While Sophia is working on the next installment of her renown series, I’d like to draw your attention to one more artificial planet that is being colonized right now. If we to believe scientists, Gdf_XI_G can be described as a giant space station with no cavities inside – at least of a size sufficient for human beings to fit in.

Several theories try to explain who created such planets and for what purpose, but every last one of the mentioned theories has an awful lot of inconsistencies and obvious mistakes. I think it’s no exaggeration to say that at the present moment no one knows for sure what we are dealing with and what to expect from those huge ancient artifacts.

Maybe, we should look more closely into the Grandchildren of the Hollow God. The cultists seem to have some connection to artificial planets, and it’s possible they are armed with important information that can be used for the public interest.

Jeremiah Cruck, editor-in-chief

I was beyond terrified, paralyzed with fear. Suddenly one of the ceiling panels moved aside and a very familiar voice said:

- Get up here, Mrs. Skobeleva! Hurry!

There definitely wasn’t any time to think and analyze the situation. I just used that chance: moved a dresser, stepped on it, climbed up as fast as I could – and in the crawlspace faced Borg Johnson himself. Yeah, that’s right – I had been wrong about the guy from the very beginning. He put a finger to his lips and crawled away. I followed.

Narrow ventilation gallery brought us to the laundry. We left the building through the back door and went to the big Martian restaurant two blocks away. There we talked for about an hour. Mr. Johnson explained how he knew that I was in danger – sorry, but I just cannot disclose it here – and told me about his own misadventures. Cultists, known as Grandchildren of the Hollow God, had chosen him as their primary target several months before. The cult is somehow connected to ancient artificial planetoids that have been discovered recently. BLS_IV_F is the latest example. Mr. Johnson said something terrible had happened there and asked me to look into the matter. I agreed.

Another space object mentioned in our conversation was a planet named Zax. Mr. Johnson intended to go to Zax – important and monumental (literally monumental) findings were waiting for him. But there was another urgent issue we had to attend to: Mr. Johnson said he saw how cultists kidnapped Jerry Yun, right in front of our apartment mere minutes before my arrival. We had to save Jerry. Whatever the cost…

Sophia Skobeleva, special correspondent

Hi, guys, it’s me, Sophia Skobeleva. I’m back at the office. Everything is good, and it’s time to continue the story of my adventures on Khorat. Let’s pick it up right where it was interrupted – inside the Cupola. I wandered the tunnels for a couple of hours and finally found a huge cavern where a group of archaeologists worked. They freaked out when I appeared and even tried to call the guards, but I managed to persuade them that there was nothing to be afraid of. It turned out, someone had been threatening the scientists for quite some time, hence all the security and secrecy.

One of the archaeologists told me that their leader, Borg Johnson, was the main target of the unknown adversaries. They already had attempted to kidnap him a number of times – that’s why Mr. Johnson left the planet. Nobody had any idea where he could be at the moment. As for the possible nature of the danger, there were several versions. According to one of them, mysterious criminal organizations were involved – obviously, they had critical differences with Khorat’s new owners. According to another, certain obscure cults were seeking to come into the spotlight, so to say, by committing a heinous crime.

Anyway, in the evening I left the Cupola and went straight to our apartment. And then, an hour or so later… you know what happened. Somebody – definitely not Jerry – tried to get inside. I was so scared I could barely breathe. People behind the door exchanged some words – it was possible to distinguish “shoot the f***ing lock” and “not enough time to wait”. I realized they were going to break in. There were no weapons in the apartment and I felt absolutely helpless. But then…

Quite the cliffhanger, right? Sorry, but let’s wait for the next installment together.

Sophia Skobeleva, special correspondent

Rejoice, dear readers! Today I’ve received a message from Sophia Skobeleva and it seems she is fine. Well, generally speaking. She is in an orbital hospital on Khorat and we will go there tomorrow to get her. Meanwhile, here is the text of Sophia’s message for you to reflect upon:

“Vesuvius. That’s the name of a planet you need to investigate, Jeremiah. Investigate ASAP. Don’t worry about me, I’m alive and well. To be honest, I was slightly injured but right now I’m staying in a private not-quite-legal hospital that orbits Khorat and everything is ok. It’s a long story. And a rather interesting one that features insane cultists, secret societies, interplanetary cover-ups and a couple of action-packed chase sequences. I’ll write it down. So, first and foremost – Vesuvius. Immediately. Don’t let them go away with it!”

The usual Sophia: no self-preservation, just hunger for a page-one bombshell. Vesuvius, right. This is another newly found planet with some major anomalies in its structure. We’ll definitely look into it – but only after Sophia is out of danger.

Jeremiah Cruck, editor-in-chief

Finally, the situation is brightening up. Thanks to Orion, we now know what happened on Khorat shortly after its discovery: bands of poachers fought the colonists and astromarines. The clashes were rather violent, with a lot of casualties on both sides, but the malefactors were defeated and surrendered. At least, that’s what the officials want us to think.

