NationStates Jolt Archive


“I Have Always Been Here.”

Vorlon Prime
24-01-2005, 23:50
The Kuiper Belt object, at the cold fringe of the Sol System, did not even have a name. It was only a scant dozen kilometres across, but it had its uses. Most notably, the rock was solid enough to host a substantial structure, or rather, a nest of them, upon one side of it. The Vorlons were not a numerous race, not by any means, but they did believe in taking up much space. In truth, despite all the millions upon millions of creatures that could be counted as borderline sentient in the empire of the Vorlons, the true beings themselves were only around two million in number.

As such, beside the Kuiper object, the flash of a jump point opening into hyperspace, a blue luminescence, was bigger than it would need to be. From the tunnel of light came a great shape, four pronged, a dreadnought, accompanied by many other ships, smaller light cruisers that perhaps resembled, radiant, alien flowers, the petals around their bases were open as they decelerated, pulsing with blue light and power.

What had been initially planned as a listening post had grown in the planning, and this force was necessary now, for both protection, and more so, for seeding, like much of the grand scale technology of the Vorlons, constructs such as those that were planned were grown, not built. They grew from many materials, special fluids of nutrients, and simple water, even rock and iron. That was why the object that had been selected was an asteroid of the type known as Carbonaceous Chrondite, it contained water, carbon of course and other chemicals and minerals all of which could be used for the seeding.

The light cruisers closed with the asteroid, the Kuiper Belt object, and began to release packages - seeds - upon the surface of the rock. They would hatch, in a steady stream of energy from the ships that fostered them, and put down roots, digging deep into the watery rock. They would begin to turn the rock into something better, something harder. The fluids would be reserved, or evaporated, and the asteroid would crumple in upon itself over the months, becoming progressively harder until it could be worked.

Then the buildings would begin to grow out of it, a reactor would be born at the heart of the asteroid, and then it would power the growth of the asteroid base further.

The Vorlons knew of faster ways to get the same result of course, but they had all the time in the universe, and would much rather remake the asteroid in their own image than simply carve into it. It was a philosophical statement.

Everything was about philosophy when one understood the Vorlons.
Ventuus
24-01-2005, 23:58
The VAMC Currency Flow (http://www.deviantart.com/view/14379508/) drifted just outside the asteroid belt, lazily monitoring the sluggish movements of rock and metal, sleepily analysing new movement, casually observing the arrival and departure of ships. Its scanners were lazy, but the mining drones (http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/14382159/) were anything but. They actively worked, extracting minerals and metals, precious items and essential.

Through all this the activities of the Vorlons - a reasonable distance from the Ventuusi-claimed asteroid section - went unnoticed. The same, however, might not be said of the other way around.

[[Sorry for post crappiness, will edit appropriately tomorrow]]
Vorlon Prime
25-01-2005, 00:04
OOC: No problem. The Kuiper 'Belt' (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kuiper_belt) isn't actually the same as the Asteroid belt mind. It's much more distant, and Pluto is sometimes advocated as its inner boundary.

Of course I'm taking some liberties finding CC asteroids out there, but they're the only type I can imagine being able to grow biotechnological constructs in.
Vorlon Prime
31-01-2005, 18:26
As time passed the outpost grew. Its powerful beating heart was a hyperspace tap, akin in power to the most efficient fusion reactors, it drew power from hyperspace itself, and would never require refuelling because of this. Next to this was a great cavity, braced by massive butresses, and leading to the surface by a slender tunnel. This docking bay was intended to mount an internal jump gate, leading to hyperspace, allowing vessels, beneath a certain size, to come and go

Attached to this massive docking bay were the quarters of the Vorlons themselves, though by a long and labarythinely complex system of lifts. These protruded on the 'upper' surface of the base, and mounted numerous pieces of equipment, largely listening equipment, but also more interesting and exotic tools, as well as some defensive weapons.

Below that, but also on the surface was a less expansive area intended for guests, willing or not, to be housed and fed until the Vorlons found somewhere else to put them. Below this of course, were massive supply silos for many different materials and consumables. Below those was an armoured centre, for 'special projects' of the Vorlons, well out of the way of anyone making a cursory examination of the facility. It was equipped with genetics laboratories, high energy experimentation equipment, neutrino generators and other equipment of varying characteristics.

Beneath the main docking area was a recessed pit, with branches leading off it, each large enough to hold the one hundred and ten meters of a light cruiser. This was where docking vessels could be stored, and the largest of these storage bays was no less than two hundred and fifty meters in length, large enough to hold any vessel they anticipated docking there. A warren of dark tunnels surrounded this area, kept in darkness when not in use, and around it were empty storage areas of various sizes.