Sirens in the Deep: The Triton Incident
18 Nov 2024Rawnu
[AUDIO LOG CORRUPTED | PARTIAL RECOVERY INITIATED]
"—wasn't supposed to work. That key, that damn key—how did I even—"
"Triton… it’s not a moon. It’s a—no, no, that’s wrong, that’s wrong. The gate. The GATE. They’re in the DEEP. They’re in the—"
"I didn’t mean to—Oh God, the SIRENS, their VOICES. YOU DON’T BELONG HERE. DON’T BELONG. DON’T—"
[RECOVERY FAILED. END OF RECORDING.]
I—I don’t even remember recording that. My hands are shaking. My ship feels wrong, like it’s still vibrating from whatever just happened. Listen to me. If you’re reading this, if you’re hearing this, don’t go to Triton. DON’T.
It started with whispers around the Delphi Control Center. I thought it was just interference—some old signal bouncing around Pluto’s orbit. But then it lead me to that damned Conjoint Mathematic Service, with their study of encrypted files and oblique answers to my questions. Or where they questioning me? I cannot remember clearly what happened. But they knew something, I’m sure of it. I followed the trail, the one that led me through the opal void, where the stars are silent and the sensors lie. It all pointed to Neptune. It all pointed to Triton.
Triton, where it all went wrong.
I bypassed the permit lock—don’t ask how—and landed near a fissure in the ice. At first, it was just cold. Then came the hum, low and steady, a sound that made the cabin shudder. I thought I was imagining things until it started changing, like voices blending together. Singing. I swear I heard them call my name.
And then I found it. The gate. The Omphalos gate.
It’s not human. It’s not even Guardian. Massive, ancient, carved deep into the ice. There was writing—glowing symbols that made my head hurt if I looked too long. And a keyhole.
The key. Where did the key come from?
It wasn’t on my ship when I left. I know that. But there it was, in my hand like it had always been there. When I placed it in the gate, everything—EVERYTHING—changed.
The sirens. The whispers. The shadows in the ice. They were real. They’re alive. They’re there, beneath the surface, moving, watching. Their voices… Oh stars, their voices! They weren’t angry; they were warning me. “You do not belong. You are not ready.”
The gate opened. Or maybe I fell into it. Stars folded in on themselves, and I saw… something. Another galaxy? Another universe? I don’t know. I felt like I was falling forever, and the sirens were there, pulling at me, trying to drag me down.
The rest is a blur. I don’t know how I got back to the ship. I only know that the hum stopped when I broke orbit, and now the key is just... gone. Did I just dream that?
But something followed me. From down there, from beyond the gate. I can feel it.
I’ve encrypted this log and sent fragments to trusted allies. If you’re reading this—STOP LOOKING. It’s not.. it’s all tied together, but it’s not for us. The gate, the sirens, Raxxla… Not yet.
DO NOT GO BACK TO TRITON!
[REDACTED BY ORDER OF THE PILOTS’ FEDERATION]
"To the whisperer in witchspace, the siren of the deepest void." They weren’t lying. I should’ve listened. I should’ve—
END LOG ENTRY.