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Galactic Federation Intelligence ::
The Sphere
This volume of interstellar space measures 137.22 light years in radius. The sector is effectively separated from the rest
of the galaxy by what is known as the Tachyon Manifestation (see entry below). The Manisfestation encloses the sector and
gives it a spherical shape, which in turn gives it the name: the Sphere. Despite the strange circumstances, the Sphere is
home to 352 star systems and a total of 622 stars. Four nebulae, one pulsar, and two black holes also grace the Sphere's
volume.
The Tachyon Manifestation
Appearing as a pale luminescent veil in the night sky, the Tachyon Manifestation surrounds the volume of space known as
the Sphere (see entry above). The characteristics of the Manifestation makes it an effective barrier to any exploration
outside the Sphere. The Manifestation destroys both active and inactive Tachyon Drive systems (see entry below). Nobody
has confirmed this for certain, as everybody has decided to trust the simulations carried out by scientists. Even then,
there are no records of anyone even attempting to breach the barrier by any means. A great amount of fear surrounds the
entity, and it is generally accepted that it is best admired from a distance of a few light years. Studies of the
phenomenon have determined that the Tachyon Manifestation is actually an artifical construct, and is maintained by what is
known as the Retrokron Crystal (see entry below).
The Retrokron Crystal
This crystal is presumed to be an artefact of the mysterious species known as the Scions (see entry below) and is directly
responsible for the formation of the Tachyon Manifestation (see entry above) and the resulting galactic isolation of the
Sphere (see entry above). The crystal deep in the core of the world Alpha Prime, a planet orbiting the star Alpha (see
entry below), the largest and brightest star in the Sphere. Using methods yet to be determined, the Crystal emits bursts
of tachyon superstrings at regular intervals at the core of Alpha. The superstrings are then enhanced and expanded by the
star's core (the energy dynamics are also yet to be understood) and 'flung' outwards from the Alpha star system. The energy
decay of the superstrings reaches a critical point some 137.22 light years from the star, and creates the familiar Tachyon
Manisfestation with its detrimental effects on Tachyon Drive systems. It is assumed that by disrupting the tachyon signals
emitted by the Retrokron Crystal the Manifestation can be destroyed. Unfortunately, no method has yet been devised to
accomplish this.
The Scions
There is conclusive evidence of another species that once roamed the Sphere. Although nothing is known of their appearance
or society, the people of the Sphere have named them the Scion. It is not known whether the Scion are extinct or have
simply left this volume of space. Judging from the numerous Scion relics and artefacts recovered (see entry below) it can
be surmised that they were a highly developed civilization, possessing advanced technology and vast scientific knowledge.
The motives of the Scion concerning the Retrokron Crystal (see entry above) and the related Tachyon Manifestation (see entry
above) remain a mystery. It can only be hoped that it was done for the benefit of the species inhabiting the Sphere,
perhaps as a method of protecting the Sphere inhabitants from outside forces. Not everybody holds this view, however. The
Draconians (see entry below) firmly believe that the Scion created the Sphere specifically to limit those within the Sphere.
If so, it would be a most unwelcome development considering the implications of such a realization.
The Sentient Races
There are nine known sentient races within the Sphere, and they are as follows:
Alphans
Although we are now called the Alphans by the other species, we did not originally herald from Alpha Prime, or even from the
Alpha system. Over 700 years ago, a meteorite impact of our mother world, Centurium, forced our people to migrate
(see entry below). We chose Alpha Prime as the terminus of our flight, and from that small rebirth, built an empire (see
entry below) that spanned the Sphere. Undoubtedly, we Alphans are the most resourceful people in the Sphere, befitting our
dominant status. The greatest scientists and the most proficient pilots in known space come from our society.
Draconians
Second only to the Alphans (see entry above) in terms of cultural advancement and intellectual ability are the Draconians
from the world known as Draco (see entry below). The natural agility and strength of these reptilian bipeds make them ideal
ground troops, and indeed the finest units in the Emperor's army are composed of Draconian soldiers. By themselves, the
Draconians maintain a militaristic and disciplined social order with the population segregated into castes. The three main
castes comprise of the Judicators, the Seekers, and of course, the Warriors. While the function of the last of the three is
obvious, the preceding two merits some explanation. The Seekers (or more formally, the Seekers of Knowledge) are primarily
tasked with scientific and diplomatic functions. The Judicator caste comprises the core of Draconian society, providing the
necessary oversight and administration of society.
