The Prophet
Template:SettlementInfobox The Prophet is an abandoned settlement located on planet 4 C in the Etain system. It was one of two compounds in Etain that belonged to the Far God cult, the other being The Sanctum, and was constructed sometime in 3304 as a "void-temple" where cult members could hide from persecution and place themselves in cryogenic stasis to await the prophesied arrival of the Far God, which the cult believed had been heralded by the return of the Thargoids. The compound was later attacked by the Thargoids, who either killed or abducted the cultists. The Prophet was subsequently discovered by independent pilots on August 30, 3304, when Eagle Eye detected Thargoid signals in Etain. On March 23, 3305, the Federal Intelligence Agency recovered a single survivor, Kiona O'Connor, from an intact cryogenic pod in a collapsed underground of The Prophet during the process of searching for missing FIA agent Nathan Summers.
Logs
The Prophet contains the last five of a series of nine audio logs; the first four can be found at The Sanctum.
| Log No. | Log Text |
|---|---|
| 5/9 | ORDER OF THE FAR GOD, LOG 5/9
Personal Log I'm scared. Really scared. I don't know what I'm doing here. I think I might have made a mistake. On the streets, things were bad. But then the monks found me, and helped me. I didn't ask any questions. I guess I wanted to be saved. And they did save me, in a way, but... I've been thinking about my dad. I know he was worried about me, living rough, but I pushed him away. And now the monks are saying we need to go to sleep. I don’t understand what's happening. but they all seem so happy, so I guess it can't be bad. I hope my dad hears this and comes to get me. I want to go home. |
| 6/9 | ORDER OF THE FAR GOD, LOG 6/9
Personal Log This will be awesome. I'm going to see the Thargoids destroy everyone - literally everyone! Ever since I was a kid I've been fascinated by the Thargoids. I used to dream about them coming back. Then, one day, they were on GalNet - blowing up starports, gunning down ships...nothing could stop them! They must have heard me praying that they'd come back. I don't care about the Far God. I just wanted to get close to the Thargoids, and these cultists seemed like the best bet. This is going to be the biggest massacre in history - an actual galactic apocalypse - and I'll have a front-row seat! |
| 7/9 | ORDER OF THE FAR GOD, LOG 7/9
Personal Log This is for my husband, my sister, and my colleagues. I hope this message reaches you. There's something I want you to know. You're going to die...and I can't wait. My cruel, smug husband. My selfish sister. My hypocritical co-workers. The people who hurt me, belittled me, ruined my life. You're monsters, all of you. But don't worry about me - as if you ever did. I'll be looking down on you from witch—space, laughing as you burn. Especially you, Arlo. You won't be so smug when the Far God is eating your soul! |
| 8/9 | ORDER OF THE FAR GOD, LOG 8/9
Personal Log There's one thing I want to make clear - we deserve this! The whole human race. We brought this on ourselves. We deserve to be destroyed. We talk about our achievements, now we've colonised to the stars...but the only thing we do is spread ruin. So many worlds tainted with pollution or terraformed for our selfish needs. The galaxy is a living organism, and we're spreading through it like a cancer, destroying everything we touch. The only god worthy of devotion is one that will neutralise the human infection. I don't care if the Far God is literally real, as long as humanity is extinguished. It's time to balance the scales and let nature continue without us. |
| 9/9 | ORDER OF THE FAR GOD, LOG 9/9
Personal Log Emergency Broadcast from Agent Nathan Summers --- My name is Nathan Summers and I'm an agent with the Federal Intelligence Agency, ident 4989 Kappa Theta. I've been on a deep-cover assignment for three weeks, pretending to be part of this cult. I was looking for evidence that they were communicating with the Thargoids, or acting as their spies. At this point I'm pretty sure they're not, but I am sure of one thing - they're insane! They really do believe some kind of alien god is going to come out of hyperspace and...I don't know, save them or something. I've kept my cover, despite being hauled off to this remote outpost, but I've lost contact with the FIA and these guys are about to put everyone in suspended animation. If anyone receives this message, this is Agent Summers requesting immediate extraction. Get me the hell out of here! |
Timeline
Template:Scrollbox-begin 19 JUL 3307
