A journey through space to beginning of time.
Space is vast, making space travel beyond the immediate solar system almost unobtainable. Almost.
In the event that !@
Vanoemon probes. A network of self replicating satellite space stations are distributed across the stars as far as the andromeda galaxy. The distance between probes is still too far for humans to travel but the invention of digital mind mapping aloud humans to be digitally transferred arose the network and installed into a cloned body.
Those who went and came back are know as Synths. The continuous back and forth (beaming) having a significant impact to the travelers psyche. Synths became less human over time, void of emotion and almost robotic in nature.
The incident. The network is cut off by a superlative group of synths.