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| Equinox Part 4
 Obsidian  2025/12/22 11:46
 23  0
It starts with a tremor. Not physical—no quake, no impact—but a shift in the air. A pressure change. Like the station itself is bracing for something.
I’m reviewing the latest scan reports when a tight-band signal pings directly into my helmet. Synthea’s voice, calm but edged with urgency.
“Master. Incoming anomaly.”
I look up at the tactical display. No ships. No transponders. Just a distortion—space folding inward like a collapsing lung. A ripple of unreality.
And then they’re here.
They don’t dock. They manifest.
A corridor that was empty seconds ago now holds a formation of armored figures—tall, angular, flickering between dimensions. Their armor shifts colors and textures as if reality can’t decide what they should look like. Their insignia is unreadable, constantly rewriting itself.
Riftwalkers.
Extradimensional enforcers. The kind that show up when the universe itself files a complaint.
The moment they appear, their scanners activate—lances of shifting light sweeping the corridor.
And instantly, every one of their instruments screams.
A cascade of alarms erupts from their armor, their weapons, their sensor packs. Their visors flare with warning glyphs. Several of them snap into combat stances, weapons raised—not at the station, not at the lab equipment, but at me.
Because of course they do.
My armor, my rifle, my pistol, my sword—every piece of gear I carry contains extradimensional storage matrices. But that’s not what’s setting them off.
It’s the signature.
The unmistakable, impossible-to-forge imprint of the one who forged them.
Synthea’s voice hits my comms again, sharp and immediate.
“Master—your equipment is broadcasting a high-tier dimensional imprint. They recognize the origin.”
I don’t respond. I don’t have to.
The Riftwalkers already know.
Their formation wavers—just slightly, but enough to betray something I’ve never seen from them before.
Hesitation.
The lead Riftwalker steps forward, visor flickering violently as it tries to reconcile my presence.
“High Justiciar,” he says, voice layered and distorted. “You carry… artifacts.”
His tone shifts. Not hostile. Not accusatory.
Careful.
I keep my voice level. “Standard issue for my rank.”
“That is not standard,” he replies. “Those items bear the mark of—”
He stops.
The entire squad freezes.
No one says the name.
No one dares.
Even speaking it aloud in this reality could cause panic, or worse—draw attention.
Synthea steps forward, her voice now audible. “His equipment is stable. Controlled. And none of it is connected to the station’s breach.”
The Riftwalker’s visor pulses. “We will verify.”
“You’ll do it without pointing weapons at me,” I say.
A tense moment passes. Then, slowly, their weapons lower—but their scanners remain locked on me, tracking every micro‑shift in my dimensional signature.
Then one of their techs—if you can call something with three overlapping silhouettes a “tech”—speaks from a terminal.
“Resonance spike detected. Sector seven.”
The lead Riftwalker turns to me. “What is in sector seven?”
Synthea’s voice hits my comms instantly.
“Master—frequency modulator array. The gateway.”
I answer aloud. “That’s where they housed the dimensional modulator.”
The Riftwalker’s armor ripples. “Then the breach is active.”
I exhale slowly. “And it’s waking up.” |
|
| Equinox Part 2 
Obsidian 2025/12/22 11:32
356 0
It takes a few minutes to coordinate the science and security teams—longer than I’d like, considering the circumstances—but eventually we get everyone moving in the same direction. Once the initial chaos settles, we start sweeping the station in a systematic grid pattern, clearing it deck by deck. It’s a monumental task; the place is far larger than the Federation’s briefing made it sound. What they called a “mid-sized research platform” is actually a sprawling labyrinth of labs, storage bays, habitation rings, and auxiliary modules. Typical.
In the end, it takes three hundred crew members two full days to secure the entire station. Two days of combing through empty corridors, silent labs, and untouched living quarters. Two days of finding everything perfectly in place—meals half-eaten, personal effects left out, experiments still running—yet not a single person anywhere. It’s like the universe hit a cosmic pause button and forgot to tell the inhabitants.
