[Community Event] Beyond The Shores Of Pluto

[(PSN)NearlyDedicated]

 

"For generations we slept along an infinite coastline, but the waters did recede, and we burst forth like seeds; outward, along the solar rails. Until we came at last to the shores of Pluto, and the final, dreadful rail. Leading into nothing. Leading into the dark sector."

 

~ Hayden Tenno

Allow me to introduce myself, for those of you who don't already know me.

My (user)name is NearlyDedicated. I'm a Tenno in the field of Poleosomology, the study of Warframe. You can find some of my studies here (https://forums.warframe.com/index.php?/topic/317555-polemosomology-the-study-of-warframe/?p=3588243). These include the Tenno language, a study on the process of corruption, and most recently, a study on the reoccurring word "Evolution", hidden throughout Warframe. Feel free to read up and discuss.

 

I finance searches (using in-game incentives, such as rare items and blueprints) to form community events. These events serve as studies into set topics, and often provide a look into Warframe's hidden lore. We have already uncovered evidence of Hayden Tenno being directly connected to the Warframes, the process of creating a Warframe, and definite proof of why the Orokin were slaughtered.

 

I'm here to finance another search: a look into the Warframe power glyphs. With your help, we could discover even more in the lore of Warframe. Oh, and there are prizes too!

 

~NearlyDedicated

 

Fellow Tenno Skum,

 

Welcome to another community "study". This time, rather than look into the Warframe technologies, we will be looking into something a lot...larger. This study will encompass a broader topic, because the topics involved are all intertwined. Your mission today is to study the Outer Terminus - a solar rail leading into nothing. This is rather difficult, because we have no visual aid to study the Outer Terminus itself. However, we do have some lore, know a bit about how solar rails are built, and know a fraction of the story of the Old War. These will come in handy.

 

According to Pluto's description, the Corpus work to rebuild the Outer Terminus. We learn from the original Warframe concept trailer that it leads into something called the "Dark Sector" - a familiar term among darksectOr fans, and modern Tenno clans.

 

So what is the dark sector? Why don't the Tenno clans work to rebuild the Outer Terminus? How does this dark sector relate to other "dark sectors" which Tenno fight for?

 

Write your submission below, and provide evidence backing your claim. Cite your resources (even the plastids). Feel free to use the Polemosomology megathread to look into previous studies which may aid your search. There are rewards!

 

Note: If you wish to participate in this event, it is advised you watch this trailer for the original Dark Sector: 

 

 

REWARDS!

 

 Note: Only PS4 Tenno can be rewarded at this time. I am working towards a solution to reward PC and Xbox One players. BUT (and a big one too) ALL TENNO CAN PARTICIPATE IN THIS EVENT, REGARDLESS OF THEIR PLATFORM. Thank you for your patience.

 

 

[1] Rare Prime Component

[1] Forma Blueprint

 

 

 Event Ends on 10/21/14 @ 3:00PM EDT 

 

 

Polemosomology Megathread: https://forums.warframe.com/index.php?/topic/317555-polemosomology-the-study-of-warframe/?p=3588243

Edited October 12, 2014 by (PS4)NearlyDedicated

[Prod_Crewman]

The rewards would've been better if a prova was listed there

[(PSN)NearlyDedicated]

The rewards would've been better if a prova was listed there

It took me a minute. But I got it.

I'm proud of myself!

[Blakrana]

The Outer Terminus might serve merely as the last link before a serious Void jump to any other known co-ordinate.

 

I'm mostly basing this on Mag Prime's and Ember's codex entries.

 

Solar Rails make things travel via the Void

 

In the Ember codex, the Zariman is claimed "...lost making the fold from Saturn to the Outer gates." In the simplest way, the easiest way to travel obscene distances in space would be to 'fold' it. So, in a sense, a Solar Rail uses the Void to make point A and point B be functionally the same place. In other words, it's more akin to how Stargate's work than the Mass Relays in Mass Effect.

 

This then makes it outright terrifying when you realise that, so long as you have the co-ordinates and the right base line, you could theoretically go anywhere.

 

What role does/did the Outer Terminus play?

 

Assuming that the Rails function as suggested, due to the implications of the above information, well, it boils down to a simple logical question; where do you begin sending out ships to chart the unknown?

 

The edge of the known frontiers.

 

This also serves as a kind of insurance policy. You are going into waters unknown. What will you be bringing back with you, if anything? Could something follow you back the way you came if you ran? More like than not.

 

So by using the Outer Terminus as the launching point for extra Solar exploration, it gives whatever authorities held the system at the time a degree of breathing room should the worst happen.

