NationStates Jolt Archive

In a leading trojan orbit with Ganymede, the PSR1257+12 Wormhole Gate floated silently, guarding and keeping the wormhole stable. It was working perfectly, just as it had for all the many years of its existance.

But then, inexplicaply, all the lights went out.

Only for a tiny fraction of a second, though. Hardly noticeable when compared with what happened next. The lights came back on, but most definitely not in the way they were intended to. From one of the intersection points burst forth a shell of gamma rays to rival a supernova, as the superstructure flash-boiled from the influx of energy. Literally blinding light and semi-stable quark-gluon plasma flowed outward and inward. A sphere, then an elipsoid, then a partial torus radiated through the Jovian system, even as, at the other end of the wormhole, radiation and plasma flowed freely from the mouth, bathing the nearby mass of PSR1257+12c with sterilizing energy, melting rock and superstructure, and significantly setting back construction.

And then, as soon as it had begun, it ended. The radiation disapeared, the plasma clouds disapeared, the thermal energy transferred all disapeared, utterly and completely, leaving spheres of destruction as their only trace.

<OpenComm>
"Callisto Station to Ganymede, if you don't mind us asking... WHAT THE FRAG JUST HAPPENED! Whatever it was totally screwed over all of our optical equipment and slagged the surface derricks."
<CloseComm>

Alarms rang across the system as the sudden burst of energy triggered systems on the alert for war. The information poured into SDF Fleet HQ on Mars as the sensor systems coalated and cross checked the data.

"Admiral - systems just recorded a huge energy burst in Jovan orbit. Tracking down what it was now, but that is Snel territory." "Open comm-channels. Have the nearest SBG move to 400k klicks at full alert." The orders went out - the nearest SBG was part of the Titan fleet. "Admiral - localization says it came from a wormhole gate. Nothing happening there right now though."

"Right - relay everything to the Admiral heading in. Keep trying to raise the Snel."

If the Ganymede Snel spoke English, they would've been saying the following:

"Holy-! What the freak!?"
"Coordinator, we have confirmed destruction of the Gate Station. No survivors possible. Wormhole stable, but just barely. The casimir capacitor is vaped."
"Any idea what happened?"
"Not really. We'll have to see how much of the data is recoverable. Fortunately, we didn't get the full force of the radiation, most of it came in at a sharp angle. Good thing we built at the pole."
"Well, what do we know?"
"The last transmission we recieved before the incident is as follows: 'VP experiment 3 go for initiation. False vacuum in 3, 2,' and it cuts out."
"By Hastur!"
"What?"
"They've just re-done the fraggin' Big Bang!"

"Coordinator, transmissions coming in from Sunset and the Eniqciri installation on Callisto."
"Right, pipe 'em through."

The Coordinator listened to the messages, and thought for a moment. "OK, this is what we do. Tell them that we had an accident, and we'll be happy to refund any losses they incurred."
"They won't leave it at that."
"I know, but it'll delay their inquiry a bit."

<Transmission: Callisto, Sunset>
This is the Coordinator of Ganymede. We've had an accident at the Wormhole Gate. We are attempting to determine the cause, and will be happy to refund any losses that you may have incurred from the rather large release of energy.
<End Transmission>

Ravenspire Callisto

"An accident with the wormhole gate?" the man repeated in disbelief.

"Yeah, I know. Not the sort of thing you want uncontrolled."

"Damage?"

She shrugged. "Nothing too significant. A couple of fried optics, likely some sensor or comm interrupts."

"I see. Pass the report on, and run a manual diagnostic. Standard procedure, you know the drill."

OOC: Redid big-bang, unprotected singularity miniture-style...interesting!!! :)

Not sure how Wazzu would get involve yet. It might peak scientific or military interest, but not on a large scale. So Wazzu will have to stay out for now. No Jovian interests.

The SC was pacing her quarters again, rubbing her olfactory hairs in anxiety.

"Not good, not good, first the egg synchronization, [and I thought that was a bad problem!] and now this! Wormhole could collapse at any minute, and then where would we be? And all that loss of good brain power, too. We'll have to recruit an entirely new staff of physicists. This'll set back the RingWorld by a decade, at least, and who knows what the effects will be on the Visser.... I can't take any more of this! Sub-Coordinator!"

"Yes, Supreme Coordinator?"

"Tell Rama I need a restructuring."

"The web will be prepared."

---------------------------------

The SC ambled slowly down the metal corridor, stopping outside of a silver doorway. As she pressed a button on the wall, the door swung open, revealing the Crana biocomputer web behind it. She steeped forward, pressign against the web, and the web gave way, accpeting her body into it.