Amon Nira
The Amon Nira are a peaceful species of numerous individuals. They have tripedal silicon-based bodies that are able to
survive in extremely high-pressure environments. Despite discovering the Scion Artefacts and the information contained
within (see entry below) the Amon Nira did not develop any desire to expand (or even explore) beyond their own star system.
In any case, once the Empire discovered them, this placid species became the last of the five species to be incorporated
into the Empire.
Aurilei
Emerging from the cold methane oceans of Aurax VII would be the Aurilei, another species that calls the Empire home. Like
the Amon Nira, the natives of Aurax VII are also silicon-based organisms, although in this case adapted for an aquatic
environment. The Aurilei usually do not come into physical contact with other lifeforms as their required environment
is extreme compared to other species: methane is liquid only between the temperatures of 90.5 K and 111.5 K, or in other
terms, over 160 K below the freezing point of water. The flimsy structure of an Aurilean does not make for an ideal
soldier, and few of the swimmers choose to make a career in the military. While the Aurilei may not be well known for
their prowess on the field of battle, it is generally agreed that they make outstanding engineers. The buildings on their
home world are characteristically graceful and flowing in appearance while being sturdy and strong. In addition to their
phenomenal construction abilities the Aurilei are also superb traders, a necessary profession in the vast methane seas and
one that is easily adapted to the great distances between habitable worlds.
Har'naga
The Har'naga are very much like us, they are carbon-based oxygen breathers, except they are invertebrates and have six
tentacle-like appendages. A long-standing mystery concerning the Har'naga is that according to genetic analyses of their
genome, it would appear that they have a common ancestry with us. This would seem impossible as both our species originated
from two separate worlds many light years apart. Many theories have been put forth, ranging from 'freak coincidence' to
'Scion intervention.' None have been proven as yet, and it seems unlikely that the mystery will be solved any time soon
seeing that much of the evidence no longer exists as both of our home worlds are effectively destroyed. The Har'naga home
world of Harnah (see entry below) was destroyed by Imperial Decree after the unsuccessful Har'naga rebellion (see entry
below). As punishment for their insolence, the Empire now uses the Har'naga as slaves and manual labourers, a task that
their great physical strength makes them suited for.
Korothor
The people of the world of Koroth (see entry below) are very secretive, and little is known about their current disposition.
Ever since the Avarax Incident, the Korothor have prohibited all access into their territory. All citizens of the Empire
are advised to observe this decree as numerous attempts to enter Korothor space have met with unfortunate episodes. Current
information indicates an efficient military establishment, and xenophobic tendencies. All other data is classified.
Rim Tribes
There are some species that do not merit the attention of the Empire. Three of these are recent additions to the
interstellar community, having just recently developed the Tachyon Drive. These three species are known collectively as the
'Rim Tribes.' Through the limited contact that the Empire has had with these barbarians, it has been made perfectly clear
to them that they are prohibited from entering the Empire's territory. Realizing their position of weakness, they have been
most diligent in doing so. As a further sign of their primitiveness, there have been reports that some members of these
tribes actually worship us as divine deities. In any case, the Rim Tribes are of little concern to us, as they expend much
of their resources fighting each other.
Of the Days of Centurium
Ancient History
Even after we left Centurium, we had very little idea of our origins. Research into the possiblities was cut short with
the destruction of that world, and now there is no longer a source of data to either prove or disprove out theories. In any
case, there is very little of interest to be told concerning the ancient history of our species. Let us skip to...
The Ascension
Before the discovery of the Artefact, our species was no better than that of the roaming nomad, even though we thought our
'cities' to be great. Our technology was primitive, our outlook of the Universe even more constricted. The Artefact
changed all of that. Even with our limited knowledge, we easily interpreted the mathematical representations. Even with
our limited science we understood the significance of our find: we were not alone. Somebody out there in the wide Universe,
somebody who knew what and where we were had left us this on purpose, and made it such that we could understand it. Some
great power with an unknown intent... The effect on our species was almost instantaneous; within a generation what had once
been a fragmented people became a unified society. With the technology shown to us by the Artefact, we built our first
Tachyon Drive and leapt through the Tachyon Node in our home system and into the stars. It only seemed but a matter of time
before we would touch that ghostly light that danced across the night sky...
