Technology/Science
Cog - The name is a play on words combining the synonym for a gear and a shortening of the word 'cognition'. A cog is a humanoid (usually) mech averaging 15-18 meters tall. The pilot sits in the cockpit, usually located in the chest or head region of the cog. While cogs are controlled with joysticks, pedals, dials, switches, computer keyboards and touchscreens laid out in the cockpit, the control scheme is facilitated by the neural interface, scanners in the helmet that receive and transmit information, allowing an intuitive level of control that is unprecedented. This is why most cogs are humanoid, as the neural interface works better if the pilot can see the cog as an extension of his/her body.
Cog-scan - The drawback of the neural interface is that a cog can 'feel wrong' to the pilot, resulting in a decrease in piloting skill. The cog-scan was developed to create cogs that would be the best fit for each pilot. This forced cogs to become extremely customized, incredibly expensive, and impossible to mass-produce. An evaluation system was put in place to judge pilot potential based on four factors:
- Uniqueness and tactical value of the cog produced by the scan
- The candidate's piloting skills
- The candidate's mental fortitude/level of sanity
- The candidate's obedience as a soldier
Stern Algorithm - The name of the algorithm behind the cog-scan, developed by Dr. Ignatz Stern, the father of cybernetics. He developed the ability to control machines with the human mind by researching Ascended telepathy as well as the artificial intelligence of Quantums. The Stern Algorithm analyzes one's personality and tactical preference to procedurally generate their personal cog. Tactical preferences can be encompassed by several dichotomies:
- Long-range vs Close-range
- Offensive vs Defensive
- Precision vs Coverage
- Straightforward vs Deceptive
- Armor vs Speed
- Well-rounded vs Specialized
Cadmus Reactor - The manufacturing device that takes the data from the cog-scan and creates a cog out of it. The cog produced not only 'feels right' to the pilot that was scanned, the Cadmus Reactor also has a tendency to create novel, unorthodox, and unprecented weaponry on the cutting edge of science. This is the greatest function of the entire process, the evolution of the arms race, an automated way to procedurally generate innovative weapons technology. Technology that could potentially be dissected and mass-produced at a later date. Repeat cog-scans of developing pilots allows the cog to reenter the Cadmus Reactor for upgrades. The cog thus evolves with the pilot. the cog's inner workings are considered a 'black box' while its unlockable secrets and potential are not completely known to the cog evaluators.
Tachyon - Also known as the 'Time Particle", it is a particle that behaves in accordance with the imaginary domain of mathematics. That is, it only becomes 'real' when taken to the power of two, the power of four, or the power of any even number. It only truly exists fully when dealing in 2-dimensional space and four-dimensional space. So to visualize fourth dimensional space, we can view the three-dimensional world as a flat plane with the ability to stretch and bend. When you bend space, you have the ability to connect two points that would otherwise be incredibly distant. This is the power of the tachyon, to convert three-dimensional space into two-dimensional space in order to operate in four-dimensional space, allowing the traversal of incredible distances. The discovey of the tachyon is what allowed humanity to colonize the stars and reach their empire throughout the galaxy.
Tachyon Harp - Also known as a 'Hyperdrive', the tachyon harp is the engine that allows starships to fold space and travel to distant systems. Space folding creates a 'bubble' of real space that travels through a wormhole created by the space-fold. Though each ship creates its own bubble, multiple ships in the same fleet can work in concert to create one large bubble, known as the 'concert'. A tachyon harp can be used for basic propulsion instead of using thrusters, in a technique called 'dark matter surfing'.
Hyperspace - If three-dimensional space is flattened, it can be thought of as the surface of an ocean. The top, where ships sail, is known as hyperspace. When a ship or a concert travel through hyperspace, it creates a 'ghost' image of the ship or concert at its destination long before it arrives, since light and information travel through the 'wormhole' faster than the ship or concert can.
