K-K space (lore)

K-K Space wormholes are direct links between two solar systems located in the New Eden cluster (referred to commonly as known space.)

History

Numerous unstable wormholes began to appear throughout New Eden shortly after the Seyllin Incident on March 10th, YC111. Seyllin, originally a blue O-class star, experienced a post-main sequence event causing a radiation burst to engulf the planet of Seyllin I preceding a stellar ejection that resulted in a decrease in solar mass (reclassifying the star from O-class to A-class) and the destruction of Seyllin I. This phenomenon was experienced across New Eden in multiple systems containing a blue main sequence O-class star, none of which experienced as massive a catastrophe as Seyllin. Due to irreparable damage to the fabric of space-time, wormholes began appearing throughout New Eden connecting known space to undiscovered solar systems outside the cluster. On rare occasions wormholes would form connecting locations within the cluster to each other, of which a wormhole connecting the systems Ibura and Luminaire was amongst the first to be discovered.

After the disappearance of Lianda Burreau during a CreoDron research expedition through a stable wormhole dubbed the Vitrauze project, capsuleers and corporations developed their own expeditionary units to explore and eventually exploit and understand the vast space found on the other side of the wormholes regardless of the ban set in place by CONCORD and Empire officials. One such project named Arek’Jaalan was developed by former Zainou Caldari scientist Hilen Tukoss with the goal of unifying capsuleers in research, exploration, and documentation of the unknown solar systems. For those of a more felonious inclination, the naturally occurring wormholes leading from known space to known space were utilized heavily as a means to access other areas of the cluster by forgoing Empire patrolled stargates to transport illicit goods without incident. Due to the appearance of these wormholes, travel around the cluster became widely more accessible to those who were courageous enough to brave the lawlessness of unknown space.

Recent Events

Variations in k-k space wormhole incidence were recorded mid-YC116 following multiple radiological occurrences in low-security space throughout New Eden.

Pirate Factions

Following the discovery of a diminutive Isogen-5 deposit by the Syndicate, small containers containing the fabled mineral variant were quietly placed on the black market and purchased by the various pirate factions, the majority of the mineral ascertained by the Guristas Pirates. Billions of ISK was funneled toward Isogen-5 fuelled research into ultra-high velocity transport with the Intention of developing a spearhead for further smuggling based ship enhancement. The Isogen-5 warp experiments were conducted at low-security space covert research facilities using the Guristas Whiptail-class interceptor (a modified variant of the Crow-class interceptor created by Kaalakiota.) Initial experiments were met with varying success by utilizing villard wheels and nanite filaments to catalyze the Isogen-5 during the period of warp and stabilize the mineral as the starship exited the warp tunnel. Using the unorthodox aforementioned methods, the Guristas scientists were able to condense space within the warp bubble to a more critical degree attaining warp speeds up to 7.3 AU/s per unit past the test ship’s initial warp speed threshold.

On multiple occasions after warp bubble collapse, failure to stabilize the mineral induced critical warp core containment failure, leading to an implosion of the starships warp drive killing both pilot and crew. The radiological occurrences did not go unnoticed by the Guristas scientists, and after several weeks of testing ruled that due to the unstable variances in the Isogen-5’s chemical makeup and the inability to contain a catalyzed variant of the substance, its use as a fuel source for ultra-high velocity travel was ill-conceived. The remaining Isogen-5 was then relocated to a highly classified location and research into ultra-high velocity travel continued. Eventually a process was developed in which the excess energy from the capacitor matrix could be recycled and injected back into the warp core to further compress the laser locked vacuum at a much lesser degree. Extensive trials regarding the ultra-high velocity units continue in relative safety at classified lowsec locations, but further success has yet to be met.

Empire

In early May YC116, several radiological anomalies were recorded by astrophysicist Dr. Gastan Prinz from the University of Caille who had previously recorded similar phenomena in the Syndicate region on November 11, YC115. Skeptical of the assessment by Dr. Yaseen Mitara of the Intaki Academy of Astrophysics regarding the phenomena most likely being the collapse of an unstable wormhole, Dr. Prinz continued to monitor the cluster for pulses of radiation similar to the 4 picometer and 25 micrometer bands recorded that day. Further research by Dr. Prinz uncovered that these events, while not nearly as large as the explosion that occurred in the Syndicate region, were emitting pulses of 4 picometer and 25 micrometer bands of radiation at precise intervals suggesting that the radiological anomalies were in fact artificial in nature. The information was published shortly thereafter speculating as to the similarity between the events and recorded wormhole collapses, and the possibility of experimentation with wormholes and the fabric of space-time.

Following Dr. Prinz’s lead, scientists at the Science and Trade Institute in conjunction with the Ishukone Corporation’s research division recorded the radiological events as they occurred in nearby low-security space.The origin of the radiation anomalies varied in location, but further analysis revealed that the anomalies, while never recorded in the same system more than twice, were all located in low-security space within several light years of the previous anomaly. After some debate, scholars at the Science and Trade Institute reluctantly concluded that the pulses of radiation were not natural phenomena. Expeditionary teams were immediately deployed in order to ascertain information as to the origins of the radiological events. Rumors have begun to circulate that these expeditionary teams consist of non-Ishukone personnel with speculation as to a professional military background.

A graduate student from the Science and Trade Institute's School of Astrophysics and intern for the Ishukone Corporation’s research division, Meiko Shihari, noted that while working on her dissertation regarding the incidence of wormholes in New Eden, reports indicated wormholes were appearing at a greater frequency. After a brief analysis of the data, Shihari concluded that the location of the reported k-k space wormhole formations were, in fact, synonymous with the locations of the radiological events detailed in Dr. Prinz’s journal and the reports by the Science and Trade Institute’s science teams. In a report to the head of the Ishukone research division, Shihari hypothesized that whatever the source of the reported radiological events was, it had potentially damaged the dimensional fabric of the regions space causing more wormholes leading to other areas of similar space to form than ever before.

See Also

• Wormholes (lore)
• Guristas Pirates
• Chronicle: World On Fire
• Chronicle: The Vitrauze Project
• Chronicle: The Only Way Out is Through