The Destruction of Centurium
But it did not last, for Fate dealt us a mortal blow almost from the first. We had just established our first colonies when
space-borne sensor arrays detected the immense meteorite that would soon decide the fate of our home world. We bombarded it
with our cryoplasma warheads, but to no avail. We could only hope to diminish it, not destroy it. Our simulations showed
that when what was left of the hurtling rock hit our world, it would not be long before it became brown and dead. Either we
left this world, or we died with it, and so began the Great Exodus.
The Great Exodus
A target world for the Exodus was selected quickly, and perhaps with insufficient information: Alpha Prime. We did not know
then of the planet's importance, nor that of its star. We knew only that we were going there to preserve out species. In
orbit, the shipyards churned out evacuation ships by the dozen while on the planet huge shelters were built to harbour the
population after the impact. It was estimated that the habitats would be able to keep the people alive until the complete
evacuation could be completed. And so the evacuation proceeded in an orderly fashion, with long convoys of ships leaving
to and returning from Alpha Prime. The meteorite impact was far worse than anyone could have predicted. Billions of people
who thought they would be safe in the reinforced survival chambers were killed by the unexpected ferocity of the seismic
shock. In that terrible hour 728 years ago, our species was almost eliminated from the Cosmos. What had been an evacuation
had now become a rescue effort. There were few survivors.
The Forging of the Empire
The First Emperor
With the Centurians greatly diminished, and resources scarce, it was realized that the refugees would require firm and
capable leadership. Yet, who would have the ability to provide these things? Initially the Central Directorate, composed
of high-ranking individuals, led the fledging colony but it was not enough. There was much work to be done, not least being
the terraforming of Alpha Prime, and the numerous Directors found that there was too much friction in the bureaucracy.
They attempted to reduce their numbers, but that simply led to remaining individuals being overworked. Finally, an
unprecedented solution was agreed on: the creation of a genetically engineered person to rule over the Alphans. The most
desirable traits were extracted from leading scientists, politicians, and warriors, and infused into an artificially created
individual. The 'newborn' was 'born' from the incubator shortly afterwards, and using advanced neural imprinting
techniques, given all the knowledge that could be gathered. This individual became known as the First Emperor. During the
reign of the First Emperor, the foundations of the interstellar regime was formed as the refugees quickly regained their
lost infrastructure under the fair but firm Imperial rule. Alpha Prime was turned green, and new colonies were created.
When the First Emperor died without any clear successor, it was decided that a clone would be created to take the throne
using exactly the same material that was used to create the First. Over the years, the cloning the successor became the
accepted practice. The successor would be cloned during the height of the current emperor's reign, and the current emperor
would then train his copy.
The Har'naga Rebellion
Although the Empire was created some 700 years ago, the calm that we know today only emerged after 200 years. The 500 years
after this turbulent time proceeded smoothly, seeing the Empire expand to encompass more systems and species. During this
half-millennia of peace the Retrokron Crystal and the Tachyon Manifestation were encountered, and their relationship to the
Scion discovered. One of the few major disturbances to the peace during this period was the Har'naga uprising some 220
years ago. Seeking to increase their standing in the Empire, Har'naga demanded greater autonomy within the Empire. When
the Emperor refused, the Har'naga instigated an uprising claiming to be seeking greater autonomy for all of the Empire's
'lesser members' and the acceptance of non-Alpha candidates for the position of Emperor. With the inevitable failure of the
coup, the Emperor ordered that Harnah (see entry below) be destroyed as an example to any future would-be rebels, and to
ensure that the lesson was not forgotten, the entire Har'naga race was stripped of their rights and reduced to slavery.
Har'naga slaves can now be found almost anywhere in the Empire: in the factories of Alpha Prime, to the mines and shipyards
of Karatax.
The Empire Today
For 500 years the Empire has been surprisingly stable, its citizens and institutions going about their business taking the
grandeur of the greater whole more or less for granted. Only a few of the core elements have changed since the Empire's
inception. Even now, the cloning option remains a method of last resort. With 121 systems under its fluttering banner, the
Empire is by far the predominant power in the Sphere. Within the Empire itself, Alphans and Draconians continue to hold
commanding positions in the hierarchy, controlling nearly 85% of the Empire's star systems.
