Approved Location Ring of the Rapture (WRotP)

[Okkeus Dainlei]

"A huge structure is built around the yawning mouth of a black hole."

OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION

• Intent: To create a submission for Prompt 4 for the Wondrous Ruins of the Past Contest. Also to explore an affect of Hyperspace travel that I find super cool and interesting.
• Image Credit:
  • Black Hole Structure: (x)
    • Originally found by The Mongrel
  • Station Inner View: (x)
  • Dividers: Srina Talon
• Canon: N/A
• Permissions: N/a
• Links:
  • Hyper-Rapture
  • Purrgil

SETTING INFORMATION

• Space Station Name: Ring of the Rapture
• Station Model: Unknown, built by the ancient cult called the “Followers of the Rapture”.
• Classification: Religious Station of Worship
• Location: Beneath Tash-Taral
• Affiliation:
  • Current: Unowned
  • Ancient: Followers of the Rapture
• Population:
  • Current: Uninhabited
  • Ancient: Heavy
• Demographics:
  • The Ring was home to many different species that identified as Followers of the Rapture, most commonly Humans.
• Accessibility:
  • The Ring of the Rapture is located in the far reaches of the East. Knowledge of the station has been sealed off for thousands of years, as hyperspace anomalies surrounding the base prevent any travel besides sublight, and even that can be dangerous. Anyone can freely land on the station, but the black hole and the rotation of the base can cause issues for explorers.
• Traffic:
  • Current: Untraveled
    • No travelers venture out to the Ring anymore. It is considers taboo and bad luck for anyone that even flys near the megastructure.
  • Ancient: High
    • When the Followers of the Rapture were at their peak membership the station was heavily travelled. It acted as a religious headquarters so to speak. The station allowed for almost all of the followers to actively use it at once.
• Description:
  • The Ring of the Rapture was once a massive religious station that surrounded an active black hole. Once enough energy had been gained, the station could entering into a “hyperspace circle.” The station would spin in this circle, giving the followers the ability to watch out of the viewports, causing Hyper-rapture.

POINTS OF INTEREST

• Central Hyperdrive Control
  • Four different points within the Ring are home to the control rooms that help navigate and maneuver the massive hyperdrive used by the station. These rooms are manned by about 20 people each, usually the followers who are on the Off-Rapture Period. In these control rooms the operators control the speed of the hyperdrives, making sure that all four are running equally at the same time. If any were to become off kiltered the station would fall into a violent spin, colliding with the black hole that helps stabilize the station itself.
• Gathering Halls
  • When the time has come to engage in the act of viewing the Rapture, the followers will gather in these massive halls to stare out of the large windows. The followers all sit on the ground, either starting to meditate to clear their minds, or gathering all of their thoughts in hope to have the Rapture take them away. Once the station has engaged in its spin, the Rapture effect can be induced by starting out of the viewports, sending the followers into a hallucinatory state.
• Black Hole Stabilization Center
  • The Black Hole is what allows this unique station to power and induce the effects of Rapture in a different way. Constant tug from the Black Hole makes it so the Ring will spin instead of actually taking off and traveling far away in Hyperspace. This power has to be stabilized to make sure the station doesn't start to be taken apart by the Black Hole either. In this center a large collection device gathers the energy from the Black Hole and transfers it into a small amount of power for the four Hyperdrives.

SECURITY: Low

Both in ancient and current times the station has relied on its obscureness and secrecy to keep it protected. The Followers of the Rapture were never a very social type, thus keeping the station pretty much unknown to anyone not apart of the religion.

The large ring’s hyperdrive and the black hole have created a small “safe zone” that prevents any hyperspace travel. Ships trying to fly near the station will be pulled out of Hyperspace, as Nav computers have trouble charting a proper route near the ring.

HISTORICAL INFORMATION
What started with a few simple hyperdrives evolved into a galaxy-wide religion that would seemingly vanish around twenty thousand years ago.

The Followers of the Rapture were a cult-like group of people who used the effect of Hyper-Rapture to try and become closer to the supposed “creators” of Hyperspace, the Purrgils. The followers would use every chance that they could to travel through Hyperspace. They believed the by staying in Hyperspace for extended periods of time they would see visions of the Purrgil home-system. Once found, they would use all of their resources to get there.

Once this place had been “found”, the followers would chart their starships in that direction. Those who undertook the journey would never be heard from again. Either they found the system, or simply perished somewhere in deep space while being affected by the Hyper-Rapture.

This large station, dubbed the “Ring of the Rapture”, was a massive place of worship for the followers. Here thousands would gather for a collective religious awakening, hoping to receive the like others have.

Construction of the station was rather interesting, mainly due to the black hole that allowed the station to operate. Three large and powerful hyperdrives were placed attached in select spots on the ring. Once activated, the station would start to spin in a clockwise direction. The black hole would pull the station inward, thus preventing it from pulling itself apart.

In Hyperspace the followers could stare out of the massive viewports to start to induced Hyper-Rapture. This “mass rapturing” would usually last for hours upon end, or until the hyperdrives needed to power down.

The Ring now sits crumbling, still surprising the large black hole. It is believed that all of the followers received a vision of the home-system and left the station behind. Most knowledge about the followers has been lost to time. One of the only things to remain is the Ring, standing testament to time.

 

[The Mongrel]

CONTEST WINNER!
APPROVED!​