Editing The Atalantos Worlds (section)

====Precipice, the Point of No Return====
{{Infobox 40k Planet
|name= Precipice
|bgcolor=black
|fgcolor=white
|image=
|class= Research Outpost
|orbdist= 3.7 Light Years
|gravity= Variable
|temp= Variable
|pop= 100 researchers
|governor= Magos Entrem Go-Shang
|system= Sagittarius A*
|sector= Core
|subsector= Core 
|segmentum= Ultima Segmentum
}}

Welcome to the Precipice. Go no further. 

Beyond this point there is nothing. This is the final stop. The power within the Milky Way's heart has consumed all else. Only a handful of stars get anywhere near this close, whipping around the central black hole faster than any other natural object ever moves. Precipice is even closer in. Time flows strangely on Precipice. As does gravity. As does space itself. All are linked here, and all bear immense strain. 

Precipice itself is largely a nickel-iron ball, probably the remnants of some ancient gas giant. Only a little rocky crust yet remains from its formation, mostly scoured off by stellar encounters of unimaginable energy. It has no parent star to give it light, only the countless points of flickering energy filling the sky. Precipice is a world awash in radiation of every type, spared from complete annihilation only by the remarkably quiet nature of the Milky Way's black hole. Though heavier than 4 million Suns, our galaxy is among the 10% that slumber deeply. Few flares emerge here, and no relativistic jets carve swathes through the heavens. Indeed, were it not so, life might never have evolved on Terra.

Precipice's one protection is its incredible rate of spin and massive molten core. The planet's magnetic field is hundreds of times stronger than Terra's, deflecting much of the radiation from reaching the surface. Inside this protective envelope, a handful of Magi have established a research base on the black hole's very doorstep. From here direct observation of Sagittarius A* is possible, and despite the planet's immense size and gravity, at the equator its incredibly rapid spin counteracts what would otherwise be tens of G's. Far too much force for even enhanced Magi to bear. There is even some thin atmosphere, though the winds regularly top 2,000 kilometers per hour, and are primarily inert noble gases. 

This may be the single most dangerous place in the Materium, save for a planet orbiting an impending supernova or falling into the Eye of Terror. At any time, accreting gas or debris could cause an apocalyptic outburst, sterilizing everything for hundreds of light years around. No trade ships dare traverse this part of space. Only the Mechanicus' most hardened vessels can make such a journey, and only with rigorous preparation. 

And yet there is much to learn. The Precipice is a physics laboratory beyond compare, where extraordinary events are laid bare for the observation on a daily basis. Every new mote of gas drifting past, every asteroid, every doomed star, all these and more offer precious data that could not be obtained in any manmade research facility. With the assistance of the War Scribes, a single Ark Mechanicus has been constructed to supply Precipice, the mighty ''Last Horizon''. It carries no armaments, instead sheathing itself in adamantium plates a hundred meters thick, and powering dozens of shield batteries with genetoriums the size of hab spires. Ten colossal plasma drives propel the behemoth, each one capable of moving an Emperor-class Battleship on their own. Even such an immense force is barely sufficient to manage the tremendous gravitational load. A marvelous vessel, but nothing less could survive the trip. Every three years it makes the perilous trek, delivering sustenance and harvesting thousands of datastacks. 

From these efforts, much fruit has been yielded. Few can say what exactly the Mechanicus have done with their data, but the annals of the War Scribes provide valuable historical context. Without the efforts of Precipice's scientists, the Legion's Jetbikes, Land Speeders, Centurions, and Grav-guns would long since have ceased to function. Their knowledge of the bending of space and time has allowed the Scribes to continue replicating the wonders of the past. 

Step not beyond the Precipice. But do stop by and have a look around.