The Wall Between Us and the Hive

By Tia Nehra

Many of you remember the strange object that fell into the frozen north not so long ago. We still do not know everything it was or why it came here, but I have reason to believe it is part of a much larger story. I cannot share how I learned this, only that I believe the information is reliable enough that the people of Arche Terre should know it.

Far beyond our world, between the stars themselves, stands a fortress called Atlantikwall. Imagine the only bridge across a great canyon. If an enemy wishes to cross, they have no choice but to use that bridge. Atlantikwall guards a place very much like that; a path between the stars that invading fleets must travel. The fortress is enormous, several kilometers across, and was built for one purpose: to stop the Hive.

It is covered in thick armor and surrounded by countless weapons. Six massive cannons are its greatest strength. Each is powerful enough to cripple warships larger than entire cities and can even disrupt the strange creatures the Hive uses in battle. When all six fire together, veterans say the light is so bright it turns the path between the stars into a wall no enemy can cross.

The fortress is not alone. An entire fleet waits beside it; great warships, cruisers, destroyers, and masses of smaller craft. Together they watch the passage every moment of every day, ready to meet anything that comes through.

Their orders are simple:

-Do not let the Hive pass.

-Do not abandon the wall.

If Atlantikwall were ever to fall, the Hive would spread into many more star systems. Countless worlds would suddenly find themselves fighting for survival.

« But, » you might ask, « if this wall exists, how did something reach Arche Terre? »

That is the question that troubles me. The object that landed in our far north appears to have slipped past these defenses somehow. Whether it was overlooked, whether it came another way, or whether it was simply too small to stop, I do not yet know. What I do know is this: if one reached us…others might.

That does not mean we should panic. Fear has never solved a problem. It does mean we should pay attention. Our scholars should continue studying what was found. Our guards should remain watchful. Our adventurers should report anything unusual. Knowledge has always been our greatest weapon, and that has not changed.

The people standing watch at Atlantikwall are buying time for worlds they will never see. Let us make good use of that time.