CHAPTER 1 – Anomaly in the Void
While a routine scan was underway at one of the observation centers affiliated with the Galactic Federation, the system measured a gravitational pull above the recorded values at a specific point in space.
Sayar, who was monitoring the scan, checked the coordinates from which the measurement had come. There were several distant stars in the region, but none of their masses were sufficient to explain the gravitational value shown on the screen.
He opened the old observation records. The same region had been scanned many times before. The records showed no unusual gravitational pull.
Sayar restarted the measurement.
The result did not change.
The gravitational value at the same point was again above the recorded level.
He checked the status of the instruments. There appeared to be no malfunction. Even so, he could not create an anomaly record based on a single measurement. He directed the center’s other two observation systems to the same coordinates as well.
When the measurements from all three systems were complete, he placed the values side by side. Apart from minor differences, the results were the same.
Sayar sent the data to Baran, the center supervisor. Baran arrived in the section where the measurements had been taken shortly afterward.
“Which system made the first measurement?” he asked.
“The first system,” said Sayar. “Then I directed the other two to the same coordinates. All three measured the increase in gravitational pull.”
Baran checked the instruments’ latest maintenance records. Then he recalculated the positions and mass values of the stars in the region. He found no change that could explain the increase in gravitational pull.
“One of the measuring instruments may be sending incorrect data,” said Sayar.
“If it were one instrument, we could accept that,” said Baran. “Three different systems are measuring the same region.”
“There could be an error in the data processing system.”
This time they removed the raw data from the automated evaluation system. The measurements were reprocessed in a separate system.
The value did not change.
Baran examined the results for a while. The possibility that all three instruments were producing the same error had diminished, but they were all connected to the same center. The problem might not be in the measuring instruments, but in one of the center’s shared systems.
“Let’s request an independent measurement,” said Baran.
Only the coordinates were sent to other observation centers affiliated with the Federation. The result reached by the first center was not disclosed. The teams were asked to scan the region and send the gravitational values they measured.
When the first response arrived, Sayar compared the new data with their own measurements.
“They measured the same change too,” he said.
Baran opened the results. The increase in gravitational pull was at the same coordinates.
There were minor measurement differences in the data from the second center, but the anomaly was again seen at the same point. When the results from the third center arrived as well, there were now three separate confirmations.
Sayar placed the measurements from the independent centers next to the initial data.
“If there were an error in one of the center’s shared systems, it shouldn’t have appeared in their measurements,” he said.
“Yes,” said Baran. “We’ve ruled out instrument malfunction too.”
They compared the region’s old records once again. There was no star or other known celestial body large enough to produce the measured gravitational pull.
Baran opened the latest measurement results. The data from independent observation centers pointed to the same coordinates.
There really was a change in the region of space considered empty.
