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[WillowLuman]

1. Build asymmetric dyson sphere to make the Sun a stellar engine
2. Fly the Solar System off into intergalactic space.
3. Probably never see them or anyone else from the Milky Way again.

[_DivideByZero_]

1. Build asymmetric dyson sphere to make the Sun a stellar engine
2. Fly the Solar System off into intergalactic space.
3. Probably never see them or anyone else from the Milky Way again.

Youd have to hold the partial sphere at a fixed distance from the sun somehow.

[WillowLuman]

However the hell non-partial dyson spheres are supposed to do it.

[Aseaheru]

you mean Dyson Torus/webs? I think thats just velocity. Right speed and the right orbit and it should stay put.

[IcyTea31]

• Put lots and lots of flexible, reflective metal plates in a half-ovoid in heliostationary orbit, thin sides facing the Sun
• Simultaneously turn the plates to face the Sun and attach them to each other so that energy focuses to the apex of the "sail"
• Gravity pulls edges of the sail towards the Sun, while the energy pushes the apex back. The focal point moves inwards, towards the sun.
• The sun starts swallowing the sail as its own energy focuses on it, applying a vector.
• After the sail has been fully swallowed, the Sun has moved in its orbit around the galactic center.
• Repeat to move the solar system more, even escape the galaxy.
• ?
• Profit.

Proooooooobably doesn't work in real life, but it sounds like it might, and that's enough for science fiction.

[_DivideByZero_]

• Put lots and lots of flexible, reflective metal plates in a half-ovoid in heliostationary orbit, thin sides facing the Sun
• Simultaneously turn the plates to face the Sun and attach them to each other so that energy focuses to the apex of the "sail"
• Gravity pulls edges of the sail towards the Sun, while the energy pushes the apex back. The focal point moves inwards, towards the sun.
• The sun starts swallowing the sail as its own energy focuses on it, applying a vector.
• After the sail has been fully swallowed, the Sun has moved in its orbit around the galactic center.
• Repeat to move the solar system more, even escape the galaxy.
• ?
• Profit.

Proooooooobably doesn't work in real life, but it sounds like it might, and that's enough for science fiction.

That's more like a cosmic jet engine than a sail.

Heliostationary orbit probably doesn't mean what you think it does. If you match the rotation speed of the sun you're still orbiting.

A static sail could maybe work, since gravity and solar pressure decay at the same strength (if you closely tuned the mass of the sail you could get it to be static with respect to the radiation pressure and gravitational force). The problem is that it's not a stable system and so you will have to constantly adjust the sail's position. Same problem as a dyson sphere, really.

you mean Dyson Torus/webs? I think thats just velocity. Right speed and the right orbit and it should stay put.

The gravity inside a hollow shell is zero, so if you put an object inside a dyson sphere it would feel no attraction. However the converse is also true--if you put a massive object inside the sphere, the dyson sphere will not be attracted by the massive object. They would move independently with respect to each other, i.e. an unstable system.

[IcyTea31]

What I meant by heliostationary is that the plates stay in place in relation to each other and the star. What would be a better word for that?

My idea is not supposed to be a stable system, but a disposable one-time boost for the star. Not exactly efficient, I know.

[_DivideByZero_]

What I meant by heliostationary is that the plates stay in place in relation to each other and the star. What would be a better word for that?

If you mean they always face the star, you just set them to rotate at the speed at which they orbit. It's called synchronous rotation.

If you don't want them to orbit, you have to place them in a static configuration. This wouldn't be considered an orbit since they'd fall into the star without some force propelling them outwards.

'X-synchronous' orbit means having an orbit with the same period as X's physical rotation.
'X-stationary' orbit means having a circular synchronous orbit on the same plane as the object's equator.

[Andres]

Hey Kevak, could you put up a poll so we can vote whether our characters (humans only) would willingly sacrifice their lives and individuality to become a part of the Emperor of Mankind? You could use the results to determine how much of humanity would make the sacrifice in the universe should it happen. Just gonna say now that Knight wouldn't, regardless of whether it was pre- or post-anomaly Knight.

[~Neri]

I would like to point out that our characters include a hivemind of cats, a sapient giant spider, and a sapient nanocloud. As well as a transhumanist pseudofurry and a member of an uplifted alien race that has been waring itself for a long time.

[IcyTea31]

Rook wouldn't, and I wouldn't. I wouldn't sacrifice my life or individuality just for a HFY. It would cross so many moral lines, voluntarity be damned, that it simply wouldn't be worth it. Mankind doesn't need an Emprah.

[Andres]

I would like to point out that our characters include a hivemind of cats, a sapient giant spider, and a sapient nanocloud. As well as a transhumanist pseudofurry and a member of an uplifted alien race that has been waring itself for a long time.

Humans only vote.

Rook wouldn't, and I wouldn't. I wouldn't sacrifice my life or individuality just for a HFY. It would cross so many moral lines, voluntarity be damned, that it simply wouldn't be worth it. Mankind doesn't need an Emprah.

It most certainly does if it's to survive the next few millenia. The next few centuries if it's particularly unlucky.

[Happy Demon]

I would totally do that, then again I'm weird, so I'd probably be that Weirdo Emperor part-mind.
So I'd just be silent and occasionally make disturbingly cute cosmic horrors.

As for my character... I don't know.

[IcyTea31]

The fact of the matter is, humanity could just as well survive without a huge moral cost, for example with the aforementioned let's-move-our-system-elsewhere idea. Two wrongs don't make a right, and one shouldn't cross the moral event horizon just because someone else has skirted it.

[Andres]

Still not sure how it crosses any kind of moral event horizon. It's all voluntary, they all know what they're doing and what they hope to accomplish, and it's all for a good cause - the eradication of foul xeno races and ensuring humanity's dominant place in the galaxy humanity's survival against inevitable KX9 assimilation.