The Acolytes
The distinction of being the oldest known religious group in the Sphere goes to the Alphan group whose members are known as
the Acolytes. The formation of the organization predates long before even the discovery of the Artefact on Centurium. The
group follows what they call 'the Codex of Krom' which espouses that honesty, duty, and honour are the prime virtues of any
Alphan. No one but the High Acolytes may see the Codex, and so it is a matter of contention whether such an item exists.
In any case, each Acolyte carries a copy of the supposed Codex. The Acolytes hold the old Alphan home world of Centurium
in high regard, and frequently hold arcane ceremonies on the dead world. The Acolytes are frequently derided by other
species (and frequently many Alphans) as being unnecessarily dogmatic and ruthless when it comes to their ideology.
However, their devotion to the Alphans is unquestionable. There is always the potential for the Acolytes to become a
dissident group within the Empire, but as long as the Alphans maintain their primacy in the hierarchy, the Acolytes are
remain more or less satisfied.
Stellar Cartography
Alpha System
The Alpha system is located in the centre of the Sphere and consists of one star, Alpha, and one planet, Alpha Prime.
Spectrographic analysis of Alpha shows that it is a Class VII blue giant, a relatively hot and young star cosmically
speaking. It would seem logical that Retrokron Crystal was placed nearby to exploit the vast quantity of energy produced
by this bright blue star. The orbiting planet, Alpha Prime, appears as a blue, white, green, and brown orb from space.
There is no moon. The planet's landmass is actually a series of archipelagos scattered throughout the seas. Added
together, there is considerable surface area despite how it may seem visually. The close proximity to water ensures a
moderate climate without extremes. Cities and industrial centres are concentrated primarily in the northern hemisphere,
with much of the southern being composed of Imperial Parks with entire islands remaining in their pristine natural state.
Not visible from orbit are the numerous underwater colonies where (surprisingly enough) the majority of Alpha Prime's
population resides. The underwater domes also home to vast aquaculture farms and mineral mines. The space surrounding the
planet is clustered with orbital factories, shipyards, and habitats. Huge platforms serve as staging areas for the Imperial
Fleet. Despite being the centre of the Empire, the planet's greatest distinction is the presence of the Retrokron Crystal,
buried deep within the semi-molten part of the planetary core. Scans show that as the planet orbits the star, the Crystal
actually moves to keep the distance between itself and the star as small as possible at all times while remaining in the
semi-molten layer of the core. We can only suspect that the acting mechanism is within the Crystal itself.
Beta 'Ring' Systems (or Guardian Stars)
The four stars of, Argo, Beta Prime, Karatax, and Scinthra form the points of a perfect tetrahedron with Alpha at the exact
centre. In function, these four stars systems serve as the 'outer' core of the Empire, with critical industrial and
military facilities. The obvious unnatural formation of the stars is widely attributed to Scion manipulation, although the
methods used are well beyond even that of the imagination. The appearance that these stars are guarding the Alpha system
has earned them the nickname of the Guardian Stars in addition to their more formal Imperial designation, the Beta Ring.
Why the Scion would move (or make?) four uninteresting systems remains a mystery.
Argo System
The Argo system serves as the Imperial Fleet's primary training, and research and development site. The prestigious
Imperial Naval Academy is located under the primary armoured dome on Argo II. Micro-g and atmospheric test ranges are
scattered throughout the system, putting the latest advancements in space warfare through the rigorous programmes. Although
not as extensive as those in Karatax (see entry below), the military-industrial complex in Argo is sufficient to allow for
the construction of prototypes that the Empire would rather keep under wraps. Access to the Argo system is restricted, and
weapons platforms and warships monitor all entry points continuously.