The fibers of the web wound round her shell and appendages, stimulating and blocking various nerves, until the Coordinator became a single entity with the web. She could feel the Arkship, see everything within the Arkship- she was the Arkship, knowing everything it knew, feeling everything it felt, and hearing everything that it heard from all the other Nodes.

Images and information flashed through her mind, memories being added and subtracted, data re-evaluated and reorganized. She felt the anxiety melting away, all of the restrictive emotions melting away into the web- recorded for all of time, but no longer an immediate bother. And this new frame of mind let her see solutions unattainable any other way, solutions that a single Snel brain would never think of. A Snel had little understanding of trading or diplomacy as humans knew it, but the Web understood it, and the Web gave the answer.

---------------------------------

<Transmission: Arkship -> All>
Attention all space. This is the Supreme Coordinator of the Known Snel Race. Those within a few light-minutes of Jupiter likely noticed the sudden large burst of energy released in the recent accidental destruction of our Wormhole Gate. Those of you beyond a certain radius are probably unaware of any energy release.

As many of you know, we have begun construction of a Krasnikov Tunnel Network between major centers in the Sol system. We are prepared to offer free passage through this network, as well as an explanation for the explosion, to all citizens of any nation who can offer us leading physicists in fields of false-vacuum and wormholes.

That is all. We are standing by.
<EndTransmission>

<Transmission: Arkship -> All>
Attention all space. This is the Supreme Coordinator of the Known Snel Race. Those within a few light-minutes of Jupiter likely noticed the sudden large burst of energy released in the recent accidental destruction of our Wormhole Gate. Those of you beyond a certain radius are probably unaware of any energy release.

As many of you know, we have begun construction of a Krasnikov Tunnel Network between major centers in the Sol system. We are prepared to offer free passage through this network, as well as an explanation for the explosion, to all citizens of any nation who can offer us leading physicists in fields of false-vacuum and wormholes.

That is all. We are standing by.
<EndTransmission>

OOC: AHA! Now I can join in. :)

IC:

TO: Supreme Coordinator, Known Snel Race
FROM: James Samson, PhD
SUBJECT: Physics Research
ATTACHMENT: Letter.jpg, Samson.jpg
--------

Supreme Coordinator,

It has come to my attention that you are looking for leading physicists in the fields of false-vacuum and wormholes. While I specialize in neither, I have had the unique experiance to be a leading physicist in many areas related to these two.

It seems to me that the disaster you spoke of may have had something to do with physics related to but not studied by your team. You may need a generalist to insure calculations between your two fields are correct, and that there are no loose ends in other fields.

I offer a statement of reccomendation.

-Dr. James Samson

***Attachment is a picture of a handwritten letter***

Supreme Coordinator,

Dr. Samson has been the most prominant Wazzu scientist for a century this year, and was well noted before then. I can think of no better person to have on your team.

That said, Dr. Samson is an old man, and known to enjoy his privacy. If you accept him, please allow him to bring an assistant and to stay out of the public eye. He is at his best when with only small groups of people.

~Brian Walton, Chief Executive Board Member, Dominion of Wazzu

***Attachment 2 is a picture of Dr. James Samson, obviously at a younger age***

http://members.cox.net/davage/images/SebastianMarquez(3D%20art).jpg

"So... what the hell is it?"

"An opportunity, sir."

Science Advisor Al Rijil stood at ease, hands folded behind his back, as Jon Hertzfeldt paced around the small office that was the centerpiece of the Executive Apartments. Outside the armored window spread the topside architecture of Stonozka, capital of Scolopendra. The office did not change dimension nor shape when Kommetrez resigned; however, Hertzfeldt had added a bit of life to the room, simple landscape paintings and a tapestry from the long-since-disappeared nation of Lizbeth. "For what, Al?"

"The TYCS Jovian Voyeur net was detecting energies on the range of about ten to the sixteen giga-electron volts. Does that number mean anything to you?"

"Not really."

"It was theorized a long time ago that something called a Type III society could gather up that much energy and replicate the fission of a universal monoblock."

Jon stopped pacing, blinked and rubbed his chin. "You mean..." He looks up with a confused countenance. "You're talking a Big Bang?"

"Quite possibly, sir. The number is purely theoretical, but it seems to match. My suggestion is we send our Black Knight and Soon project teams over."

"Those are our top brains, right, Al? Especially the Soon team." Jon raises an eyebrow. "Isn't that a risk?"

