Liminal Recondite Device

Undoubtedly, one of the most puzzling Discoveries an astroneer may stumble upon while exploring some of the worlds' deepest caves, the Zebra Ball has fueled the imagination of many and even inspired some to religious fervour.

System Era itself has avoided commentary on this issue, leaving us with little more than speculation to go on.

Observable facts about the Orb

 * It is spherical.
 * It displays a geometric black and white striped pattern of hypnotic qualities.
 * It emits a constant faint white glow.
 * It's usually found half-buried deep inside cave systems.
 * It can be picked up by an astroneer and carried around like an Artifact.
 * It can be attached to double slots, but, unlike other items, its lower hemisphere will submerge onto the slotted platform.
 * Its perfectly smooth shape makes it extremely sensitive to terrain irregularities, which may make it an ideal level gauge for the astroneer pursuing a high-precision engineered base.

Hypothesis concerning the Orb's purpose

 * It is a singularity. The original archetype. The first platonic Eidos manifested. An eternal omniscient entity of inscrutable capricious nature that appears only to those few astroneers of true heart and proven worth.
 * Its purpose is to question its purpose. And the meaning of purpose. It is the Kenshō that awakens you to Dharma. The Ophanim of Enlightenment. In a game centered around material accumulation it serves as a source of wonderment, inviting meditation and inner discovery.
 * It is a game asset used for physics testing, left in as an easter egg.