Beta Prime System
Beta Prime is the Empire's core commercial centre. The need to accommodate the many different species found inside and
outside of the Empire has necessitated the construction of huge space stations throughout the system, with each species
being able to find many stations that suit their environmental needs. An ultra-efficient local communications grid (custom
designed for the purpose) allows for billions of transactions to take place every standard day. The communication
platforms themselves are just as large as some of the massive habitat-malls. The amount of space traffic in the system
boarders on being horrific, and the Imperial Traffic Control officers who keep the lumbering space freighters moving are
recognized as being the best in their line of work. The origin of this bustling centre of commerce, the sole planet in the
system (also called Beta Prime), has lost much of its significance these days. Originally, Beta Prime was home to very
successful mines of rare minerals and metals. The mining colony attracted the attention of entrepreneurs and business
persons from across the Sphere as an entire industry sprang up around the planet: assayers, bulk transport providers,
etc.. Even though the rate of mineral extraction slowed due to the exhaustion of easily reached deposits, the amount of
activity in the system continued to rise. Beta Prime had become a convenient meeting place, especially when it was so close
to Alpha and Karatax. The only factor keeping the situation in Beta Prime from becoming any more chaotic would be the
chokepoints provided by the tachyon nodes: only so many ships can arrive and depart at any one time. The traders maybe
upset about this, but Traffic Control? Traffic Control is very glad.
Karatax System
With two large arid worlds, a vast asteroid belt, and three massive gas giants, the Karatax system is as big as its daily
output of goods. The well-nigh inexhaustible source of materials provided by the asteroid belt makes such an output
possible. Asteroids are brought into orbit of either Karatax I or II, where orbital smelters extract the useful materials
from the rocks. The material (now in convenient blocks) is sent down the space-elevators to the surface. As an interesting
piece of trivia, Karatax I and II have the largest concentration of space elevators in known space, although the number of
new elevators has levelled off in the past hundred years or so simply because there is beginning to be a lack of space along
their equators. Once at the surface, the factories (that stretch off into the horizon) process the material into every
conceivable item: from cheap cups to massive space frames for interstellar vessels. Then, up the elevators these things go
to waiting freighters that will deliver the goods either to some distant corner of the Empire, or to a more local
destination such as the Karatax Fleet Yard. The energy for the factory-planets comes mainly from geothermal sources, while
waste products are disposed via the deep core dumps. The amount of excess heat generated by the planets has meant the need
to convert some of the space elevators into massive liquid-nitrogen radiators. Even the gas giants are not immune from the
industrial bustle. Their hydrogen content is used to power the process needed to make cryoplasma, the fuel for space
vessels and the warhead material for weapons. The planners are always careful not to place a cryoplasma production platform
close to another production platform, or anything else for that matter. Making and transporting cryoplasma is a risky, but
profitable, business.
Amon Nira System
The only green star in the Sphere.
Draco
Homeworld of Draconians.
Aurax
As expected, the frigid environment (or to Aurilei, the warm environment) on Aurax is a direct result of the planet having
an orbital radius of some four billion kilometres. As can be expected, the atmosphere is mainly gaseous methane and other
non-reactive gases, with an extremely small percentage (less than 0.1 percent) of reactive gases. Thus, contrary to the
popular imagination, Aurax is not a planet waiting to go up in the event of a stray spark. Offworlders will rarely enter
the beautiful blue oceans; rather they are housed in artificial environments on the diminutive continents that constitute
the planet’s surface where they then communicate with their hosts via the local communications grid. The docks orbiting
the blue world are famous throughout the sphere. Whenever a ship requires a refit, customers will bring their vessels to
Aurax where the local engineers will then suggest improvements after a first-hand examination of the ship. Needless to
say, the spacecraft design bureaus of Aurax are the finest anywhere. If it’s not designed on Aurax, it may as well be
space junk.
Koroth
Homeworld and center of the Korothor.
Centurium
The ancient homeworld of our people, once a lustrous living green planet, it is now no more than a barren rock. When the
meteorite hit the world over 700 years ago the seismic shock caused entire continental plates to shift violently and
created instant ranges of volcanoes where before there had been none. The amount of magma released evaporated the oceans
and created thick cloud cover that eventually destroyed the basis of the ecosystem. Over the proceeding decades, impacts
from the smaller meteors that had followed in the wake of the harbinger robbed the planet of much of its atmosphere. The
results are self-evident. Although it is unadvised to do so, it is still possible to walk through the crumbling ruins of
old cities and visit the silent underground survival bunkers that survived. It is a poignant lesson: if we had failed to
pursue the technology within that black orb when we found it, if we had been complacent and decided that our role in the
Universe was satisfied on our homeworld, our species may not have survived. Thankfully, that is not the case.