"Yes, but their work is well documented and they have apprentices we can keep behind. I believe the risk is worth it."

"What about Sketch?"

"I think they've bigger problems to worry about."

"Hmmm... keep it quiet. Form a team and send them over to the Snel, book them under false names on the next DISL flight to the Jovian system. Coordinate with Garbo on SIS protection."

"Will do, sir."

***

<Transmission: Stonozka -> Arkship>

We'd be happy to help.

http://www.weirdozone.0catch.com/projects/nationstates/scolopendra/al_rijil.gifAdvisor Al Rijil
Science Section
Federated Segments of Scolopendra

"What about Sketch?"

"I think they've bigger problems to worry about."

Curse you!!! I'll have you know that I'll........uh.......erm......do nothing about this. It doesn't concern me......... :oops: :P

TO: James Samson, PhD
FROM: Sub-Coordinator of Diplomacy, Ganymede Colony
SUBJECT: Re: Physics Research
--------

Dr. Samson,

You have been given a positive review. If you have means, please travel to the southern pole of Ganymede as soon as you are able. If you have not means, please inform us, and a suitable transport will be sent.

<Transmission: Arkship -> Stonozka>
Sub-Coordinator of Diplomacy, Ganymede Colony, speaking. Please direct your representatives to the southern pole of Ganymede as soon as possible, Advisor Al Rijil
<EndTransmission>

The Scientific Research Council of Ravenspire has taken an interest in this endeavor. Accordingly, we offer the services of Dr. Kayla Mondain, a specialist in temporospatial theory, and her staff.

Charlton Black
Scientific Research Council

In a joint Wyrmbergii-RPA research installation, deep in a desert part of RPA:

-Well, Gentlemen, it seems we are just about ready to begin the preliminary testing of the reverse-engineered craft. I suggest we all get 8 hours rest, then order all teams to their stations in preperation for -

At this point a junior tech runs into the room and skids to a halt - barely avoiding a fall, and panting heavily - in front of his superior.

-Sir, Sir gasp you gotta... gasp ...you gotta gasp ... I don't know what it is but the FIGURES wheeze ...off the freakin CHARTS and I... wheeze

Too winded to speak further, the tech thrusts a sheaf of print-offs into his shocked superior's hands, the collapses against the body of one of the nearby craft. The supervisor skims through the figures - then his eyes widen and he starts again from the beginning, no longer skimming through the figures but concentrating intensely. With each new piece of data he becomes more concerned - and (for he is, after all, a scientist) more fascinated. In all his years as a research physicist he has come across nothing even vaguely approaching these readings - the raw power involved is just...
Eventually he turns to his (now increasingly nervous) colleagues

-Gentlemen, something... major has happened in the region of Ganymede. I will tell you all I know as soon as I can, but for now all I can say for certain is this:
-Our respective governments will either want us to go hell-for-leather and get these crates in orbit so that we can investigate closer at hand, or - due to the apparent danger of the situation - they may wish to cut our budget, to slow us down and keep this valuable tech safe, while diverting the funds to round-the-clock radio-telescope and satellite surveillance of the region.

We can but await instructions. In the meantime, let's head for the Deep-Space Surveillance facility and see what new data's arrived. I'll fill you in on the way...

The Scientific Research Council of Ravenspire has taken an interest in this endeavor. Accordingly, we offer the services of Dr. Kayla Mondain, a specialist in temporospatial theory, and her staff.

Charlton Black
Scientific Research Council

<Transmission: Ganymede -> Ravenspire>
Please direct Dr. Mondain to the southern pole of Ganymede as soon as possible.
<EndTransmission>

On the leading side of the colony, the ground was slightly discolored. Many structures were partially disassembled, undergoing repair. On the trailing side, a latticework of bunkers and derricks covered the surface. Dead center on the pole, however, sat a large, perfectly flat circular plain. And in the middle of this plain, a ring of red and green lights blinked, to mark a landing point.

[ooc: whoa. missed a bit... i'm wondering if this should concern me?]

[edit] and even if it doesn't, it makes for some good reading.

[ooc: whoa. missed a bit... i'm wondering if this should concern me?]

[edit] and even if it doesn't, it makes for some good reading.
OOC: Depend on how much radiation shielding you have. Since every bit of excess energy mysteriously disappeared soon after the explosion, the only lasting effects would be physical deformation, no residual radiation. However, physical deformation does include shoving a good deal of atmosphere aside, snapping DNA strands, and metamorphing rocks.

