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{{Quote|It's not natural. Not to us. Not to anything we know about the universe.|[[Isaak Kuzmin]]}}<ref name="kuzmin3"/>
[[File:2025 DEC Marathon Press Kit Compressed 012.jpg|thumb|right|300px|The Anomaly on [[Dire Marsh]].]]
'''The Anomaly''' was a radioactive alien force which erupted from the surface of [[Tau Ceti IV]] during its [[Colony Era]], causing significant disruption to colonization efforts due to its unpredictable effects on physics, biology, and technology (including AI systems). It was presumed to be linked to the [[Novel contagion|novel contagion]] in some way.

== History ==
Before making its presence known explicitly, the Anomaly manifested in a number of bizarre occurrences before the colony knew of its existence. Recovered logs from [[Perimeter]] relate that terraplatforming efforts in the [[Zone]] were halted when such strong anomalous readings were detected beneath [[Hauler]] that it had to be shut down,<ref>''Marathon'' (2026), Codex, Personal Log: Kuzmin, I: PERSONAL LOG: KUZMIN, I (2)</ref> prompting the establishment of a [[Data Wall]], and the building of the [[Twin Relays]] to broadcast recovered data into space.<ref name="kuzmin3">''Marathon'' (2026), Codex, Personal Log: Kuzmin, I: PERSONAL LOG: KUZMIN, I (3)</ref>

[[QIDAR]] systems malfunctioned, and subterranean survey drones regularly exploded, resulting in a return to manual surveying. These surveyors needed to take anti-hallucinogens to counter the lingering whispers they heard after returning to the surface.<ref>''Marathon'' (2026), Codex, Survey Drone Cartridge: DRONE MODIFICATIONS</ref>

In [[Dire Marsh]], a prototype [[Felini]] began digging straight into the mud outside [[Bio-Research]], burning out 13 meters down, which was noted to be more power than the system should have been able to output.<ref>''Marathon'' (2026), Codex, Biosynthetic Pet Prototype: FELINI TROUBLESHOOTING</ref>

The Anomaly may have appeared in [[2827]]<ref name="cinematic">[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvbEnWLRo1s Marathon | Reveal Cinematic Short]</ref> under the leadership of [[New Cascadia]] President [[Luca Caruso]],<ref>''Marathon'' erupting from the ground in a strange radiating force. (2026), Codex, Anchorite Provisions: POST-APOCALYPTIC LOG</ref> Residents began experiencing auditory hallucinations, waking up next to the Anomaly with no memory of how they got there, having visions of [[mimics|deceased loved ones]], and witnessing lights guiding them away from safe areas.<ref name="CDXROI">''Marathon'' (2026), Codex, Return on Investment [1/5]: COLONY ANNOUNCEMENT</ref> It was soon discovered that time moved faster close to the Anomaly. For a time, some leaders considered taking advantage of this for accelerated crop production.<ref name="CDXROI">''Marathon'' (2026), Codex, Return on Investment [5/5]: ANOMALY TASKFORCE EXTENSION REQUEST</ref>

A number of incidents were soon reported in association with the Anomaly, including DNA sequencing of local organisms which showed significant DNA changes in a matter of days (Incident Report #38), accounts of "lost time" when a [[Dasari|colonist]] entered the vicinity of the Anomaly and claimed to have been gone 3 hours, despite only being absent 10 minutes (Incident Report #45), and abnormal behavior exhibited by the AI [[Bastion]] that went against his programming, including speaking in an unidentifiable language (Incident Report #51).<ref>''Marathon'' (2026), Codex, Equitable Distribution [3/4]: ANOMALY INCIDENT REPORTS</ref>

Colony leaders and scientists held meetings to determine the best approach to dealing with the Anomaly, which was causing equipment degradation, wildlife disruption, and hallucinations, all while the ground fissures widened at a daily rate, emitting an unknown type of radiation.<ref>''Marathon'' (2026), Codex, Equitable Distribution [3/4]: COUNCIL MEETING RECORDING</ref> Eventually, a state of emergency was declared, a curfew was implemented, and access to the [[Dire Marsh|Zone]] was restricted.<ref name="CDXROI"/> The Anomaly increased exponentially in size until entering a period of stability.<ref name="UESCAnom"/>

One [[UESC]] officer, [[M. Diaz]], entered the vicinity of the Anomaly, and when a rescue party returned to search for him later that day, he was found with signs of severe cognitive confusion and biocybernetic implant decay that indicated many years without maintenance. The number of years Diaz claimed to have been lost was redacted from UESC records.<ref name="UESCAnom">''Marathon'' (2026), Codex, Unsanctioned Hostilities [1/5]: UESC REPORT: ANOMALY</ref>

Scientists speculated that the Anomaly was the result of terrestrial radiation, mass psychosis/delusion, an expression of the planet as a living super-organism, and most pointedly that the Anomaly itself was a form of language expressed by an alien intelligence, posited as being a connected, collective intelligence underground, possibly in the form of a [[Novel contagion|mycelial network]].<ref>''Marathon'' (2026), Codex, Class B Anomalous Material: PERIMETER CHECK COMMS</ref>

== Gallery ==
<gallery>
File:12.21.2827.png|A [[New Cascadia]] colonist enters the Anomaly on December 21st, 2827.
File:AnomalyHead.png|The colonist's head explodes into an unknown biomass after making contact with the Anomaly.
File:AnomalyExplodingColonist.png|The colonist continues to expand into a floating biomass of unknown origin.
</gallery>

== List of appearances ==
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvbEnWLRo1s ''Reveal Cinematic Short''] {{1st}}
*''[[Marathon (2026)]]''

== References ==
<references/>

[[Category:New locations]]