Jerry Yun, a great friend, a talented correspondent and “0xTimes” contributor, yesterday came back home. He is safe and sound, though needs some serious psychological assistance. No words can describe our gratitude to the Khorat Galaxy police, officers of which did everything they could to find Jerry and protect him from any possible danger.

Meanwhile, we still have no clue what has happened to Sophia Skobeleva or where she might be. All the search activities haven’t brought any substantial evidence so far, and maybe it’s time to prepare for the worst. But hope springs eternal, and again we ask anyone who heard or saw or know something that can help us find Sophia, please speak up. Don’t let the darkness win.

Jeremiah Cruck, editor-in-chief

I’ve got some dreadful news for you, friends. Dreadful, indeed. Our special correspondents, Sophia Skobeleva and Jerry Yun, are missing. We haven’t received a word from them after the publication of the last Sophia’s op-ed entry. Every contact attempt has failed. You all remember how the aforementioned entry ended – and it’s obvious we are worried sick here in “0xTimes”. Right now the Galaxy Police squad is searching the rented apartment where Sophia and Jerry stayed, but I’ve already been told that no signs of them had been found.

That’s why I address our readers on Khorat: if you know something, if you’ve seen or heard something that can help the police find Sophia and Jerry, please contact the “0xTimes” editors office or me personally. We guarantee you the protection of anonymity – and a generous reward if your information turns out to be useful. Do not hesitate; it seems we may not have much time.

Also, I would like to publicly approach Mr. Borg Johnson, the head researcher of the Institute of Astroarchaeology. Mr. Johnson, are you aware what is going on around your activity on Khorat? Do you know what happened to our colleagues – and if you do, can you somehow influence their fates? We sincerely hope it’s not too late.

Jeremiah Cruck, editor-in-chief

How do you locate a specific person on a planet as big as Khorat? Well, if you’re not a government official or a police officer, you cannot do it legally. No way. So, my colleague Jerry Yun had to pull some wires – he happened to have acquaintances in the Galaxy Investigative Committee – to gain access to the logs of Khorat customs. It turned out that Borg Johnson had really left the planet, but other scientists from the Institute of Astroarchaeology had not. They were still here and they worked on something inside the Khorat Cupola.

Sometimes, journalistic investigations demand acting in a way that can be seen as inappropriate or even felonious. But truth is the most beautiful thing in the Universe and beauty always requires sacrifice. So, together with Jerry we staged the whole show near one of the Cupola entrances. Jerry was provoking the guards and diverting their attention while I sneaked inside. I strolled through long, serpentine corridors until…

Someone’s knocking on the door. It seems I should post what I’ve managed to write so far. I’ll continue the story after making sure there is no danger. Jerry isn’t here now. He… Crap, they’re knocking again. They know I’m here. Sorry, guys, see you later.

Sophia Skobeleva, special correspondent

We arrived on Khorat without any difficulties. Went through some standard procedures, facing nothing unusual or suspicious – except, maybe, for too scrutinous luggage examination. But it’s explainable, right? Residents interrogation bore no fruit, as everyone we talked to was eager to profess ignorance. “I have no idea” turned out to be the most popular answer, closely followed by “Oh, shut up already” and “What the ** are you talking about”. It seems, people of Khorat received precise instructions on how to effectively end a conversation with strangers trying to find out what had happened here just a few standard days before.

Then we traveled to the Khorat Cupola. It’s a really impressive structure of epic proportions, with several entrances, each of those blocked by massive men in military uniform with the Institute of Astroarchaeology emblems on their sleeves. I decided to make a frontal attack and demanded to see Borg Johnson, but was told that he had already left Khorat for another new planet with signs (well, quite remarkable ones) of extraterrestrial civilizations – Lyod. A picture of it is attached to this post. Is Mr. Johnson really there? Or is he simply trying to evade us? I’ll let you know very soon.

Sophia Skobeleva, special correspondent, Khorat

The United Earth Government released an official statement concerning the recent events:

«There is absolutely no reason for panic. The planet known as Khorat is now completely safe for citizens of the Galaxy. The unfortunate incident that sparked so many different rumors was a consequence of mere misunderstanding and misinterpretation. As for the exact nature of the aforementioned incident, it’s up to the planet owner to decide whether to disclose that information or keep it confidential. However, for the sake of public safety and order it’s strongly advised to consult government officials before choosing the former…»

Nothing has become clear in the Khorat situation yet. Powerful but unseen forces are obviously at play there and we can only hope that someday the truth will emerge. It always does, eventually. Meanwhile, merely gossip and rumors are publicly available – and as a self-respecting media, we shall not build our narrative upon unreliable speculation. So, instead of Khorat let’s talk a bit about another recently colonized world.

Somberal. A strange planet that slightly resembles a hand-grenade – and just like a hand-grenade is very, very explosive. Metaphorically speaking, of course. The thing is, the Institute of Astroarchaeology has already sent a special team there. The anonymous source inside the Institute confirmed the possibility of important alien evidence, located somewhere in the depths of Somberal. The exact nature of the findings remains unknown.