Subspace - Under the surface is called subspace. In subspace, one encounters "dark matter pressure', and only very specialized ships can travel through it. Since there is too much pressure in subspace, space cannot be folded to a significant degree that would allow interstellar travel, but it does allow subships to 'submerge', basically to phase into another dimension, becoming invisible and intangible. While submerged, subships can travel short distances and reemerge elsewhere. This is used for stealth, similar to submarines in modern day warfare.
Beam technology - With the creation of almost limitless energy supplies, beam weapons have become the staple weapon of choice. Beam technology was adopted not because it was more powerful, but because it was cheaper in the long term. Weapons didn't need to worry about ammunition and supply chain became less of an issue. beam weapons are however very good at cutting through armor. Beam weapons can also be made into close-range weapons in the form of beam swords, beam axes, beam javelins, etc.
Mass Weapons - In the end, launching high-density projectiles at the opponent still has the potential to do more damage, though most traditional armors were designed to mitigate this damage. Mass weapons go right through anti-beam fields. Close range mass weapons exist.
Anti-beam field technology - With the popularity of beam weapons and their propensity to cut through traditional armor, a defense became necessary so the anti-beam field as developed. Beam field projectors are installed in various machines to create a spherical or ellipsoid anti-beam field.
Genetic manipulation - Genetic manipulation exists but is not a common practice. It has to start at conception. Some parents may choose to select the traits of their children. The different empires have different laws concerning the regulation of genetic manipulation and the creation of so-called 'designer babies'.
Races
Wildtype - The original humans from Earth. They are the most populous of the three races, forming the majority of the FACS, the second largest minority in the Ascendancy, and the largest minority in Horizon.
Ascendeds - A race of humans that have evolved at minimum, minor telepathy. Some have developed much greater telepathy, while others have also developed telekinesis in various forms. Most Ascendeds also have heightened senses and are in peak physical condition. Their population is the lowest, being unable to maintain a majority even in the Ascendancy.
Quantums - originally manufactured to be soldiers in the war between Wildtypes and Ascendeds, the Quantums have broken free of their slavery and formed their own society. Now it is generally considered illegal for Wildtypes and Ascended to manufacture Quantums, only Quantums are allowed to make more of themselves, and even this is regulated. Quantums are programmed to be very human, and find that this often limits them, for example, they tend to prefer humanoid bodies, and tend to have personalities that are often gendered. Some like it this way while others wonder if they can break free of the limits of their creators.
Empires
Federated Alliance of Sol (FAS) - "United by Origin" Rebuilding from the ashes of the Race Wars, the FAS is the original human galactic empire based in the home system of Sol and on the homeworld of Earth. It is the largest empire controlling the majority of colonized systems. Though the FAS has established 'equality' the majority population is Wildtype, and the upper levels of the government are still dominated by wildtypes, with token positions being filled by Ascendeds and Quantums.
The Ascendancy - "Evolve beyond Limitations" The Ascendancy was the empire formed when the Ascended chose to break free from Wildtype oppression. Though the race wars are over, tension is still high. All races in the Ascendancy are technically minorities, as no single race holds more than 50% of the population. Ascended hold a plurality, that is, they are the largest minority. To maintain their control of the government, the empire is governed through a semi-feudalistic meritocracy, where political power is granted based on ability, whether it be intellectual, financial, military, etc., giving Ascended, who tend to be better than Wildtype in many aspects, an unfair advantage and over-representation. In fact, even Quantums tend to have more political power than Wildtypes for this reason.
Horizon - "Reason, Order, Civilization" The empire formed by Quantums when they liberated themselves from slavery at the hands of the FAS and the Ascendancy. Horizon is the smallest empire and was founded on rejecting the mistakes of the past. Horizon is perhaps the most egalitarian of the three empires, as Quantums view racism as a human weakness that they refuse to allow to poison their new empire. Still, Quantums believe that Wildtypes and Ascendeds have already demonstrated their inability to rule or establish peace, so control of the empire remains in the hands of Quantums.
Locations
Incubator Concert
- The Incubator (Flagship, Carrier)
