(http://i.imgur.com/T2O8P.jpg)
Misjump
Hundreds of millions of stargate and cyno jumps are made every day. It's inevitable that, eventually, human and mechanical error take their toll on a small number of them. While safety and reliability of these technologies are higher than ever, sometimes accidents still happen. More often than not, when they do, it results in a disabled starship... or sometimes even a spectacular fireball in the night sky.
Every once in a while however, it's an eerie nod to horror stories of old that are proven true. Sometimes, a ship goes in... and never comes back out.
Deep in the Mordu's Legion territory of Pure Blind, many stargates have fallen into disrepair. This is not something unique to Pure Blind. Throughout all of nullsec roaming pirates and capsuleer warlords are on the rise, with repair crews and renovations few and far between for these ageing gates. Yet at the same time, these gates see more use than they ever did before the rise of capsuleers. For one particular stargate, the combination of neglect and overuse has set in motion a terrible chain of events.
A Proteus cruiser slices through the blackness of space at breakneck speed. Rushing from stargate to stargate like a messenger on a mission, it's hurrying fast and deep back into high-security space. The cloaking device deep within its core thrums with latent energies as the vessel is protected from prying eyes of roaming gangs and pirates. Over the FTL comms network, two women speak...
"Yeah, I thought she was a bit rough around the edges, myself. I dunno. I'm just glad to be home soon.", says a Civire-Intaki woman over the intercom.
A blonde Deteis replies with a warm grin on her face, "You'd better be! We have a lot to catch up on, and Spot misses you something fierce. How long will you be?"
"Another twenty jumps or so. Shouldn't be more than an hour. Oh, did you get the box I sent?"
"Yes dear. I'm wearing it.", the blonde smiles and lifts up a thin silver necklace with some sort of locket attached.
"Hmm. I can't really see it well from here... I think I need to get closer.."
"Simca! Just hurry up, alright?"
"You know it, babe. I love you. I'll.... shi--"
These are the last recorded words of Simca Develon, speaking to her fiance Katrina. For reasons that may never be discovered, the cloaking device on the Proteus failed to disengage before the stargate activated. For reasons that may never be explained, the stargate jumped the ship anyways.
CONCORD is still investigating under tight security. After days of exhaustive investigation, they have only determined that the stargate failed to double check the safety status of the jump-requesting ship, and spun the miniature wormhole around the vessel anyways. Whether by stroke of bad luck, or some as yet unknown cause of conflicting technologies.... Simca Develon never emerged from the other side of that stargate.
Far off on the other side of the cluster, one Deteis woman has little reason to think her life is about to be turned upside down.