- The enigmatic Thargoid-worshipping religious order is examined by Erik Gunnarson of the Wallglass Investigations Agency. "Of all the myriad faiths practised across the galaxy, the Far God cult is one of the strangest and least understood. But in recent years it has grown from a fringe sect to a widespread religion. Its central tenet is that an unknowable being exists beyond our dimension – the Far God. What we call the Thargoids are its heralds, preparing for when it descends from hyperspace to instantly wipe out all life. This apocalyptic creed therefore attracts people who have nothing to live for, and who find purpose in awaiting armageddon. The cult has no official name or spokespeople, and its followers willingly replace their names with titles such as adherent, disciple and witness. This dehumanising approach includes its members wearing simple black robes and making their hive-chapels resemble Thargoid bio-technology, complete with ammonia fumes. Despite praying to an alien species, this is not the Thargoid fifth column many feared it to be. In fact they are pacifistic fatalists, expecting death and never offering resistance. This has caused them to be victimised by other doomsayer cults, anti-xeno activists and even the Federal Intelligence Agency… yet their serene patience has allowed them to survive. The discovery of two abandoned void-temples in the Etain system provided an insight into the cultists' mindset. Here can be heard the final testaments of people willingly entombed in suspended animation to await the Far God's arrival. More recently there are reports of several chapters of the sect migrating to the Panjabell system. This is controlled by the Pleiades Concordat, a theocracy devoted to the Far God, so perhaps it is preparing something bigger – or stranger – than we've seen before."[1]
30 MAR 3305
- The occupant of a cryogenic pod recovered from an abandoned outpost used by the Far God sect has been revived successfully. 17 year old Kiona O'Connor has been confirmed as the occupant. Following medical checks and an extended debriefing by the Federal Intelligence Agency, she made this statement to Vox Galactica: "I'd been homeless for a long time when the monks took me in. I never understood much about the Far God, really...I just needed to get off the streets. A lot of people there were like me. Somehow I ended up at the outpost, where they put us all into suspended animation. I've no idea what happened after that. I'm just grateful to be alive. I hope the others are too...I hope they got whatever they were praying for." The FIA has contacted Kiona's father, John O'Connor, and arranged for her to be escorted to her family home.[2]
23 MAR 3305
- The Federal Intelligence Agency has discovered an intact cryogenic pod underneath an outpost once used by Far God worshippers. Freelance reporter Alexei Keel broke the news on Vox Galactica: "The FIA survey team had been scanning the abandoned base on Etain 4 c with customised military sensors. It's thought this operation is part of a search for a missing undercover agent who infiltrated the Far God cult. A faint power source was detected in a collapsed underground chamber, which led agents to a solitary cryogenic pod hidden beneath tons of debris. Once excavated, it was conveyed to a medical facility where efforts to safely revive its occupant are now underway. There was no way of identifying who is inside the pod. But it seems likely that they are one of the adherents who recorded audio logs at the site, prior to entering suspended animation to await the Far God."[3]
08 DEC 3304
- Journalist Gethin Okonkwo has discussed the abandoned Far God cult outposts in the Etain system: "During my months undercover as a Far God worshipper, I heard only whispered rumours about secret outposts. So the existence of two such settlements, on Etain 4a and 4c, proves that much remained hidden from me. The personal logs recovered from the outposts illustrate how the faith attracted people from varied backgrounds. I was astonished to hear the voice of a man with whom I once eagerly discussed the Far God's arrival, never realising that he was a Federal agent whose devotion was as fake as my own. The book I am co-writing with Dr Alfred Ulyanov will reveal much about the Far God religion, but it's clear that many of its mysteries are yet to be uncovered."[4]
28 NOV 3304
- Exotheologian Dr Alfred Ulyanov has commented on the abandoned Far God outposts recently discovered in the Etain system: "This fascinating discovery implies that the missing chapters of the Far God sect were not arrested or killed, but instead fled to secret outposts to avoid persecution. According to personal logs recovered from the sites, the sect's members planned to wait in suspended animation for the coming of the Far God. The logs also reveal surprising details about what motivated these individuals to devote themselves to the faith. Evidence suggests that the settlements on Etain 4a and 4c both came under attack, but whether by Thargoids or human forces is unclear. Mysteriously, no trace remains of the inhabitants. I am indebted to the explorers who discovered these sites. This information will significantly contribute to the book I am co-writing with Gethin Okonkwo about the Far God religion."[5]