Created by Captain Michael Turlogh Kane on Aug 22, 2016 @ 12:31am

THE AMATERASU

First encountered by the crew of the USS Phoenix in 2430, the strange photonic entities known as Amaterasu remain largely a mystery. Creatures of pure light, Amaterasu seem to come in two distinct forms: "aurora" types, which appear as ephemeral fields of shifting, multi-colored light, and "orb" types, which manifest as sudden bursts of light and energy that are gone almost as soon as they appear. It is believed these distinct types represent different 'genders' of the beings, though there is little concrete data to back this conclusion.

The aliens were discovered inside the Hyperion Expanse, a sector of space that has been host to severe magnascopic storms since its discovery. It is theorized that the Amaterasu use this section of space as a spawning ground. To date, there have been no recorded encounters with Amaterasu outside the Hyperion Expanse.

As being of composed of pure light, the Amaterasu seem totally unaware of organic life. They are attracted to the energy output of starship warp engines, as well as the energy signature of standard phasers. The aliens seem curious about these energy signatures, seem to manifest in their presence more readily, and will follow signatures if their source is not stationary. Despite this, limited attempts to communicate with the Amaterasu have proven unsuccessful, and it is believed the creatures do not possess complex higher intelligence. The creatures also seem immune to damage from phasers or other types of radiation. The Phoenix crew theorized that the Amaterasu could be 'killed" by a focused graviton pulse, though this was never fully tested.

Though they do not appear to be hostile to organic life, the Amaterasu are nonetheless extremely dangerous. They emit high amounts of beta radiation, which can harm starship components and cause extreme damage to organic matter. The Phoenix's science officer, Thomas Varn, was killed when he was enveloped by an Amaterasu, succumbing quickly to horrific head-to-toe radiation burns.

Difficult to detect and dangerous to study, the Amaterasu remain a beautiful, yet deadly, mystery of the Hyperion Expanse. If encountered, it is wise to give them a wide berth.