Once the all-clear is given, I have my science teams begin disseminating the station’s research files. I want to know exactly what these people were doing out here in the void, and more importantly, what they might have unleashed. Meanwhile, my security teams go over every scrap of sensor data and station logs with a fine-tooth comb. If someone sneezed in the last month, I want to know about it. A bad day is rapidly turning into a worse week.
To avoid any potential contamination or dimensional nonsense, I keep the Phantasm at a discreet distance and leave Shadow in charge. If anything goes sideways, I want my ship far enough away to avoid getting sucked into whatever disaster these researchers cooked up.
As we enter the central lab—a cavernous chamber filled with equipment I don’t recognize and probably don’t want to—I hear Synthea’s voice cut through the silence.
“Master! Over here!”
There’s an urgency in her tone that makes my hand go straight to my sidearm. I turn, weapon drawn, scanning for threats. “What do you got?”
“A life form, sir. It looks like one of the station’s crew.”
My stomach drops. “Why didn’t we pick them up before?”
“It appears to be shielded inside this containment unit,” she says, already running diagnostics. “Scanners can’t tell if they’re even alive.”
Of course. Because nothing on this station can be simple. “Okay, let’s work on getting this field down. Once we do, we’ll see if they’re able to give us any information on what happened here.”
It takes a few minutes to hack through the security protocols. Fortunately, we already have most of the station’s access codes, and Synthea makes light work of whatever encryption is left. Her fingers move faster than should be physically possible—one of the perks of having her around.
“I’m lowering the field now, Master.”
I motion for the science and medical teams to move in. No way we’re bringing this person aboard the Phantasm until we know exactly what we’re dealing with. Besides, the station’s medical facilities are far more extensive than ours. Might be best to have Lote’ come here and handle things on-site.
“Sir.” One of our lead medical officers interrupts my thoughts.
“What is it?”
“This woman is in deep cryo-stasis. It’ll be some time before we can get her transferred to the station’s hospital.”
“And why are you telling me this?” I ask, already suspecting the answer.
“You’ll have to see for yourself, sir.”
I step closer to the containment pod, the frost-covered glass clearing just enough for me to see the occupant. I blink, then blink again. Well, that’s unexpected.
Inside the pod is Dr. Hewitt—lead researcher, project coordinator, and the station’s top authority. The head honcho herself. If anyone should’ve been at the center of whatever catastrophe happened here, it’s her. Yet here she is, frozen like a popsicle while everyone else vanished into thin air.
“Well, well,” I mutter. “What do we have here? How is it you survived while everyone else disappeared in a proverbial puff of smoke?” She doesn’t answer, of course. I don’t expect her to… yet.
I turn to my officer. “This is your number one priority. Contact the ship and get Lote’ down here ASAP. Place this deck and the hospital deck under full quarantine until further notice. Synthea is the only one granted access to come and go. Remain in your suits until further notice. Do not take any chances.”
The officer nods and rushes off to carry out the orders.
Things are starting to look up—slightly—but I’m not about to start counting my chickens. Not in a place like this. Not with dimensional tech involved. Not when the universe has a habit of turning optimism into a punchline. |
|
| Equinox Part 1
Obsidian 2025/12/22 11:26
462 0
I’m not even back at my post as High Justiciar for a full day—barely had time to sit down, let alone enjoy the chair—and I get a call from the emperor himself. Not a message, not a briefing packet, not a polite “when you have a moment.” No. A direct call. That’s never good news. He wants me to look into an issue for our Federation allies, something “urgent” and “delicate,” which is emperor-speak for everyone else already said no.
Apparently a remote research station has gone dark. No comms, no updates, no emergency beacons. Just… silence. And because the Federation is panicking about whatever they were doing out there, they need someone who can check it out without causing a diplomatic meltdown. So naturally, the Phantasm gets assigned to the case due to its “sensitive” nature. In other words, they need someone who can keep a secret and won’t run screaming to the press if things get weird. Lucky me.
I take Synthea—because of course I do—and a couple of engineers, just in case the station has power or life support issues. I’m expecting flickering lights, half-dead systems, maybe a hull breach or two. But when we arrive, our scanners insist everything is operational. Power levels steady. Life support nominal. Environmental controls humming along like it’s just another Tuesday. In fact, the only thing out of the ordinary is that there’s nobody on board. Not one soul where there should be hundreds. A whole station full of people just… gone.