 

Which is precisely what happens, as is the way with narrative; whatever could go wrong, will go wrong. This then means the Outer Terminus becomes the staging ground for a war effort. 

 

It's military strategy at it's best in the end; when fighting a war, you don't let the enemy come within striking distance of your command centre. Outposts keep the line away from squishy, squishy civilians as much as possible.

 

Conclusion

 

In summary, then, the Outer Terminus is simply the furthest known Solar Rail within the Origin System network, and the Corpus' endeavours to repair it may well be tempting fate. It is more than possible that the Terminus was destroyed so that the Sentient's couldn't gain a foothold via using it as an anchor to travel to.

 

Whether or not the Sentient's did or did not enter the Origin system is beside the point. All I know is that whatever is beyond Pluto is a lot of black, a lot of empty space, and a whole lot of potential worm-ships just waiting to be given the invite back in.

 

Kinda like Reapers in Mass Effect, or Reavers in Firefly.

You really, really don't want to see what's beyond the black...

 

Sources

 

Mag Prime codex :- http://warframe.wikia.com/wiki/Mag_(Warframe)

 

Ember codex: - http://warframe.wikia.com/wiki/Ember_(Warframe)

[StallordD]

The trailer you used was for the original Dark Sector concept, which likely would have utilized a SINGLE "dark sector" as a major plot point. Dark Sectors NOW are mainly an homage, but for lore purposes, are areas of space that are not connected to by standard Solar Rails. As in, the Corpus and Grineer do not curate any solar rails leading to those sections of space, forcing the Tenno to do so themselves. There isn't a "main" dark sector beyond Pluto, but the space beyond IS technically a dark sector, because the rails at the outer terminus were shattered for an unknown reason and the Corpus are actively trying to restore them. In time, DE will likely rebuild them to expand the star chart.

[OverlordMcGeek]

The Outer Terminus might serve merely as the last link before a serious Void jump to any other known co-ordinate.

 

I'm mostly basing this on Mag Prime's and Ember's codex entries.

 

Solar Rails make things travel via the Void

 

In the Ember codex, the Zariman is claimed "...lost making the fold from Saturn to the Outer gates." In the simplest way, the easiest way to travel obscene distances in space would be to 'fold' it. So, in a sense, a Solar Rail uses the Void to make point A and point B be functionally the same place. In other words, it's more akin to how Stargate's work than the Mass Relays in Mass Effect.

 

This then makes it outright terrifying when you realise that, so long as you have the co-ordinates and the right base line, you could theoretically go anywhere.

 

What role does/did the Outer Terminus play?

 

Assuming that the Rails function as suggested, due to the implications of the above information, well, it boils down to a simple logical question; where do you begin sending out ships to chart the unknown?

 

The edge of the known frontiers.

 

This also serves as a kind of insurance policy. You are going into waters unknown. What will you be bringing back with you, if anything? Could something follow you back the way you came if you ran? More like than not.

 

So by using the Outer Terminus as the launching point for extra Solar exploration, it gives whatever authorities held the system at the time a degree of breathing room should the worst happen.

 

Which is precisely what happens, as is the way with narrative; whatever could go wrong, will go wrong. This then means the Outer Terminus becomes the staging ground for a war effort. 

 

It's military strategy at it's best in the end; when fighting a war, you don't let the enemy come within striking distance of your command centre. Outposts keep the line away from squishy, squishy civilians as much as possible.

 

Conclusion

 

In summary, then, the Outer Terminus is simply the furthest known Solar Rail within the Origin System network, and the Corpus' endeavours to repair it may well be tempting fate. It is more than possible that the Terminus was destroyed so that the Sentient's couldn't gain a foothold via using it as an anchor to travel to.

 

Whether or not the Sentient's did or did not enter the Origin system is beside the point. All I know is that whatever is beyond Pluto is a lot of black, a lot of empty space, and a whole lot of potential worm-ships just waiting to be given the invite back in.

 

Kinda like Reapers in Mass Effect, or Reavers in Firefly.

You really, really don't want to see what's beyond the black...

 

Sources

 

Mag Prime codex :- http://warframe.wikia.com/wiki/Mag_(Warframe)

 

Ember codex: - http://warframe.wikia.com/wiki/Ember_(Warframe)

The main thing that debunks that the pluto relay was used for that purpose to make sure that the "worst that happens" doesn't is, that in the current time we know that KBO's or kepler belt objects like Sedna and Ceres exist now, and that the events with Hayden Tenno happened in the near future, it stands to reason when the initial solar rails were created by the orokin, they kept KBO's in mind.

