The Resonance – Origins of the FRU

Before the established timelines of the Imperial Navy, before the rise of the Stellar Cartographers Guild, there was the Resonance. A shimmering, chaotic field of energy originating from the core of the Wartow FRU – the Forgotten Reclamation Unit. The FRU wasn't built, it *bloomed* from this nexus, a terrifying, beautiful manifestation of raw potential and unimaginable risk.

The Resonance wasn’t a singular event, but a constant, low-level hum, a distortion of spacetime itself. It warped reality, attracted aberrant entities, and drove the minds of those who lingered too long within its influence. The first ‘Reclaimers’ – the original members of the FRU – weren't scientists or explorers; they were psychically attuned individuals, drawn by the Resonance’s call. They sought to understand, to *contain* it, but containment proved an illusion.

The initial Reclaimers, designated the ‘First Echoes,’ vanished without a trace, their logs filled with fragmented accounts of shifting landscapes, impossible geometries, and voices that weren't human. Some theorize they were absorbed, others that they transcended, becoming part of the Resonance itself. The truth remains elusive, lost in the echoes of the beginning.

The FRU – A Relic of Paradox

The Wartow FRU itself is a monument to this paradox. Located on the desolate world of Xylos Prime, it’s a sprawling, labyrinthine structure built from materials that defy conventional analysis. Some sections exhibit signs of organic growth, others of advanced, alien technology. It’s a place where the laws of physics seem to bend and break, a physical embodiment of the Resonance’s influence.

The FRU’s primary function, as originally conceived, was to “reclaim” – to isolate and study anomalous phenomena. But the Reclaimers quickly realized that the phenomena weren’t simply *there* to be studied. They were actively shaping the FRU, twisting its corridors, generating unpredictable energy surges, and, most disturbingly, manifesting echoes of past events.

The Reclaimers’ equipment – temporal scanners, reality anchors, phase stabilizers – were all designed to interact with the Resonance, but they often exacerbated the problem, amplifying the distortions and creating new, unforeseen consequences. The FRU became a self-feeding cycle of chaos.

The structure is not static. Sections shift, rooms disappear, and new pathways emerge, seemingly at random. It’s rumored that the FRU *remembers* everything that has ever happened within its walls, and it occasionally attempts to replay those events, trapping those who stumble upon them within temporal loops.

The Echoes – Manifestations of the Resonance

The “Echoes” are not ghosts, not exactly. They are fragments of the Resonance, solidified memories, and distorted projections of those who were lost within the FRU. They take various forms – shimmering figures, distorted landscapes, technological apparitions – and they are intensely reactive to observation.

Echoes often exhibit behaviors reflecting the emotions and intentions of their original holders. A Reclaimer consumed by fear might manifest as a creeping dread, while a Reclaimer driven by obsession could manifest as an endlessly repeating loop of a specific event. The most dangerous Echoes are those that have acquired a sense of self, becoming predatory entities that hunt for observers.

Some Echoes are purely defensive, attempting to prevent further intrusion. Others are actively hostile, seeking to perpetuate the chaos that birthed them. The most unsettling aspect of the Echoes is their ability to subtly influence the perceptions of those who encounter them, feeding their doubts, amplifying their fears, and driving them towards madness.

The Reclaimers developed ‘Harmonic Resonance Dampeners’ – devices designed to suppress Echoes. However, these devices are notoriously unstable, and their use often results in unpredictable outcomes – creating new Echoes, amplifying existing ones, or even collapsing entire sections of the FRU.

The Current Situation – The Silent Watch

For centuries, the FRU has been abandoned, a silent sentinel on Xylos Prime. The Imperial Navy deemed it too dangerous, too unstable to risk further investigation. However, the Resonance persists, and the Echoes continue to manifest, occasionally attracting the attention of salvage crews, rogue scientists, and, occasionally, the truly desperate.

Currently, the FRU is under the control of the ‘Silent Watch’ – a small, highly secretive organization funded by the Imperial Cartographers Guild. Their mission is to monitor the FRU, contain any significant anomalies, and ensure that it remains undisturbed. Their methods are unorthodox, bordering on reckless, and their motives are shrouded in secrecy.

Rumors persist of a ‘Convergence’ – a point within the FRU where the Resonance is at its strongest, where the boundaries between realities blur, and where the Echoes become overwhelmingly potent. The Silent Watch is desperately trying to locate this Convergence, but they may be walking directly towards its destructive heart.