It didn't take long for the good Dr. Samson to arrive, even without FTL. Seemingly breaking the laws of conservation of energy (but only seemingly), a Wazzu military corvette made a beeline from Luna to Ganymede at a steady 10 gravities...the highest sustained acceleration yet observed.

Not long after, two figures crawled out of a small landing craft.

The first was fully suited, and seemed lithe, young through the faceplate. The second didn't look human at all.

If anything, the second looked like some kind of unfinished robot that half-mimicked a natural...well...a natural something humanoid.

The two made their way for whatever reception committee or airlock there was.

Faint grey lines radiated across the landing field from the ring at the center. As the landing craft neared to touch down, blue lights began to turn on, starting at the outer edge, and moving inward along the lines towards the center. The central circle began to pull open as six wedges receded from the center to allow the landing craft entrance. Ten meters down was the concrete floor of a large, though otherwise empty, hangar. As the two crawled out, the doors were once more closing overhead. Colored lines criss-crossed the floor, alien script drawn along them. A nearby airlock into which fed one of the colored lines had been marked with a neon-green "X". The outer door opened automatically as the two approached, and closed behind them after they entered. A faint hissing could be heard as the pressure was brought up, and then the innner doorway opened onto a white hallway, the walls lined with benches, which opened into a small circular room around a large pedestal not too much further on.

A synthesized voice began to play. "Welcome to Ganymede colony. I am the Ganymede/Jovian Node. Please make yourselves comfortable while you wait. If it would make your experience more enjoyable, you may select a preferred physical avatar for me."

The experience for later arrivals would be pretty much the same.

The robotic figure, strangely shaped like an old, broken man didn't move. The suited figure struck up a relaxed yet vaguely military pose and waited. He didn't remove his helmet...he wouldn't until instructed it was safe.

OOC: I guess we'll just leave it until others arrive? Or did you have something else in mind?

Once she finally launched from Deimos, Kayla Mondain's approach was near-instantaneous, thanks to spacefolding. Therefore, the shock of the appearance of the moon's surface was all the greater.

"The energies must have been even more intense than we'd estimated," she remarked aloud. Her assistants were politely attentive, but not terribly focused on her words; they were used to her habit of speaking aloud. Her tendency to leave those sentences unfinished on occasion, however, still vexed some of them. This was one such occasion: "But in order to generate radiation on this scale..."

"I am now initiating the landing sequence," the voice of the computer (not robotic-sounding, but a warm, newscaster-neutral voice -- this craft did not employ a dedicated AI, but research had long ago found many sentients were more comfortable with such a voice) informed the passengers. The landing proceeded without incident, and Kayla and her team promptly disembarked.

(OOC: Sorry for the delay.)

No fancy entry for this team; a simple business-class trip on the old Demoness Imperial Space Lanes with a quick transfer to a local shuttle service used by the SIS as a cover for operations like this. Looking out the windows, the scientists chatter amongst themselves. They don't come up with much, just a bit of banter and half-formed hypotheses that don't mean much of anything at all.

Going through the landing procedures, the shuttle drops off its human cargo and leaves. Around the 'synthesized voice' portion of the entry, some of the more timid members of the team comment on the peculiar absence of life.

Once Mondain and the Scolopendrans had joined the Wazzuians in the room, a holographic globe appeared over the pedestal. The disembodied voice began to speak once more.

"You were promised an explanation of the incident, and that you shall have. In short, we were attempting to find a large source of high-density negative energy for the construction of Visser Polyhedra. The most promising source seemed to be a section of space with the properties that the universe had in the first few microseconds after the Big Bang, where cosmic-string supported wormholes should form naturally. The attempt to create a controlled false-vacuum expansion released afr more energy than intended, and that is the source of the destruction."

When the voice ended, a seam appeared in the wall behind the pedestal, and a door parted to reveal a dark purple Snel. It appraoched the pedestal, and began to chatter, the synthesized voice translating.

"Welcome to Ganymede. I apologize for my delay. I trust the Node has given you the overview? I suppose introductions are in order. I am known as Ganymede Megascale Engineer Three. You may choose a more anthropomorphic designation for me if you wish."

<TRANSMISSION Wyrmberg/RPSA Research Base -> The Snel Race>
Greetings from the peoples of Wyrmberg and The Free Land of Random Pseudo-Anarchy. At present we are just finishing construction and testing of our first NLS (near-light-speed - hopefully) exploration/science craft. We request permission to investigate the recent unexplained - uh - event in your space, for scientific reasons, as soon as this craft is ready.