 

It would stand to better reason that, since this is a 3 dimensional universe they would want resources all around in a 360 curve all around. One world surrounded by asteroids to mine and protected by the suns heliosphere against the violent cosmic radiation.

 

As the "void" it might have been possible to go past the oort cloud. Perhaps the "cloud" was actually a swarm of insect like non terestial(grounded to a world" bugs rather than a cosmetic phenomenon. Swarm would coincide with the insect feel that the mirage codex gives.

 

I'll update tommorrow.

[514415]

Blakrana, on 12 Oct 2014 - 4:50 PM, said:

What role does/did the Outer Terminus play?

Assuming that the Rails function as suggested, due to the implications of the above information, well, it boils down to a simple logical question; where do you begin sending out ships to chart the unknown?

The edge of the known frontiers.

This is where I would like to add something. I don't know everything from the the lore, but it may be of use for those who do know a lot.

I thought about that when Blakrana mention the resemblance with a portal like in Stargate. I am going to start talking about physics, so sorry if it bores you to death.

Basically, when you want to go really really far, you don't go at your destination, you bend space so it takes you to destination way faster, nearly instantly. The problem (which can also be a part of the answer) is that when you do that, you travel the distance between Point A to Point B faster than the light could do it. Theoretically, space-time should consider that the only way you could have done so is to go back in time. So it means that by taking those portals, not only you travel through space, you may also be traveling through time.

For normal dark sectors, maybe we have a device to prevent this time travel (or maybe not, which could make things more interesting). But since this outer terminal seems to kick us veeeeeeeery far away, maybe that device to prevent time travel didn't worked because the breach in time was far too big (or we maybe didn't have this kind of device yet at this time).

If it's the case, then maybe this breach may have reached a period of time when the Sentients didn't disapear yet (if they ever disappeared).

If it is true, it may also explain why the Sentients aren't coming at our age : Maybe they can't. Time travelling to the past requires to surpass light-speed. That means that time travelling to the future requires negative speed, or so is my theory. Even if they are a bit more technologically advanced than the Orokin, Sentients may still not be able to go forward in time, and they probably never reached this level of technology since they didn't come back so far.

To resume what I said through all this uselessly long text : You can add time travel to pretty much any theory involving the Sentients and the solar rails, especially about the outer terminal.

That was it. Thanks for reading if you really did read everything.

Edited October 15, 2014 by 514415

[(PSN)NearlyDedicated]

-snip-

This is very interesting to me, personally. I like reading about physics/theoretical physics (Michio Kaku was my idol for a few years, as a student). What you present here not only brings a new perspective to the table, but presents noteworthy information which could drastically change the current understanding of the lore.

 

Good stuff, 514415! :D

[514415]

Thanks, I finally found something in which my uselessly big knowledge about physics is useful. (This is not exactly the kind of things I need to know at 16 years old in highschool ^^)

 

By the way, I forgot to tell that the time you travel by using those portals scales on the distance there is between Point A and Point B. That means that all dark sectors are maybe not all being visited at the same period if they are located at different distances from the rails.

 

And, wow, you replied only 20 min after I posted this.  O.O

Edited October 15, 2014 by 514415

[(PSN)NearlyDedicated]

Thanks, I finally found something in which my uselessly big knowledge about physics is useful. (This is not exactly the kind of things I need to know at 16 years old in highschool ^^)

 

By the way, I forgot to tell that the time you travel by using those portals scales on the distance there is between Point A and Point B. That means that all dark sectors are maybe not all being visited at the same period if they are located at different distances from the rails.

 

And, wow, you replied only 20 min after I posted this.  O.O

Woo, physics for high schoolers! I'm 16, too - and Michio Kaku has always been my quote-on-quote "hero" of sorts...picked up theoretical physics freshman year. It's cool to think about how it would apply to Warframe :D never thought about it that way.

[514415]

Michio Kaku ..? *google the name*

 

Oooooooooooooh, this guy. I saw him a few time in some documentaries about theoric physics. One of the rare specialist whoose face I remembered because he was explaining so damn well everything he wanted to teach. Now I understand why you like him so much. The only reason I didn't follow his other works is probably that I saw this guy for the last time like 3 years ago and I wasn't as at ease with english as I am now (I was watching french versions of the documentaries, so I wasn't paying too much attention to his other works).

 

Always happy to see how tiny this word is. ^_^

[514415]

It's just a supposition, but since the next warframe has space and time bending powers, maybe we could wait and see what it can add to any theory about Orokin technology.