I bring Synthea and the engineers with me to start the initial sweep. I’ve also got a security team on standby, plus a science team waiting for the all-clear. Better safe than sorry, especially when the universe has a habit of throwing curveballs the size of moons.
As we explore the eerily pristine corridors, I have Synthea access the station’s database to figure out what kind of research they were doing here. Meanwhile, I start digging through the station logs, hoping for some clue—anything—that explains why an entire crew decided to vanish without leaving so much as a sticky note.
“Master?” she says. (I hate when Synthea calls me that, but I’ve given up arguing about it. She insists it’s a term of respect. I insist it makes me sound like a villain. We’re at an impasse.)
“What is it?”
“I have examined the totality of the research projects for the station.”
The totality? That’s a lot for a station this size. “Really? In a station this size? How could you possibly be finished already?”
It’s a fair question. A station like this could be running hundreds—hell, thousands—of small studies and experiments. But Synthea’s answer only raises more questions.
“It seems the entire station was dedicated to only three classes of study,” she says. “Magnetic fields, frequency modulators, and directed energy transmission.”
Immediately my brain jumps to the only possibility those three things have in common, and it’s not a comforting one. “What?! You mean to say they’re researching dimensional shifting?”
Synthea looks at me with something that might be concern—hard to tell with her sometimes—and nods.
Fantastic. Just fantastic.
The primary concern with multi-dimensional tech is that you should never, ever experiment with it unless you have a death wish or a backup planet. The consequences can be catastrophic. On one world I know of personally, the idiots siphoned off their entire atmosphere and turned the place into a ghost world. Another planet got itself infested with demons—actual demons—and now requires round-the-clock surveillance to keep the damned things from escaping off-world. The native inhabitants? Completely wiped out. Not exactly a glowing endorsement for dabbling in forbidden science.
And now here I am, standing on a station that’s missing its entire crew. Seems like they put this place in the middle of nowhere because they anticipated a screw-up. Always comforting when the worst-case scenario is the most likely one.
The Phantasm is equipped with multi-dimensional drives, sure, but that’s GSE tech. We only use it when taking jobs from them because they provide solid, safe coordinates. You can’t just go stumbling around the multiverse like a drunk tourist. That’s how you end up in a dimension where gravity is optional and the locals communicate through interpretive dance.
“Okay, everyone,” I say, trying to keep my voice steady. “Keep your eyes and scanners peeled for SN threats and set your scanners accordingly. We’re looking for anything that cloaks or turns invisible, as well as any extradimensional portals.”
I pause, taking in the silent, spotless corridor stretching ahead of us.
“We’re gonna need more boots on the ground. This is shaping up to be a bad day.” |
|
| Equinox Part 3
Obsidian 2025/12/21 12:04
417 0
I stood at the head of the long conference table, its polished surface reflecting the dim glow of the overhead lights. My gaze swept across the faces gathered there — my crew, my family in all but name. The air was taut with tension, every breath heavy with the weight of unanswered questions. The mystery of the vanished crew pressed down on us like a storm cloud, silent yet suffocating.
At the far end of the room, the department heads I had summoned shifted uneasily in their seats. Each had been called here not only for their expertise but for their insight, their ability to cut through uncertainty and offer a path forward. Their presence was both reassuring and sobering; if they couldn’t make sense of this, who could?
I straightened, my voice carrying across the room. “Alright everyone, let’s get started. We have a lot to discuss.” My eyes found Ai, my chief of security — and my wife. “Ai, what do we know about the station’s security status?”
Ai rose smoothly, her posture formal despite the personal bond we shared. In front of the crew, she was the consummate officer. “Captain, the station’s security systems are fully operational. There are no signs of forced entry or sabotage. The logs show that all security protocols were followed up until the moment the crew disappeared. It’s as if they just vanished into thin air.”
Her words hung in the air like a chill draft. I nodded slowly, absorbing the implications. “Lote’, what about the medical scans?”
