Doctor Earl Serrano spearheads the research dig teams' efforts to unearth the alien artifacts and the Markers. The alien life forms are found on the surface of Tau Volantis.The hope is to find the source of the seemingly unlimited energy of the Markers, which can solve humanity's resource crisis and aid in defeating the Secessionists in the Secession Wars that rage on. The Sovereign Colonies Armed Forces Galactic Expedition to Tau Volantis is launched.Three new Markers are built and used via the Ptolemy Station Marker array to locate the 'Master Signal' by tracking it to a remote and frozen planet.The previous incidents lead to the discovery of a Master Signal that is received by the Red Markers.The Red Markers are activated for the first time and trigger Necromorph outbreaks on all planets' test sites.The Red Markers with their research teams are covertly deployed together to isolated worlds including Aspera, Kreemar and Aegis VII to test them.They are believed to be a source of limitless power and a solution to the resource crisis that plagues mankind. The result is a series of near-perfect replicas that are dubbed Red Markers. The Sovereign Colonies researchers successfully reverse-engineer the Black Marker.The events of Dead Space: Catalyst take place.March 15, 2215: Michael Altman is assassinated, becoming a martyr for the fledgling Church of Unitology which eventually grows to become the single largest religion in human space.Michael Altman reveals the existence of the Black Marker to the public against the government's wishes.The Black Marker is discovered on the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico, with the researchers determining that it is a source of limitless energy.The events of Dead Space: Martyr take place.The New Horizons Lunar Colony is built on the Moon.

The Tau Volantis aliens become extinct.The aliens construct a Machine, flash freezing Tau Volantis and halting the Convergence Event.The Black Marker triggers a Convergence Event by creating a Brethren Moon.The aliens build Red Markers across the planet's surface in the hopes of harboring more energy for their uses.The alien inhabitants of Tau Volantis discover a Black Marker.

The story of dead space