Scars in the Dark Matter
Scars in the Dark Matter
The Space Tourist Chronicles playlist
The void shimmered ahead, parting not into darkness, but into a luminous torrent of pure energy: the Celestial Highway, aptly known as a "scar." It was a pathway carved not from rock or ice, but from the very fabric of dark matter itself. As our Subi approached, the "scar" revealed itself as a flow of light. It wasn't merely a line of illumination, but an intense, vibrant river of swirling brilliance —an ethereal artery pulsating with untold cosmic commerce. Spiralling, undulating structures of pure energy pulsed with a radiant glow, their brilliant central cores bursting forth with dazzling hues of purple, blue, and gold against the stark black canvas of space. It was a breathtaking and overwhelming spectacle, hinting at the countless "cosmic scars" through which vessels now travel at speed, guided by precise, real-time navigational streams.
This colossal pathway was designed to route traffic in only one direction. Its continued existence, stability, and serviceability for the relentless flow of interstellar traffic depended entirely on a regimen of "constant upgrades", a process grimly referred to as "rescarring." It was a paradox of progress: the more the scar was utilised, the faster the traffic could hurtle through its shimmering expanse. Yet, this coveted speed came at a steep price: increased usage demanded more frequent and intensive "rescarring." Consequently, every knot of speed gained translates directly into a higher cost in cycles to traverse.
Our navigation system blinked, calculating the dynamic surcharge. While space tourism had become almost casual, like renting a camper van, it was anything but cheap. The thought of how many thousands, or even tens of thousands, of cycles a truly fast passage through this living scar could demand lingered heavily in the recycled air of the Subi. The beauty of the scene was undeniable, but the cost of traversing this magnificent pathway, gouged from dark matter, felt as vast and inescapable as the cosmos itself. We locked ourselves into the Primary Trade Lane with less scaring and a slower pace.
 |
Copyright
This artwork is protected by U.S. and International copyright laws. Distribution and/or modification of the artwork without written permission of the sponsor is prohibited.
Comments
Post a Comment