The name Alkanal isn't found in any conventional lexicon. It exists, if at all, within the liminal spaces between observation and intuition, a whisper carried on the currents of temporal distortion. It was, and perhaps still is, a state of being, a resonant frequency aligned with the echoes of collapsed stars and the nascent formation of galaxies.
It’s said that prolonged exposure to specific stellar patterns – particularly those exhibiting chaotic oscillations – can induce a state of Alkanal. The effects are… unpredictable.
The first recorded instances of Alkanal activity appeared during the ‘Chronometric Anomaly’ of 2347. This event, documented only in fragmented transmissions from the Observatory of Xylos, involved a localized distortion of spacetime, manifesting as shimmering auroras and unsettling temporal echoes. The anomaly was centered around the binary star system Cygnus X-1, a region already known for its volatile nature.
According to the recovered logs, individuals within a 50-kilometer radius of the X-1 system began experiencing a profound sense of déjà vu, coupled with vivid, intensely realistic visions of events that hadn’t yet occurred – or, in some cases, had occurred centuries before.
The synchronization wasn’t perfect. There were ‘bleed-throughs’ – glimpses of futures that never came to pass, and pasts that were irrevocably altered. The Xylos Observatory, using its newly developed ‘Temporal Resonance Scanner,’ identified a distinct, repeating pattern within the electromagnetic emissions of the system, a pattern they tentatively labelled ‘Alkanal.’
The individuals affected by the Alkanal phenomenon became known as ‘Resonants.’ They weren't necessarily volunteers. Many were researchers, technicians, and even security personnel stationed at the Xylos Observatory. Their brains, it seems, possessed a particular susceptibility to the resonant frequencies emitted by Cygnus X-1.
Notable Resonants included Dr. Elara Vance, a theoretical astrophysicist who claimed to have ‘witnessed’ the birth and death of countless universes, and Sergeant Marcus Thorne, a security operative who repeatedly relived the Battle of Aethelred – a minor skirmish from the 15th century – with terrifying clarity.
The Resonants exhibited a disturbing lack of agency. They were trapped within loops of temporal experience, unable to break free from the relentless replay of events.
The development of the Temporal Resonance Scanner was crucial to understanding Alkanal. This device, designed to detect and analyze temporal distortions, was instrumental in identifying the repeating patterns within the Cygnus X-1 emissions. It worked by creating a localized ‘temporal echo,’ amplifying and visualizing the subtle fluctuations in spacetime.
Dr. Jian Li, the lead engineer on the project, theorized that Alkanal wasn't a simple distortion of spacetime, but rather a ‘resonance’ – a state where the observer’s consciousness became entangled with the temporal flow of the system. The scanner essentially ‘tuned’ into this resonance, allowing researchers to study it directly.
However, prolonged use of the scanner also seemed to exacerbate the effects of Alkanal, further blurring the lines between past, present, and future for the Resonants.
The Chronometric Anomaly eventually subsided, but not before several Resonants had completely vanished, their existence seemingly erased from the timeline. The Xylos Observatory was abandoned, sealed off, and declared a ‘Zone of Temporal Instability.’
Rumors persist of a hidden research facility beneath the observatory, still active, still attempting to understand – or perhaps control – the power of Alkanal. Some say that the Resonants didn’t simply disappear; they transcended, merging with the temporal flow, becoming permanent echoes within the fabric of spacetime.
And sometimes, on clear nights when Cygnus X-1 is particularly active, a faint shimmer can be seen in the sky, a reminder of the resonance that lingers, waiting to be rediscovered.