Lote’ glanced down at her datapad, the glow illuminating her focused expression. “My teams have scanned the entire station for pathogens, foreign entities, and unusual energy signatures. There’s nothing out of the ordinary. The only life form we’ve found is Dr. Hewitt, who is still in cryo-stasis. We’ll need more time to bring her out safely.”
“Thank you, Lote’.” My attention shifted to the engineer seated nearby. “Sabrina Wildman, what can you tell us about the station’s engineering status?”
Sabrina leaned forward, her hands clasped on the table. “Captain, all diagnostics indicate that the station is operating at peak efficiency. All primary and backup systems are functioning normally, and there’s no indication of any mechanical failure. All power levels are stable across the board, and the environmental controls are functioning at optimal efficiency. There’s no reason to believe the station itself is at any risk of unforeseen malfunction.”
Her confidence was steady, but it did little to ease the gnawing unease in my gut. I turned next to Synthea, who had been with this operation from the beginning. “Synthea, any insights?”
She shook her head, frustration etched across her features. “No signs of struggle, Captain. No residual energy signatures or indications of what happened. The crew just vanished without warning, some seemingly in the middle of their daily activities. We did find some unusual specimens in some of the labs scattered throughout the station. They appear to be of extra-dimensional origin. Our security teams have recorded their temporal frequencies as regards each specimen and, while no two are alike, the scans indicate that the one thing they seem to have in common is that they all appear to be alternate versions of the same subject.”
The revelation sent a ripple of unease through the room. Alternate versions of the same subject, collected from different realities? The sheer difficulty of such a task was staggering. More troubling still was the question of intent — why would anyone want to do this?
I exhaled sharply, forcing myself to remain composed. “Alright, let’s hear from the department representatives. Security, engineering, and science/medical, please share your observations and suggestions.”
The security team lead spoke first, his tone clipped but steady. “Captain, given the lack of evidence, I recommend we maintain a high alert status and continue our scans. We should also consider the possibility of an external force or entity that we haven’t detected yet.”
The engineering representative nodded in agreement. “I concur. We should run a full diagnostic on the station’s systems once more, just to be sure. Additionally, I want to investigate those specimens more thoroughly. They may hold the only clues as to what happened to the station’s crew.”
The science and medical representative leaned forward, her voice calm but urgent. “We should prioritize bringing Dr. Hewitt out of cryo-stasis. She might have crucial information about the station’s research and what led to the crew’s disappearance. In the meantime, we should continue our bio-scans and monitor for any changes.”
I drew in a deep breath, letting their words settle into a plan of action. “Good suggestions. Let’s move forward with implementing these actions. Ai, keep your teams on high alert in two-man teams. Sabrina, have your people run those diagnostics once more. Lote’, you’re to prioritize Dr. Hewitt’s revival and continue to scan for anything out of the ordinary. Synthea, I want you to coordinate the science team’s investigation of the specimens. Let’s get to the bottom of this.” |
|
| BEAUTY IS NEVER TARNISHED
lordcoyote 2025/11/16 11:31
133 0
| Especially if they stay out of the action... |
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| HEROINE UNDERCOVER 8 PART 2
lordcoyote 2025/11/6 13:07
121 0
| It helps that they're horndogs. |
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| HEROINE UNDERCOVER 8
lordcoyote 2025/11/5 15:38
111 0
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| HEROINE UNDERCOVER 7
lordcoyote 2025/10/24 14:53
207 0
| Oddly Ravyne found the gettup used to infiltrate the mob-run casino to be more more embarrassing that her usual costume. |
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| INSULT TO INJURY
lordcoyote 2025/10/20 13:55
160 0
| If only nigh invulnerability meant no pain... |
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| GOOD EATIN
lordcoyote 2025/10/10 17:50
139 0
|
| KAIJU ALERT-037
lordcoyote 2025/10/7 11:38
126 0
| No jokes about getting fertilized, please... |
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| SUM TLC
lordcoyote 2025/9/25 9:40
118 0
"Oh, what do we have here?"
(poke) "MMMMMMMM!!!"
"Do you have an appointment at the mob hospital?"
"MMMMM! MMMM! ....mmmmm...mm..."
"No matter. We can fit you in. Now just let the sedative do it's work."