Is this simply a coincidence? Or are Somberal and Khorat somehow connected? 0xTimes reporters Sophia Skobeleva and Jerry Yun are trying to reveal dark secrets that haunt free citizens of the Galaxy at this difficult time. Results of their journalistic investigation will be published here soon. There definitely is a huge, great story behind all those archeological discoveries and confidential studies. We just have to uncover it. Stay tuned…

Obviously, in space, there is no such thing as scent, but something definitely smells fishy. Intense and conflicting reports are coming from Khorat, a beautiful planet with really extraordinary wildlife, found only a short time ago by brave earthlings. They thought they’d discovered paradise. Unfortunately, they were mistaken. We receive messages about multiple fire-fights on the planetary surface and no one seems to be able to tell what exactly is going on there.

We tried to reach the space police for comment but to no avail. Private security companies working in the region also turned out to be of no help. Some say that the planet has been used as a special polygon by secret services of the United Earth Government. Others mention space pirates and smugglers or even aliens – previously there were some strange sightings observed in the Khorat sector of the Galaxy. Adding to the confusion, Borg Johnson, a famous astroarchaeologist, just hours ago left his laboratory module on Steinwald and headed for Khorat on the UEG spaceship.

What is happening on the golden beaches of Khorat, in its humid jungles? What is that giant white sphere on its surface? Is it really some oversized artifact of an extraterrestrial civilization? And if it is, does this mean that right now humans on Khorat are being attacked by its creators, vicious aliens of unknown origins? Are we on the verge of the first galactic conflict or has it already started? Are we at war with something that can wipe us out – just as all those old science fiction writers feared?

I think people deserve answers from the United Earth Government, from the police and from Borg Johnson. We have the right to know.

Sophia Skobeleva, special correspondent

As Sophia Skobeleva, my esteemed colleague, put it yesterday in her article, nothing can stop the colonization of the Galaxy. New planets are discovered every single standard day, and some of them have a lot to tell us about those mysterious and delicate ways the Universe works in. Just several hours ago we learned that a huge expedition would go to the planet Steinwald where some unexplainable and even incomprehensible phenomena had been found.

Institute of Astroarchaeology is going through hard times right now because something very interesting and unique waits for the scientists on Kerwand, another recently discovered planet. We don’t know any specifics yet, but Borg Johnson, the head researcher of the Institute, already suggested that Kerwand can hide remains of an ancient extraterrestrial civilization. And it’s not one iota less important than Steinwald.

Are there enough qualified professionals in the Institute to properly investigate both sites? Let’s hope so. Let’s hope we’ll see more and more young, talented researchers in the nearest future. Because the Universe has a great lot of secrets for us to crack, and a great lot of lessons for us to learn. We may have interstellar spaceships but still are naïve little children playing on the edge of the old and wise and hungry abyss. With that in mind, have a good time!

Humankind is rapidly spreading among the stars. Nothing can stop our colonization of the Galaxy. Or at least that’s what we prefer to believe in. Earth is not the only planet with a sentient life on it – no doubt about that any more – but is one of those few civilizations of which have managed to survive the tumultuous and sometimes even suicidal “coming-of-age” process. Others might not have been so lucky.

Would people of the (recently discovered) planet now known as Smolder be able to reach distant stars if not for disastrous and fatal internal wars? We’ll never find out. We can only contemplate now. And draw certain conclusions, just like captain Lucas George, who was the leader of the Smolder expedition and refused outright to talk about his experiences:

“I… well, I was shocked, okay? No one should ever see something like that. And to think we could do the same with ourselves in the past, when all those countries and coalitions of Earth constantly fought each other. Terrible. As for Smolder, I cannot give you any details right now. It is classified information and it’s better be. Sorry…”

Let’s hope we’ll learn more about Smolder soon. And won’t repeat mistakes of the past ever again.

Sophia Skobeleva, special correspondent

Well, friends, it’s high time we start. The galaxy just needs some kind of a universal media outlet – to gather noteworthy news, collect scandalous gossip, conduct journalistic investigations and uncover the truth even if it’s not out there. And thus here we are, “0xTimes”, the best and only online periodical on this side of the space-time continuum. Rest assured, our writers and reporters will provide you with the most thrilling stories and reveal the darkest secrets possible. For they all are really good professionals, reckless and courageous as an ideal journalist should be. From the Gates of Tannhauser to the vast voids of Magellanic Clouds – they’ve been everywhere searching for exclusives to amuse you, dear audience. Newly discovered ruins of ancient civilizations? Another bunch of bloodthirsty cultists trying to sacrifice us all to some Unnamed and Illogical God? A living planet? A dying race? An unattended Dyson Sphere? If there is something interesting in the galaxy and beyond, we’ll write about it. “0xTimes” requests the pleasure to be your guide among all that black nothingness known as the Universe.