Thargoid Dark Markings
23 Aug 2023Eeka
ContextAbout 3 years ago, in Commander V Clara's first visit to a thargoid structure using the XBox platform, she noticed and documented some strange markings all around the site:
Picture 1 - Thargoid markings documented by CMDR Clara
Picture 2 - Thargoid markings documented by CMDR Clara
Picture 3 - Thargoid markings documented by CMDR ClaraThe complete set of Clara's pictures can be seen here (3306) and here (3309).
In march 3309, V Clara has shared her evidence with the Canonn group1 in search for answers. Unfortunately, the response was not exactly positive, varying from accusations of image doctoring to destructive criticism regarding insuficient details. The claim was also disregarded for an alleged group of 16 had never found the markings neither in Legacy, Horizons nor Odyssey2 during their said extensive survey.
A few months later, august 3309, commander Clara requests our help to investigate the markings and provide a second-hand validation of the anomaly.
Challenges
With the target set to the original thargoid structure of HIP 14904 (body 2 a) i noticed that the first challenge would be matching the amount of pictures of the markings seconded by the lack of reliable coordinates.
Our fleet was in HIP 22347 conducting a patrol and we decided to start the investigation right away in the thargoid structure of that system.
Initial Findings
We were able to document many unexpected aspects of the structure's composition.
Starting by the strange behavior the SRV's wave scanner has near such objects, displaying moving waves, as can be seen here:
Video 1 - Wave Scanner anomaly
Another relevant feature is the presence of a different kind of structure, with no ressemblance to biology but mineral instead. This structure shows cracks, smooth and coloured-reflective surface, along with sharp edges. Those were observed in detail starting from 13:20:
Video 2 - Survey of HIP 22347's thargoid site - Bony structure at 13m20s
The absence of markings
After running through many different surface patterns, i was yet to find the dark markings anywhere. This was strange since the core elements in thargoid structures are shared among all of them.
I then decided to pick the most detailed picture and try to find the exact spot by tracing back the elements in the background:
Image 4 - Clara's SpotThis was not a difficult task considering that HIP 14909's site has only 2 of the "giant heads" and only one with "tentacles" behind it. After a few minutes of aerial recognition i managed to pinpoint the exact location:
Image 5 - Clara's Spot in Odyssey - Coordinates - 
Image 5a - Coordinates in OdysseyAs clearly seen, the markings are non existant, explaining why despite all the sweep it was not observed so far.
One more attempt
It was well stablished the markings were not there, with reproducible evidence. Still, a possibility was wide opened and unexplored, the platform used by Commander Clara. The mystery would not be completely answered until it was similarly verified in legacy mode.
Thankfully, our fleet's main assets were at their prime when legacy was separated, so reaching the site was not an issue.
Though we are dealing with different modes, the structure remains the same with only the coordinates being different, leading to a new search for the spot.
Reaching the location we were able to validate the same markings initially documented by Clara:
Image 6 - Clara's Spot - Coordinates - 
Image 6a - Coordinates in LegacyThe brightness of the markings would also change depending on the perspective:
Image 7 - Marking Close-up
Image 7a - Close up perspective slightly to the leftOne last question remained, could these markings have any possible meaning? Was this a clue that was involuntarily forsaken in the past?
Markings Everywhere
Further investigation in the site showed that the black markings are present in many surfaces, with the different patterns:
Image 8 - Additional markings mostly visible through nightvision
Image 8a - Additional marking's spot without nightvision
Image 9 - Additional markings mostly visible through nightvision
Image 9a - Additional markings slightly visible without nightvision
Image 10 - Additional markings mostly visible through nightivision
Image 10a - Additional marking's spot without nightvisionWhich can be a key information to determine its meaning.
Conclusion
With the objective to validate the existance of the dark markings, our survey was successful and we have improved our knowledge about thargoid structures, as well as our methods of research.
We did not intend to provide an answer to the possible meaning of the markings, though our impression after the whole journey leans towards the possibility of texture artifacts, or missing textures.
Still, we leave for future researchers the ground to cover exploring its possible meaning, the evidence of missing texture, graphical glitches or perhaps a third unpredicted possibility.
Image 11 - Detailed view from Clara's Spot