The Unfathomable

The Unfathomable are an alien race living together with humans in Echo Sector.



The Unfathomable cannot be perceived by humans, and as such, it is widely accepted that they coexisted with humanity long before humans noticed their presence. They are so drastically different from the type of life humans are used to that humans are psychologically incapable of understanding their existence. The Unfathomable society is assumed to have reached Tech Level 6 or higher.

Humanity was made aware of The Unfathomable through reports from other civilizations, as well as with the help of scientific instruments. Humans require neural implants or an interpreter in order to communicate with The Unfathomable; such implants will display a generic human avatar in the place of The Unfathomable, and project text or a synthesized voice. This helps to facilitate communication and avoid any harmful or overwhelming psychological effects.

Known side effects of direct Unfathomable contact include irreversible cognitive shift, coma, catatonia, changes in personality, and mania. Even with the use of an implant or an interpreter, humans may experience anxiety, dread, nausea, dizziness, euphoria, or a creeping sensation.

Other civilizations have described The Unfathomable as 'omnipresent,' 'fleeting,' and 'paradoxical.' More detailed descriptions are largely nonsensical to humans.

Some speculate that existence of The Unfathomable may explain most, if not all, of the supernatural phenomena observed by humans.

The Unfathomable are said to 'pull the strings behind the veil,' and most humans accept that these beings rule Echo Sector in some capacity. It is unclear whether this is superstition or fact.

Some schools of psychic practice aim to make contact with The Unfathomable, and even to ascend to their level of existence.