Godular
26-03-2008, 00:20
There wasn't much to distinguish the lonely planetoid drifting through the empty vastness of space. Its parent star had relinquished its existence long ago, sending the small world into the darkness, scraped clean of whatever life it might have played host to whether by the flames of stellar demise or the frigid nothingness of a world set loose from its home. Few craters marred its dark surface, leaving the world almost pristine, however dead it might be. For this reason the Godulans had chosen to name the world 'Mourning Glory', as a testament to its preserved state and also to the new purpose of its existence.
Unlike many other nations, the Godulans did not choose worlds teeming with life and sentience for their weapons tests.
The vessel itself was remarkably small, only a couple hundred meters in overall length. Utilizing the old Mako Chassis that had formed the backbone of the Godulan military once upon a time, this strange vessel was little more than a platform for a curious wedge of crystal, projecting out from the tip of the Mako's arrowhead profile. No signals went back and forth between the vessel and whatever might have been its origin, but communications were booming nonetheless.
Weapons Test Seven-B. Generals Lear, Arcturus, Achaedus, and Majestatus presiding. Prefect Arcades Corbox presiding. Prefect Twelve presiding. Prefect Maximillian Foster presiding. Baron Aeraeon Skye presiding. Confirm.
A chorus of confirmations reverberated through the Kython overlink, some more enthusiastic than others.
Weapon Designation: Mourning Glory. Vectored Virtual Matter Conversion Process, test Seven-B, stage 1, commencing in five seconds.
The ship hovered in a geosynchronous orbit over the dead world, positioned over what once might have been an undersea mountain range but was now just a dry and desolate ridge in the darkness. Five seconds passed, and the crystal protrusion jutting from the tip of the old Mako began to glow with a strange sickly green inner luminance, then opened fire on one of the mountains. The beam was a subdued affair, a soft shaft of green brilliance shrouded in strange dark clouds that did not seem to register on any form of sensors that even the Godulans had. It came down on the mountain, and with a subtle wave of green light, the mountain's entire upper reaches, the upper kilometer of its height simply vanished from existence.
How remarkably not impressive, said Maximillian, first to comment on the first stage of the test. We devoted how many asstons of research funding to this, and we got a bulldozer?
Explanation of Process: Initial beam devotes energy to converting a set amount of matter into virtual particles. Virtual particles require a form of anti-particle to exist somewhere in the universe at any one time in order to exist themselves. As the test vessel was intended only to initiate the process and not sustain it, the converted material discorporated.
Soooo... disintegration without any of the leftover dust, is that it?
For the initial reaction, that is correct. A higher energy initiator can cause damage to a greater extent than was shown here.
Again, how remarkably not impressive. Maximillian's voice was strangely monotone considering his nature. The other military officials presiding over the test silently nodded agreement with the warlord's assessment.
The AI conducting the test was unfazed by the less-than-sterling review. Initiating Test 7-B, Stage 2. Weapon interaction with Phase Cloak. Commencing in 5 seconds.
Some distance from the Mako hovered a small satellite equipped with a cloaking device capable of removing itself from corporeality and as a result essentially rendering it immune to conventional weapons fire. The Mako's weapon glowed once again, and a new lance of brilliance struck out at the satellite. Inexplicably, the phase cloak field collapsed upon contact with the weapon.
The voices through the Kython Overlink grew a little more intrigued.
Okay, now you have my attention, at least, Maximillian's voice commented. None of our weapons would be able to interact with a phase cloak directly without us first attuning ourselves to the same phase waveform. Did this weapon just disperse the cloak without having to do that?
Correct, replied the AI, we are still in the process of ascertaining the extent of this aspect of the weapon, but we believe that any artificially generated 'field' can be subject to disruption by this weapon, as any field is simply a permutation of space-time, the same that matter is at the most fundamental level. The difficulty lies in matching the power output of the field itself, for in order to completely disperse it, we must match the output of the field with the output of our weapon.
Wait... does that mean if we generate enough power, we can overwhelm Sojun's blasted Entropic shielding?
Correct. Mourning Glory will target the fields responsible for generating the entropic decay zone around a Caleshan Aeon Lance. We have confirmed this in prior testing scenarios. The only difficulty is in matching the tremendous power output an Aeon Lance can bring to bear. This issue is easily circumvented. As Virtual Matter requires some form of anti-virtual matter to exist somewhere in the universe for it to sustain its own existence, we have an interesting option to work with.
And that would be...?
Weapons test 7-B, stage 3 commencing... initiator vessel reports ready-state, offsite power core reports ready-state.
Offsite power core? What the hell?
Test commencing in five seconds...
Soon after, another beam lashed out at the planet, this time targeting another mountain. Instead of simply removing its upper reaches from existence, however, the mountaintop began to shimmer with a dull green light, and a ring of greenish brilliance surrounded the affected area.