".......*"
"That's it. now lets get you out of those clothes for some nice tender loving care." |
|
| PRAGMATISM
lordcoyote 2025/9/24 13:54
115 0
|
| LUSTY SPIRITS!
lordcoyote 2025/9/22 16:42
186 0
Super strength.
Does squat if you can't punch what you're mad at... |
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| Test render
Obsidian 2025/9/17 16:56
197 0
| I started creating morphs via dformers so that I can separate facial features for my G1. The full effect is to be able to move the eyes, ears, nostrils, and other features independent of one another so that I can make them asymmetrical, for greater realism in my G1 images. I'll be doing more pmo |
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| LAST VIEW BEFORE LIGHTS OUT!
lordcoyote 2025/9/17 7:27
147 0
| So, was robbing that toys for tots van worth it? |
|
| KAIJU ALERT-036
lordcoyote 2025/9/15 14:57
198 0
| Now, who in their right minds would build a humongous mecha with boobs? |
|
| KAIJU ALERT-035
lordcoyote 2025/9/2 18:30
811 0
|
| V-FLAG
lordcoyote 2025/8/29 17:30
294 0
| Nigh invulnerability can have it's drawbacks... |
|
| SURPRISE ENCOUNTER
lordcoyote 2025/8/29 11:36
1274 0
What could it be?!
Guest starring Dangerguy01's Duster. |
|
| TAPE PERIL
lordcoyote 2025/8/17 19:11
700 0
|
| My perspective
Obsidian 2025/7/29 11:47
1588 2
| Taking a page from Iron Man this is an inside look in Obsidian's helmet and what he really sees from his perspective. |
|
| Uncomfortable Silence.
Obsidian 2025/7/29 11:39
2129 4
The silence is uncomfortable so I muster up the courage and decide break it. Cheetah’s going to be with us till we find Panterra and I can’t operate under this kind of stress. I clear my throat, slightly embarrassed by how loud it seems and ask,
"We have to talk about what happened? I mean, I said I was sorry what more can I do?"
"After what you pulled, I am surprised you would expect me to say anything to you."
"Look Chee- Uh- Sarah, you know I never meant for us to get serious like that? I mean, I travel all across the five galaxies and you do the super hero thing here on Earth. I just don’t see how it would have worked."
"How can you not see? I could've…I could've come with you, I would have given up everything. I thought you felt the same way. Or were you just stringing me along?"
"I wasn't stringing you along. I just knew where this was all headed. We fall in love, settle down, and raise a family. Then eventually I get to watch you and them all grow old and die while I live on? I did that once before and I just don't have the strength to go through it again."
"I can't help that you're a damn Elf and that you’ll live forever. All I know is how I feel and I care very deeply for you. I though you cared for me too. Do you?"
I don’t answer I just hang my head solemnly, I do care.
“That’s what I thought.”
Her words sting like an arrow, and I have nothing to say because I know she’s right. She makes me want to grow old with her but that's an impossibility Luminesti Elves like me don't grow old, and unless we're killed we don't die either. This talk was a bad idea so I decide to go back to the awkward silence again.
|
|
| KAIJU ALERT-034
lordcoyote 2025/7/26 4:43
571 0
|
| PRIM AND IMPROPER 18
lordcoyote 2025/7/21 9:47
237 0
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| RAVYNE VS THE MEGA KAREN
lordcoyote 2025/7/18 9:28
600 0
Drunk on the power granted to her from a mysterious trinket she found at a flea market the local HOA president goes on a rampage.
UGH! Why does Ravyne always have to deal with this nonsense?! |
|
| KAIJU ALERT-033
lordcoyote 2025/6/30 16:48
260 0
| Tree must have some deep roots... |
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| KAIJU ALERT-032
lordcoyote 2025/6/6 17:11
297 0
| Think she might need help? |
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| RIPPLE EFFECT
lordcoyote 2025/5/25 8:54
365 0
|
| KAIJU ALERT!-031
lordcoyote 2025/5/16 18:20
288 0
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| Photo No. 1-30 (out of 2282 photos hit) | (1) 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 ... 77 » |
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Original Characters