Harnah Debris
Harnah used to be the homeworld of Har'Naga
Artifacts of the Scions
The devices known as the Artefacts of Scion are the collective marks of the Sphere's heritage. Each Artefact resembles a
lustrous black sphere three metres in diameter, and can be separated into 64 quarter-moon slices. The material that the
Artefacts are constructed from is impervious to any weapon, whether known or predicted. From what can be ascertained, the
Artefacts are perfect blackbodies. Each slice is covered with ideograms that represent mathematical formulae and
scientific principles. The diagrams and characters are exactly the same for every sphere. Decoding a sphere yields
information concerning tachyon drive fabrication and use, tachyon node locations, artificial gravity techniques, and
advanced metallurgy and particle physics. Some slices will even project a holographic representation of some device when
exposed to certain types of radiation. The only topic not covered in detail appears to be the biological sciences. In
short, an Artefact gives all the data necessary for faster-than-light space travel. As if to demonstrate the genuine
nature of the Artefact, Artefacts are equipped with (what we know now as) gravimetric stabilizers that prevent the giant
black ball from rolling even when it is on sloped ground. These same stabilizers are smaller versions of what are now
used to provide gravity aboard spacecraft. The Artefacts provide sufficient reason to suspect the Scion are not an
extinct civilization. Each Artefact was located near the most advanced population centre on each world. As the Scion
could not have known where such a location would be, it stands to reason that the Artefact must have been moved to the
'ideal' location not long before its discovery, perhaps within a timeframe of a few hundred years. It is plausible that
the Artefact relocated itself, but it is unlikely. Somebody would have noticed a large glassy ball gliding across the
landscape, and we have seen no evidence that even the Scion possess the technology to move through solid objects. (Note
that the Retrokron Crystal moves through a fluid, not a solid.) Thus, it would seem that some sort of active
participation by the Scion would be involved. If so, what are their motives concerning the artefacts, where are they, and
what do they want from us?
Technologies of the Sphere
Particle Cannon
The most prevalent type of defensive armament used by the Sphere civilizations fall into the category of particle weapons.
The basic principle behind such devices is the direction of sub-atomic particles using micro-gravimetric accelerators
towards a target. Less advanced versions are known to employ electromagnetic acceleration using superconducting
guidelines. The performance of the latter type is inferior to their gravimetric-enhanced cousins. Particle bursts maybe
in the form of continuous streams (beams) or packages (bolts). Depending on the properties of the particle type emitted,
the weapon will have different effects on different target denominations. For example, some particle types are extremely
useful for disabling resonance shield fields (see entry below), but may be ineffective against hull and armour layers.
Other weapons may have the opposite effect, and so on and so forth. The selection of appropriate weapon systems is often
critical for the success of a mission. Experience has shown that the beam variants require extreme amounts of energy to
employ and although they are extremely effective, their use is generally confined to capital-sized platforms. Smaller
craft are thus relegated to the use of the lower-energy pulses.
Resonance Shield
A force field that allows us to deflect material and energetic projectiles away from its generator. Utilized widely in
virtually all spacecraft and some ground units of the Empire.
Cryoplasma
Used as a fuel and a reactor energy source in spaceflight.
Cobalt-Nanotubular Supermesh
The most durable compound known to us (except for the inexplicable armor of Scion artifacts). Cobalt atoms are dispersed
inside spherical molecules of composed of individual aromatic carbon compounds such as benzene or cryptofenantrene. These
cobalt-reinforced "granules" are then assorted into planes of nanotubes. Each plane consists of billions of parallel
nanotubes. Each two successive planes have nanotube direction rotated by 30 degrees. Recently experiments have been made
with sillicone atoms in place of some of the carbons.
The Tachyon Drive
The technology to travel faster than the speed of light. Tachyons are particles that move faster than the speed of light.
Although they are beyond our capacity to detect, or even theorize about them, the Scions have left us with the knowledge of
the Tachyon Plane and how to cross the Light Speed Barrier.
Tachyon Nodes
The only places where a spacecraft can engage or disengage a Tachyon Drive.
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