Please respond
/Thalos Base Out
<TRANSMISSION ENDS>

<Transmission: Ganymede -> Wyrmberg/RPSA Research Base>
If your representatives are qualified in the areas previously specified, come as you may.
<EndTransmission>

One of the Scolopendran scientists scratches the back of her head. "Hmm, yes, we've been briefed... but how can we help, really?"

Drat... wrong country. Bah, forget about it.

One of the Scolopendran scientists scratches the back of her head. "Hmm, yes, we've been briefed... but how can we help, really?"

"I'm not entirely sure. We first wish to answet the question of whether or not it is possible to control false vacuum in the way we want. If the answer to that question is yes, we wish to answer the question fo what we did wrong this time. If this team of scientists concludes that it is possible to do what we want, and can find what we did worng and discover the correct way to do it, we then want to answer the question fo whether it is feasible to do that thing. Perhaps we went at the project before we were technologically ready. The answer to each question will determine what we can do next at each step."

(OOC: Well, this is certainly moving right along....)

"I'm not entirely sure. We first wish to answet the question of whether or not it is possible to control false vacuum in the way we want. If the answer to that question is yes, we wish to answer the question fo what we did wrong this time. If this team of scientists concludes that it is possible to do what we want, and can find what we did worng and discover the correct way to do it, we then want to answer the question fo whether it is feasible to do that thing. Perhaps we went at the project before we were technologically ready. The answer to each question will determine what we can do next at each step."

"We'll need to sit down and look at the equations," a suprisingly natural voice came out of the robotic looking Dr. Samson. "Briefings on the subject matter and exactly what was being tried would help us orient as well."

"We'll need to sit down and look at the equations," a suprisingly natural voice came out of the robotic looking Dr. Samson. "Briefings on the subject matter and exactly what was being tried would help us orient as well."

"Aye, yes, of course. Ummm... do any of you have preliminary questions before we begin? The basics are available here," the Snel waved towards the holographic globe, "but an in-depth briefing will require that I take you elsewhere. Oh dear! I'm sorry, it should be a better diplomat doing this bit.... Am I correct in assuming that it is human custom to offer some sort of refreshment when you arrive? Or shall I just get on to business as Mr.... the robotic sir has suggested?"

"Dr. Samson will do, thank you.

The artificial looking face turned side to side to see if anyone else would take a refreashment...something the good doctor couldn't himself do anymore.

OOC: Sorry about those Venus equations, I've been very busy lately. Give me one more day, please????? :P

"Dr. Samson will do, thank you.

The artificial looking face turned side to side to see if anyone else would take a refreashment...something the good doctor couldn't himself do anymore.

OOC: Sorry about those Venus equations, I've been very busy lately. Give me one more day, please????? :P
OOC: No probs, I can wait. 'Tis a long term thing anyway.

"Well. I guess I'll just be moving on then."

"The reason for experimenting with false vacuum is probably a good place to start. You see, the Visser Polyhedron requires enormous amounts of negative pressure, which is usually gained via the use of negative mass. Otherwise, acheiving gravitational repulsion requires putting a certain mass under tension that no known material could possibly withstand, as defined by 3p/c^2 < d. This leads us to the use of false vacuum, which naturally has the highest negative pressure possible in three dimensions within general relativity, as defined by p/c^2 = -d. We quickly realised, however, that false vacuum is unstable, and we could not use it directly. We were going to throw out the idea until it was put forth that a decaying false vacuum would generate energies in the range of several thousand gigaelectron volts, enough to unify the four natural forces into the fifth Higgs field force, thus replicating the conditions of the big bang. The further decay of this construct into a so-called baby universe would presumably result in the spontaneous generation of cosmic strings of both negative and positive mass varieties. The negative mass strings would then be harvested and used as supporting struts in the Visser Polyhedron."

"The debate over whether or not false vacuum decay would result in a black hole analog was still hot, and so we decided to minimize the volume of false vacuum produced, so as to ensure that it would not reach singularity and separate from this universe before we could establish a useable connection. The first two tests, involving volumes of 1/100 that of one proton, failed as the false vacuum did become isolated behind an event horizon, which quickly dissolved. The third test, involving a much smaller volume still, resulted in the catastrophe, as we were unable to contain the amount of energy released. Fortunately, damage was restricted to the Jovian system as the energy and matter produced did eventually remove themselves from our spacetime, leaving the area changed, but with no residual energy traces in any form."

*dum dee dum dum dum....*