Phoebe

Story so far

Phoebe is a small cratered ice moon of Saturn, originally treated as a possible future water-mining target. A Martian scientific survey found silicate anomalies in its core samples, leading to a long-term research facility cosponsored by Protogen. Its unusual orbit had suggested it came from the Kuiper belt and was captured by Saturn.

In a Protogen presentation recovered from the stealth ship, Dresden says the moon's internal silicon and impact-resistant structures prove it is not naturally formed. He identifies it as a weapon sent through interplanetary space toward Earth roughly two and one-third billion years ago, carrying the alien Protomolecule as its payload. Phoebe's accidental capture may have spared early Earth life from being hijacked and reprogrammed. The exact state of the Martian research project is not yet known, but the moon is the physical origin point of the technology that has reached Eros.

Appearance

Phoebe is a small, crater-marked, irregular ice moon in Saturn's orbit, outwardly resembling countless asteroids and planetesimals while concealing engineered structures within its interior.

Role

Phoebe is the ancient delivery mechanism that turns the Eros outbreak from a human bioweapon mystery into evidence of alien technology.

Relationships