Good news, everyone! (set after everyone has rested from plot and slowed their collective roll)

[googledox]

[Brainy went to the Medbay and to see Dr. Ryk'rr for his post-mission debrief, as ordered. Standard procedure. But he hasn't slept. Of course he hasn't slept. He's been very, very busy. Especially since this is something that he couldn't find information about alone -- he's been putting in calls all night to countless other scientists in countless other institutions and government organizations.]

I checked four-hundred fifty different survey programs, run by various institutions and government organizations, and according to the most recent remote surveys that have estimated the size of the material universe, most data indicates that this universe is the same estimated size that it was when last assayed.

Except for every probe that has passed by a particular, distant, uninhabited sector of the Milky Way Galaxy.

Every single data compilation from every probe that passed through that sector has registered the existence of unexplained chronal and spatial anomalies, and that readings in that area indicate that the material universe is now at a size that is unquantifiably larger. It's as if this universe now simply has no end, even when its overall mass was once at a generally estimable size before.

In this sector, the fabric of spacetime is also twisted in configurations that the fabric of reality shouldn't even be capable of contorting into according to all known laws of astrophysics.

Every one of these organizations and institutions dismissed these anomalous readings as statistical outliers or equipment malfunctions. Due the probes often having long-distance sweeps that sometimes take them years or months to complete, it's only within the last few months that they started running diagnostics on their respective probes and start contacting other organizations to compare results. Since they had yet to determine a cause for such clearly impossible readings, they hadn't yet escalated notice of these readings to the appropriate authorities.

[Brainy draws in a deep breath.]

In layman's terms, something has attached itself to that sector of the galaxy. Something that has a mass larger than the entirety of this universe. Larger than the entire mass of multiple universes.

I've instructed the UP Council to bar all space travel to the area and plan to send my own probe to gather readings on the region, but as of this moment, I can say with almost 99.999% certainty, after seeing the readings I saw, that the Time Trapper was telling the truth.

There is no other possible explanation.

Comments

[captainbuzzkill]

When we freed him, we found a way to do it! But we have to find the magical artifact that was used to trap him first.

[notwithoutafight]

[ She groans. ] And I bet finding that thing is going to be a huge pain in the butt too.

[leverageintceo]

Depends on if it's hidden, lost, or just locked away. You'd be surprised how easy it is to bypass a most security measures.

[ringslinging]

When the Sentinels of Magic were trying to hide the Spear of Destiny after I became the Spectre, they threw it into the sun.

[ That's the kind of security measures they're probably looking at. ]

[leverageintceo]

I've never broken into the sun before. But if you can put stuff there without it instantly vaporizing, then you can pull it back out too.

[ringslinging]

Hey, we beat a planet-eater. If anyone can pull it off it's us.

[leverageintceo]

My hacker is going to be so jealous when I tell him I broke into a sun.

[ringslinging]

They better go back and add this to my display in the Hall of Justice Museum.

[leverageintceo]

Interpol probably won't add it to my file, but only because they wouldn't believe it if I told them.

...Actually, Sterling might believe it. He'd be angry about it, but he might believe it.

[ringslinging]

My life's already weird enough that it would blend right in.

[leverageintceo]

Yes, but you're also already a super hero back home. I'm just really good at my job.

[ringslinging]

It may not be up there with superhero stuff, but your job is still pretty out there.

[leverageintceo]

That's why I said Sterling might believe it, but be angry about it.

[ringslinging]

Bring the news footage back with you. As long as the media seems to be taping any time we step off Legion World anyway...

[leverageintceo]

I'm okay with law enforcement back home not knowing that I can break into a sun. Especially since no one can even store things in the sun back home.

[ringslinging]

Right. Criminal.

It's easier to be a show-off when you're the law.