The Ctan
18-09-2004, 21:13
The Institute of Advanced Astronomical Studies
The second moon of Duat
Though these things were often done and processed by AIs in their spare time, from time to time “mere” humans and others looked through these things. These things, these very important things, were the records of the institute’s satellite in deep space, colourfully named DSRP 4-b, but also known as Old Faithful. Its mission was simple. To monitor the overall shift of the galaxy’s mass. The means it did this by were so esoteric as to be quite incomprehensible to those without several degrees in advanced reality mechanics. Which of course, the operator, Dr Nelson Weishaupt, had. Sitting in a chair behind a smooth white desk, with a shimmering real time hologram at one end, and drinking a mug of hot chocolate, his gaze wandered down the hard copies of the reports, noting with no real interest the formation of many new stars and the slow decay of old ones.
Then he looked at something else. Estimated age of one of the stars that had entered its final phase. Incalculable. It was shrinking into a white dwarf, but it had for some reason, an age incalculable. “Computer,” he said, addressing the institute’s computer, a non-sentient construction, “Display star,” he paused, reading it off the paper, “one three nine four eight seven one oh three.”
After a moment the computer’s masculine voice replied, seeming to speak from just in front of him, “Not possible.”
That’s odd, he thought, “Computer why not?”
“The light of its stellar formation has not yet reached Duat.”
Nelson jumped, “What?”
“The light of its stellar formation has not yet reached Duat.”
He hissed in surprised pain as the steaming drink poured into his lap, having dropped the cup in surprise. He snatched it up and put it on the table, and briefly considered standing up to sort his trousers out. But that could wait. “Computer. Are there objects in the way?”
“No. Views from other probes several kilolightyears distant confirm. This star must have formed from a formation nebula that we can see in its place not more than ninety eight thousand three hundred and twenty one years ago...”
The second moon of Duat
Though these things were often done and processed by AIs in their spare time, from time to time “mere” humans and others looked through these things. These things, these very important things, were the records of the institute’s satellite in deep space, colourfully named DSRP 4-b, but also known as Old Faithful. Its mission was simple. To monitor the overall shift of the galaxy’s mass. The means it did this by were so esoteric as to be quite incomprehensible to those without several degrees in advanced reality mechanics. Which of course, the operator, Dr Nelson Weishaupt, had. Sitting in a chair behind a smooth white desk, with a shimmering real time hologram at one end, and drinking a mug of hot chocolate, his gaze wandered down the hard copies of the reports, noting with no real interest the formation of many new stars and the slow decay of old ones.
Then he looked at something else. Estimated age of one of the stars that had entered its final phase. Incalculable. It was shrinking into a white dwarf, but it had for some reason, an age incalculable. “Computer,” he said, addressing the institute’s computer, a non-sentient construction, “Display star,” he paused, reading it off the paper, “one three nine four eight seven one oh three.”
After a moment the computer’s masculine voice replied, seeming to speak from just in front of him, “Not possible.”
That’s odd, he thought, “Computer why not?”
“The light of its stellar formation has not yet reached Duat.”
Nelson jumped, “What?”
“The light of its stellar formation has not yet reached Duat.”
He hissed in surprised pain as the steaming drink poured into his lap, having dropped the cup in surprise. He snatched it up and put it on the table, and briefly considered standing up to sort his trousers out. But that could wait. “Computer. Are there objects in the way?”
“No. Views from other probes several kilolightyears distant confirm. This star must have formed from a formation nebula that we can see in its place not more than ninety eight thousand three hundred and twenty one years ago...”