Strike successful, offsite power core has initiated second phase successfully. Initiator vessel's presence is no longer required. Power output at 35% maximum. Initiating Virtua-Plague sequence. Power output increasing... now.
As the Godulans watched via the Overlink, the shimmering region of the mountain began to expand, slowly but certainly, until it covered an area just shy of three times the original affected area.
Power output at maximum. Offsite power core now reducing output.
Slowly, bits and pieces of the affected mountain began to break away from the surface and float into the sky, slowly fading into oblivion until they simply disappeared. More and more of the affected mountain began to 'fall apart' until nothing was left but a nicely flattened out plateau.
What just happened? Achaedus asked, beating Maximillian to the punch.
The vessel firing the weapon can either power its own reaction, functioning like a standard disintegrator with an expanded range of targeting capabilities, or it can coordinate with an offsite power generator to sustain and expand the reaction. The limit of this reaction is only set by how much power the core can generate, as it focuses on generating the anti-particles necessary to sustain the conversion, and also provides the power to convert any material contiguous to the affected area.
Sooo... if we had a generator sitting in the middle of Godulan Territory, set to pick up the slack from any vessel NOT in Godulan Territory, we could concievably remove an entire planet from existence?
Abhorrent as the concept might be, yes. However, it is important to note that we focused on the versatility regarding forms of shielding and military vessels, and not the possibility of terminating an entire world. Given sufficient power output, this weapon could make short work of planetary shielding, entropic shielding, phase cloak, and most amusing of all... Interdiction fields. So long as the power core can match the output of the field being generated, this weapon can dispose of it... to say nothing of any unshielded vessel that we have the good fortune of striking with Mourning Glory. Given sufficient power, this weapon can strip a shielded vessel of its defenses over time with one shot, or strip an unshielded vessel of its existence in the same manner.
Any drawbacks?
We have noted a few countermeasures that can be employed against this weapon, both technological and tactical, and such things are detailed in the report. As long as they do not remain common knowledge, however, the chance of such a mechanism being countered is... slim.
The generals and prefects began a rather animated discussion about what they would be able to do with the weapon as part of various campaigns presently underway, but they were swiftly suppressed by Baron Skye's motion for silence.
I believe I am supported by the other parties present here when I say that this demonstration has been most impressive. All in favor of adopting this weapon?
A chorus of aye's told him everything.
Mechanism approved.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
OOC: Basically the open-ish bit is for anybody who might have questions about what this weapon can do or any limitations. I'll answer anything, but whatever the answers are, they would be considered OOC information... and I'll be holding folks to that...
Unlike many other nations, the Godulans did not choose worlds teeming with life and sentience for their weapons tests.
The vessel itself was remarkably small, only a couple hundred meters in overall length. Utilizing the old Mako Chassis that had formed the backbone of the Godulan military once upon a time, this strange vessel was little more than a platform for a curious wedge of crystal, projecting out from the tip of the Mako's arrowhead profile. No signals went back and forth between the vessel and whatever might have been its origin, but communications were booming nonetheless.
Weapons Test Seven-B. Generals Lear, Arcturus, Achaedus, and Majestatus presiding. Prefect Arcades Corbox presiding. Prefect Twelve presiding. Prefect Maximillian Foster presiding. Baron Aeraeon Skye presiding. Confirm.
A chorus of confirmations reverberated through the Kython overlink, some more enthusiastic than others.
Weapon Designation: Mourning Glory. Vectored Virtual Matter Conversion Process, test Seven-B, stage 1, commencing in five seconds.
The ship hovered in a geosynchronous orbit over the dead world, positioned over what once might have been an undersea mountain range but was now just a dry and desolate ridge in the darkness. Five seconds passed, and the crystal protrusion jutting from the tip of the old Mako began to glow with a strange sickly green inner luminance, then opened fire on one of the mountains. The beam was a subdued affair, a soft shaft of green brilliance shrouded in strange dark clouds that did not seem to register on any form of sensors that even the Godulans had. It came down on the mountain, and with a subtle wave of green light, the mountain's entire upper reaches, the upper kilometer of its height simply vanished from existence.
How remarkably not impressive, said Maximillian, first to comment on the first stage of the test. We devoted how many asstons of research funding to this, and we got a bulldozer?
Explanation of Process: Initial beam devotes energy to converting a set amount of matter into virtual particles. Virtual particles require a form of anti-particle to exist somewhere in the universe at any one time in order to exist themselves. As the test vessel was intended only to initiate the process and not sustain it, the converted material discorporated.
Soooo... disintegration without any of the leftover dust, is that it?
For the initial reaction, that is correct. A higher energy initiator can cause damage to a greater extent than was shown here.
