The Bright Star; Conjecture Mounts

Recently, observers all over the cluster reported seeing a new star in the sky. On many planets, the bright, pulsating object is visible even during daylight hours. Many have attributed the phenomenon religious or miraculous overtones, and there is rampant speculation as to what the object may actually be. Scientists have been unrestrained in their enthusiasm, and since the time of its appearance astronomers all over colonized space have been studying the object in earnest, trying to discern its exact location and get some clues as to its nature.

The simultaneous appearance of the phenomenon across the cluster, seemingly at odds with accepted laws of physics has puzzled most astronomers we've spoken with, although there are a few theories. One of the more radical hypotheses was posited by Dr. Jahazer Simoom, an astronomer for the Sanctuary (the scientific arm of the Sisters of EVE) who has spent the majority of his career studying the remnants of the EVE Gate. Simoom has been analyzing the phenomenon with great interest since it appeared. "According to measurements from our observatories in Rens, Simela, and X-7OMU, we believe we've been able to triangulate the location of the disturbance." He followed with an extraordinary claim that has sent ripples through the scientific community. "We believe that its located below and to the 'south' of our cluster, separated from us by some 3.64 million light years. That is consistent with exponentially slowing freespace tachyon propagation times for the collapse of the other side of the EVE gate some fifteen thousand years ago. In other words, we are just now seeing the other side of the cataclysm that separated us from our ancestral home."

Very few astronomers accept this theory however, and the Sisters of EVE have issued a public statement saying that views of Dr. Simoom do not necessarily reflect those of the organization as a whole. Other scientists have been decidedly less charitable. "Bah. Tachyon-tunneling. Pseudo-science claptrap!" This is the opinion voiced by Dr. Semnal Hontuzer, an astronomer with Hedion University. "It's absurd! Why can't those fools understand that not everything is about the EVE Gate?" When pressed for an alternative explanation, Dr. Hontuzer was refreshingly concise. "Frankly, we have no idea. But it's not a star."

So, the general consensus is that the new star, is not in fact a star. But what is it? Many religious figures simply accept the phenomenon as evidence of the divine at work. "Why can these men of science not accept what is so evident before their very eyes? It is clearly a sign from God, a portent of momentous things to come," said Guril Akkad, a member of the Amarrian clergy. "It is a light in the dark vastness of space, just as our faith in God must be a light in these dark times." Indeed, the phenomenon has been taken as an omen of some sort by many, and strange interpretations have begun to gather pace across the cluster.