources’ getting closer to human space, a mission to initiate peaceful inter-species negotiations was launched as part of the ‘Thargoid Advocacy Project’. The mission included the commission of a megaship, the Kingfisher, that would intercept the closer of the anomalies, that now they call Taranis, at the Hyades Sector YO-Q b5-1 system.
The Kingfisher vanished with 3000 souls on board just one day after arriving to Hyades Sector YO-Q b5-1. A highly distorted distress signal was caught, and then, nothing. The Pilots’ Federation asked for immediate assistance by any ships in the vicinity and cancelled the permit restriction to the system. I was there and found no trace of the Kingfisher.
The Athena searching for the Kingfisher
Four days after destroying the Kingfisher, the Taranis rogue signal source has finally commenced to reduce its speed, allowing the military and several agencies to stablish its destination at the Hyades Sector FB-N b7-6, an uninhabited system. Professor Ishmail Palin has confirmed that Taranis will arrive there in approximately 24 hours.
And, after chasing that damn thing for three months through deep space, I will be there too.
Jav Marlo signing out.
The Athena heading towards Hyades Sector FB-N b7-6