Again, how remarkably not impressive. Maximillian's voice was strangely monotone considering his nature. The other military officials presiding over the test silently nodded agreement with the warlord's assessment.
The AI conducting the test was unfazed by the less-than-sterling review. Initiating Test 7-B, Stage 2. Weapon interaction with Phase Cloak. Commencing in 5 seconds.
Some distance from the Mako hovered a small satellite equipped with a cloaking device capable of removing itself from corporeality and as a result essentially rendering it immune to conventional weapons fire. The Mako's weapon glowed once again, and a new lance of brilliance struck out at the satellite. Inexplicably, the phase cloak field collapsed upon contact with the weapon.
The voices through the Kython Overlink grew a little more intrigued.
Okay, now you have my attention, at least, Maximillian's voice commented. None of our weapons would be able to interact with a phase cloak directly without us first attuning ourselves to the same phase waveform. Did this weapon just disperse the cloak without having to do that?
Correct, replied the AI, we are still in the process of ascertaining the extent of this aspect of the weapon, but we believe that any artificially generated 'field' can be subject to disruption by this weapon, as any field is simply a permutation of space-time, the same that matter is at the most fundamental level. The difficulty lies in matching the power output of the field itself, for in order to completely disperse it, we must match the output of the field with the output of our weapon.
Wait... does that mean if we generate enough power, we can overwhelm Sojun's blasted Entropic shielding?
Correct. Mourning Glory will target the fields responsible for generating the entropic decay zone around a Caleshan Aeon Lance. We have confirmed this in prior testing scenarios. The only difficulty is in matching the tremendous power output an Aeon Lance can bring to bear. This issue is easily circumvented. As Virtual Matter requires some form of anti-virtual matter to exist somewhere in the universe for it to sustain its own existence, we have an interesting option to work with.
And that would be...?
Weapons test 7-B, stage 3 commencing... initiator vessel reports ready-state, offsite power core reports ready-state.
Offsite power core? What the hell?
Test commencing in five seconds...
Soon after, another beam lashed out at the planet, this time targeting another mountain. Instead of simply removing its upper reaches from existence, however, the mountaintop began to shimmer with a dull green light, and a ring of greenish brilliance surrounded the affected area.
Strike successful, offsite power core has initiated second phase successfully. Initiator vessel's presence is no longer required. Power output at 35% maximum. Initiating Virtua-Plague sequence. Power output increasing... now.
As the Godulans watched via the Overlink, the shimmering region of the mountain began to expand, slowly but certainly, until it covered an area just shy of three times the original affected area.
Power output at maximum. Offsite power core now reducing output.
Slowly, bits and pieces of the affected mountain began to break away from the surface and float into the sky, slowly fading into oblivion until they simply disappeared. More and more of the affected mountain began to 'fall apart' until nothing was left but a nicely flattened out plateau.
What just happened? Achaedus asked, beating Maximillian to the punch.
The vessel firing the weapon can either power its own reaction, functioning like a standard disintegrator with an expanded range of targeting capabilities, or it can coordinate with an offsite power generator to sustain and expand the reaction. The limit of this reaction is only set by how much power the core can generate, as it focuses on generating the anti-particles necessary to sustain the conversion, and also provides the power to convert any material contiguous to the affected area.
Sooo... if we had a generator sitting in the middle of Godulan Territory, set to pick up the slack from any vessel NOT in Godulan Territory, we could concievably remove an entire planet from existence?
Abhorrent as the concept might be, yes. However, it is important to note that we focused on the versatility regarding forms of shielding and military vessels, and not the possibility of terminating an entire world. Given sufficient power output, this weapon could make short work of planetary shielding, entropic shielding, phase cloak, and most amusing of all... Interdiction fields. So long as the power core can match the output of the field being generated, this weapon can dispose of it... to say nothing of any unshielded vessel that we have the good fortune of striking with Mourning Glory. Given sufficient power, this weapon can strip a shielded vessel of its defenses over time with one shot, or strip an unshielded vessel of its existence in the same manner.
Any drawbacks?
We have noted a few countermeasures that can be employed against this weapon, both technological and tactical, and such things are detailed in the report. As long as they do not remain common knowledge, however, the chance of such a mechanism being countered is... slim.
The generals and prefects began a rather animated discussion about what they would be able to do with the weapon as part of various campaigns presently underway, but they were swiftly suppressed by Baron Skye's motion for silence.
I believe I am supported by the other parties present here when I say that this demonstration has been most impressive. All in favor of adopting this weapon?
A chorus of aye's told him everything.
Mechanism approved.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
OOC: Basically the open-ish bit is for anybody who might have questions about what this weapon can do or any limitations. I'll answer anything, but whatever the answers are, they would be considered OOC information... and I'll be holding folks to that...