Monolithion, nicknamed Witches Cauldron, was the crown jewel find of the Locust program. A million of identical sentinels heaved into enormous speeds by the Circumlunar Accelerator Rail, on trajectory for the 100 nearest stars. A few of them finally managed to locate artefacts that the failed SETI program gave up on ever finding.

Located by weak anomalous optical radiation, the complex is considered as a probe or a sample factory, with unknown subterranean structure. The surprising aspect being that the inner workings of the monoliths are based on metasolid state processing, constructed with an advanced version of the large scale lithography that humans only started utilising in the last 50 years. Giving food for the Finite Technogenesis theory, that there are in fact final technological levels beyond whose it is impossible or pointless to progress.

A curious self-healing surface resembling bacterias breeding on the monolith surface was discovered by pelting the structure with a sample gun. The surface seems to ingeniously feed the so-called upper crust bacterias that quickly restructured themselves over whatever hole appearing in the surface. The entire structure seems to have been deposed there in one piece, as a needle piercing the planetary shell. Rock surface analysis gives suspicion that the crater containing the artefact was created by a nuclear strike specifically for the probe. Everybody agrees that the central disc is probably the accumulator of whatever material transformations that happen within. That the disc is detachable and removable by whichever Creator that will eventually demand the results. Although some researchers maintain that the probe has been in standby mode for the last 3000 years.Scanning of the micrometeoritical surface erosion give some evidence for that. But it's all but deductions from high resolution multiband photos. No human expedition has yet dared to mount the trek even to the nearest star, let alone Monolithion.

Model elements are adapted for quick rendering and realtime use, utilising bump, detail mapping, specular mapping, HDR reflection, fake voxelling. Ambient occlusion has been rendered into the second UV channel. Material hierarchies give localised variations and allow great customisation possibilities. Rendered in Max standard scanline mode with an Area light and three omni backlights. Scene will render as seen in the previews, except post-effects.

Concept and design by the artist.
3D Studio Max 9 file.