Sisters of Ruin

The Cold Universe

The Cold UniverseThe anomaly was vast. Measuring at just over one million, eight hundred thousand light years across. Its existence in a seemingly infinite universe was still a spectacular phenomenon from Earth. Astronomers discovered the construct in the constellation of Eridanus in the southern hemisphere, approximately three million light years from Earth. What was known from maps pieced together of the cosmic background radiation in the universe was that this region was one of intense cold and lack of any kind of matter. Galaxy formation was sparse and in layman's terms this was an enormous cold spot in the universe.

Its presence was explained as an aftereffect of the Big Bang. The theories into what it was or what it meant to the existence of the universe were wide ranging. Explanations involved gravity, black holes or singularities, dark matter to dark energy. Any concept that this was an alien structure became popular on social media along with any number of highly detailed and sometimes disturbing conspiracy theories.

One of the most outlandish theories postulated that the cold spot was in essence a 'footprint', a place where the fabric of the universe came into contact with a “neighbouring” or parallel universe. Of all the theories posited on Earth this was the closest.

Regardless of the many theories put forth each one could never properly ascertain where this region sprang from. The type of energy required to cause the boundary of one universe to become susceptible to another could only be caused by one specific set of conditions. In this instance, the conditions relating to time travel. With this type of energy released the walls between universes, the walls between realities were gradually fading.

In the empty, dark region nothing of any note happened, at least nothing observable from such an immense distance from Earth. But changes were occurring that could not be explained by any form of science currently practised on planet Earth. The physics did not exist as yet for science to explain this phenomenon. The fabric between universes had been placed under enormous pressure and would soon distort space time enough to rupture. From the cold darkness a multitude of cries was emanating, but due to the vacuum of space it would never be heard except for the one mind it was intended for. The cries or voices travelled the vast distances required faster than any form of energy or matter had travelled since the birth of the universe in the Big Bang. To this voice the speed of light was not a restriction but merely something to outpace. It moved with a single-mindedness that suggested if not intelligence then at least an instinct that governed its passage through the cold black of space.

The journey came to a stop in interstellar space, a few thousand light years away from a boundary marking the beginning of galactic space. In that pause any creature sufficiently talented would now be capable of detecting a probe, a search for that one mind it needed. The search took seconds despite the enormous space involved, spanning one hundred thousand lights years in diameter and one hundred billion stars. The journey resumed into the target galaxy, passing a myriad of spectacles and sights no human eye had ever seen, but it did not pause to wonder or appreciate the majesty of nature as its singular nature would not allow it. Narrowing in on one small star the voice increased speed almost in excitement that its travels were now at an end. In the blink of an eye it gazed once more on what had once been, if not its home, then one almost identical, the planet Earth.