Have EWAR and CognOS look into the possibility of taking control of the ITL-5 ships.
Begin taking better scans of the solar system and see what we can pick up.
Check if CCC still exists, but if he's offline do not bring him online.
Bring up the possibility of recovering the subsentient research assistant AI from the polar research facility to Chell. If she wishes to forge a new dynasty then such a being could be of great importance since none of the systems within Hull 101 were designed for such paths.
EWAR says that it is possible, but right now the lag time would make it... uh... "annoying" is the word she used but I think she means impractical.
The subsentient research assistant stationed at the research base was included in the briefing but I will make a note to ask about it once Chell unmutes audio.
The definition of storage here is the areal density, which isn't of much use given the fact that we're talking with a 3D object here. After all, the areal density only determines how much storage you can store on one layer, which while important, isn't that important considering that you might, for example, be able to layer on layer on top of each other. Thus, the information density significantly increases.
Anyway, theoretical storage limits are quite high. The question is thus, what is on that system.
The existence of a starskimmer station seems unlikely. As a piece of non-military hardware, and given it's location in a not-so-friendly environment, it should long have succumbed to solar drag, radiation or solar activity. After all, if it hadn't, then that implies that the Dynasty has the technology of creating independent stations that can last thousands of years, which means that there should have been at least some still operational in the system.
In addition, given that it is a refuelling system, it would be a primary target for any remnants to gather and refuel their technology.
I think we should also note that some of our hard drives are missing.
Fair points. I do not know enough about the "
Hypercube" yet to discuss it in detail. As to the "Starskimmer" station, we will have to wait and see. It is a possibility... Dynasty technology, even in my own operational time, was extremely durable. The reason no other stations are operational in this system is simple, it was not an important system to the Dynasty. It has only one life-bearing world with no notable mineral deposits. I believe the primary function of this system was simply storage, and as a... uh... breeding world. The upper echelons of the Dynasty were very interested in far flung human colonies which had been isolated for long periods of time. I am not sure why. To that end, they sometimes purposefully limited contact with some worlds to avoid what they called contamination. I do not know the intent behind such actions.
Also, "material by vacuum"? Ask this.
What? Oh I see. A translation of the keyphrase Chell used. Very well. I will ask when possible.
AFAIK, the implication was that the dynasty somehow went insane and destroyed itself in civil war. Which explains why the planet was bombarded with dynasty weaponry and why there were no active alien oppressors.
Chell has been somewhat... well... Chell has not really told us what happened.
I have collated all of your discussion and requests.
241 minutes into the ascent, Chell unmutes the audio and allows you to speak.
"Alright, I know you have questions. I'm done with what I need to do, and soon I will need to go into stasis for the journey starward so go ahead."
This catches you offguard, but you realize that Chell is right. You are not a spaceship nor equipped to maneuver in space. You could probably sustain Chell's life support functions indefinitely but you do not have supplies of food aboard and your primary drive's thrust is going to drop to miniscule levels away from the planet. You could utilize your linear accelerators as crude thrusters but even so the trip will take many months.
"Understood. We do have some questions. First, we understand that a H.E.L.L. class bombardment weapon was used. I assume that this station is the origin of that bombardment? Next, one of my subcomponents point out that there was a research subsentient stationed at the polar research base. We could retrieve it's cognition core. It may be a valuable resource. Third, another subcomponent of mine expressed the opinion that the "hypercube" is.. well I will simply play back its thoughts:"
The definition of storage here is the areal density, which isn't of much use given the fact that we're talking with a 3D object here. After all, the areal density only determines how much storage you can store on one layer, which while important, isn't that important considering that you might, for example, be able to layer on layer on top of each other. Thus, the information density significantly increases.
Anyway, theoretical storage limits are quite high. The question is thus, what is on that system.
"Finally, for now at least, another subcomponent wanted me to ask you 'material by vacuum'?"
Chell maintained composure until that last question. It isn't much, but one eye twitches slightly. Medical indicates a sudden change, extreme evasiveness or guarded emotions.
"Ah, aren't you the inquisitive one. Very well, in order:
1. Yes, that station is the origin of the bombardment that struck this world. It is in fact what I hid from when I took refuge inside of you.
2. Your subcomponent would be 100% correct if we were in fact dealing with a 3 dimensional object. What you have in the storage locker is not, in fact, a 3 dimensional object. I honestly don't know a lot about it, but the research team called it an "nth dimensional hypervolume" and one of them tried to explain it to me by saying that what we see there is just the 3 dimensional cross section of a multidimensional object. Have you noticed that it changes shape depending on the viewing angle? And yet when measured, its dimensions are always exactly the same. In any case, we never made the thing work. Its a curiosity at best for now.
3. I am impressed that you decided to translate the keyphrase. I may have oversimplified the void forge in the interests of saving time. Like many Dynasty systems, it is based on poorly understood technology adapted from another source. In essence, the device is capable of creating matter. Not converting energy into matter, simply creating it. At least that is what the device is supposed to be able to do, according to diagrams and technical writing recovered with it. In practice, the Dynasty's top scientists have only managed to make it work at a very low level. It takes a lot of energy to operate, but not nearly as much as a 1:1 energy to matter conversion would take. And so far we can... could... only output specific predetermines patterns. Patterns built into the device when it is manufactured. For example, the one in your Hull can extrude several of the uncommon and rare elements that are required for your key systems, thus enabling a full systems overhaul/repair even in the event of catastrophic damage, so long as the more common elements are available in abundance.
Oh, I skipped one. Yes, I suppose we could send down a remote to see if the research subsentient's cognition core is still intact. It seems unlikely after all this time. I didn't even know about the research base until I read your briefing."
"Very good Chell, I will see to the arrangements while you are in stasis. May we ask what exactly happened to the Dynasty? Why did it fall?"
"Ah... well. As I have said, many Dynasty systems are based on ruined examples of alien technology, yes? Well we found a world with promising ruins... the uncommon sort which we don't publicize, the remains of a nonhuman culture or civilization. Only this time there must have been something still active, as it triggered a full incursion into Dynasty space by, presumably, the ones who destroyed them. We were caught completely by surprise. You see until that time we had been working on the assumption that these alien races had eventually destroyed themselves or succumbed to natural disaster, or in one case simply evolved or transcended beyond the need for a body or technology of any sort. For that last one, we found an entire planet covered in intact cities. Our estimates put the population at 8-10 billion easily, probably more. No remains, no devastation, no signs of destruction. Everything had been put away or turned off prior to their... departure. Not a single dead alien to be found. Curious, no?"
Without waiting for an answer, Chell turns and lies down in the stasis pod. It begins to close and the final words from Chell before it seals are: "Wake me when we arrive at those coordinates, CognOS. I have plans, but you are the key to everything." How
cryptic. Our other questions will have to wait until Chell is revived.
>_
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Topic: Battlewagon Sicily - Previously: Hull 101 (Read 48651 times)