20100526

Tachyon Vesicles

Tachyon vesicles are naturally-occurring piezogravitational bubbles composed mostly of strange matter. They are usually found in interstellar space, in comets, and in the rings of gas giants. Physically, they resemble soap bubbles without the fragility. When stimulated by coherent radiation, tachyon vesicles produce four distinct effects: antigravity, ultrawave, tachyon conversion, and defense screens.

Antigravity

Tachyon vesicles, when stimulated by coherent radiation, produce a grav field which is highly directionsal and variable in intensity. By allowing the vesicles free movement, and by varying intensity and wavelength of the radiation, almost any grav effect can be produced. Generally, since stimulated vesicles are fragile, total vesicle mass should be at least 0.00000364 of the mass being moved.

Ultrawave

A stimulated tachyon vesicle produces a single ultrawave tone. These tones range through six octaves on the UW Effect Scale. Amplitude modulation carries a signal which can be detected in a receiving set. By the variation introduced into the receiving vesicle, decoding can be accomplished even if the two units are not tuned to the same note -- although best results are obtained from units tuned to whole multiples of an octave apart.

A "sealed-beam" ultrawave circuit obtains between to sub-vesicles propduced from the same parent in the same size. Since each vesicle is extremely sensitive to its twin(s), very low amplitude can carry a signal indetectable even to vesicles tuned to the same note.

The Free Peoples of the Scattered Worlds use a frequency modulation ultrawave signal which is totally indetectable without the tuneable antigrav.

Tachyon Conversion

Conversion to tachyon (faster-than-light) phase is a catastrophic effect that takes place when a tachyon vesicle is overloaded with energy. In response, the vesicle expends energy by producing a field which converts all particles within into their tachyon equivalents. The triggering energy varies on a logarithmic scale, according to the total mass of the system. Masses above 10^25 kg cannot be converted; the vesicle(s) will destabilize first.

The radius of the conversion field is determined by the total mass of vesicles used, and is given by r = 1.65*(m)^(1/3).

In the presence of too many shifting grav fields, tachyon vesicles will destabilize; the precise destabilization potential (and hence, speed limits) are given by Basse's Law. In practical terms, Basse's Law limits the speed of FTL travel within the Galaxy to roughly 500 parsecs/hour.

Defense Screens

A rotating tachyon vesicle, within a grav field produced by a resonating vesicle, creates a primitive version of the K1 defense screen. Variations in energy, rotation, frequency, etc. can modulate the field to just about any desired configuration.

The L-type pressure screen is a sophisticated antigrav effect, rather than a true defense screen.

Defense Screen Types:
  • K1: Absorbs radiant energy, kinetic energy of objects faster than 50% lightspeed; overloads and explodes when radiation passes violet.
  • K2: Like K1 but radiates well into ultraviolet before failure.
  • K3: "Full coverage" - reflects all radiant energy & matter. Development of the Federation of Families.
  • K4: "Antishock" or "Anticrash" -- kinetic damper, can be set for any range -- must be used in connection with another K-type field for radiation. Developed by Federation of Families.
  • K5: Absorbs all of the above, radiates as neutrinos. Fails when neutrino radiation passes Moore's Limit. Developed in Late Second Empire.


copyright (c) 2010, Don Sakers
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20100512

The Transgeled

The area of the Galaxy between Borshall and Geled, called the Transgeled, was the very last region to fall under the control of the First Terran Empire, and it proved trouble for the next four hundred years.



It is surprising that some of the stronger Emperors and Empresses (particularly Maj Thovold) did not organize the area as a ninth province and put a Provincial Capital on, say, Tep Kecor or some other planet. But the Imperial position was highly dependent on the Idara, who were jealous of position and consequently would not favor the establishment of a new province. As it was, Navy bases on Novy Stalingrad and Tep Kecor were the limits of Imperial military force in the region.

After the Empire's defeat at Karphos (TE 361), the Transgeled fell to the Patalanian Union rather quickly. By the First Sack of Terra (TE 381) it was lost to the Empire. Although Geled made moves to recover it, the Transgeled remained wild, providing a starting point for the Volkerwanderung of the 6th, 7th and 8th centuries TE.

Through the Interregnum, the Transgeled remained a wild and dangerous region, a constnt battleground of unstable states.


copyright (c) 2010, Don Sakers
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20100505

The Coruman Language

The Coruman language is the lingua franca of the Scattered Worlds. Virtually unchanged for over a billion years, Coruman is a lyrical language with simple grammatical rules, ideally suited to computer translation. In Coruman vocabulary there is frequent use of compound words (as in German but even more so).

In the Scattered Worlds tales, English translations of Coruman are usually rendered in iambic pentameter.

The Coruman number system is a base-6 system with positional notation.

The Coruman alphabet consists of 45 symbols for phonemes, 6 digits, and several punctuation symbols. Spelling is entirely phonetic.




copyright (c) 2010, Don Sakers
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