Hitchhiker's Guide to the Evoverse

[Marvin]

Earth

Off limits.


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Earth[/align]

[Marvin]

Terrain Walker

The first TW was designed and built by Victor Frankenstein, the forty-second of his family line, in the basement of his home on Erato II. No sooner had Victor completed the job when he realized his conundrum: how to get the terrain walker up the stairs and out the kitchen door.


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Victor Frankenstein\'s hometown[/align]

His initial solution was to invent a shrinking ray and, with it, reduce the TW down to a manageable size. The Ray functioned by stripping electrons off every other atom to negate the repulsive force, thereby collapsing the atomic structure, resulting in a compacting of the TW's molecular bonds.

Oddly enough, it worked. The TW shrunk down to the size of a rather large man. Then the TW promptly crashed through the basement floorboards under its own condensed weight, rupturing both the cold and hot water pipes, flooding the basement. It was at this juncture when Victor realized, to his satisfaction, that the TW was completely water tight.

With a few minor adjustments, the shrinking ray was made to extract approximately eighty percent of the TW's molecules. This resulted in a similar reduction in size while, at the same time, also significantly reducing mass and weight. The human-sized TW was then removed to Victor's back yard where he attempted to reverse the process. Unfortunately, he discovered that destroying molecules was a lot easier than creating them. In desperation, he turned to a colleague for the answer: DaveK.

Dave had written and published "The Authorized Evochron Mercenary's Technical Guide," which eventually became the authoritative manual* on what makes the Evoverse tick. In it, Dave described the makeup and use of very tiny machines called nanobots. Ergo, Victor realized he could use nanobots to replace the missing eighty percent of molecules in his shrunken TW.

After long, tedious months of tinkering with the idea, Victor managed to produce a reasonable facsimile of a full-sized TW from the miniature. If, by reasonable, you mean something with fissures, cracks and bulbous parts sticking out from various joints and flat sections of the metal. Functional, but really ugly.

As he stood there, among all the crushed patio furniture, examining the TW, a neighbor stepped over the splintered remains of their flattened backyard fence and approached Victor. Like most inhabitants of the Evoverse, this neighbor thought himself an expert on all things mechanical and scientific. He looked at Victor's shrinking ray and commenced to laugh out loud (LOL). When Victor explained how the gadget worked and why it was used in shrinking the TW down to a size small enough to be carried aboard a ship, without weighing the ship down, the neighbor laughed so hard he fell to the ground (ROFL).

Not himself amused in the least, Victor asked, "What the deuce is so funny?"

To which the neighbor replied, "Why fool around with a shrinking ray? You got nanobots. If you had the brains to use 'em both for shrinking and enlarging, you wouldn't need that gun. And your robot wouldn't turn out so ugly."

Admittedly, the neighbor was correct. Victor adapted his nanobots both for shrinking and enlarging the TW. Nonetheless, he did find a good use for the shrinking ray. And for the rest of his natural born days he had one less irritating neighbor to worry about.


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Deployed Terrain Walker[/align]


* As of late, DaveK has appended his guide to include a section on the terrain walker. His discussion should in no way prohibit anyone from believing any of the information included in the above article.

[Marvin]

The Fulcrum Torpedo

Controversy continues to surround the production and employment of the fulcrum torpedo. Originally available only to Naval combat units, the law firm of Albertson, Cronyn, Liberetto & Utters, representing a consortium of mercenary guilds, argued successfully for their release to the general public. Soon thereafter, reports of capital ships and entire fleets disappearing without a trace increased dramatically, spawning a reevaluation of FT distribution policy. Currently, FTs can only be legally sold to Alliance mercenary pilots, either those pilots of relatively good reputation or those able to pay a hefty docking fee. Nonetheless, incidents of fleet disappearances continue to plague many of the Evoverse's gated star systems.


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Fulcrum Torpedo (courtesy of DaveK)[/align]

Design and development of the FT is almost as fraught with controversy as is its dissemination and use. Early models were little more than an upgraded version of tactical nuclear missiles. The main drawback being an excessive amount of residual radiation, poisoning the battle area and, consequently, requiring immediate evacuation of the contended star system.


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Early model nuclear missile[/align]

Eventually, a combination of matter and antimatter replaced radioactive material. During the first attempt at building this new type FT, the containment field separating matter from antimatter collapsed, resulting in a catastrophic explosion the likes of which wouldn't be seen again until the second attempt. And the third. But, as the old saying goes: three's a charm.

The situation changed after the invention of jumpgates (see entry on jumpgates). While galactic law normally prohibits adaption of civilian technology to military weaponry, the law was circumvented when Naval authorities disclosed that a covert government agency had financed early stages of jumpgate research. As a consequence, the military was awarded joint custody of any and all patents associated with jumpgate operation. In the words of Dr. Harold 'Pete' Peters, head of R&D at IMG, "The Alliance Navy has finally managed to ram its missile through our jumpgate."

Not longer after the first nuclear FT had been converted to antimatter, the entire process somehow fell into Federation hands. Threat of all-out FT warfare between factions became a reality. Or at least a really bad rumor. Consequently, treaties were written, debated, rewritten and eventually signed by both parties. The entire FT inventory was transported to a hidden planet near the Peal system. And there it remained until, thanks to the above mentioned lawsuit, it was subsequently sold off to a handful of private companies.

While specifics remain classified, H2GE analysts have managed to learn this much about how FTs operate: they make for big explosions. Other than that, we have no idea how jumpgate technology has been adapted to keep FTs from prematurely blowing up and unintentionally killing the good guys.

[Marvin]

Jumpgates

Although it would be reasonable to assume that jumpgates were named for their function as a doorway between distant star systems, they were in fact named for their inventor: William Gates. The first cryogenically frozen subject to survive thousands of years in a canister, William resumed his place as entrepreneur extraordinaire soon after being thawed out, buying up most of the shareholders' stock in IMG. Subsequently, he oversaw research into wormholes (see entry on wormholes) and the resulting development of jumpgates. He originally insisted on calling them "windows" but, having long ago run out of inappropriately* cute secondary names, he settled on labeling jumpgates after himself. Over time, the 's' was dropped from the name of individual gates, which not only made sense but also resolved the argument of whether or not "gateses" was the plural of gates.

Conflict ensued when William sold the company before completion of the project yet, at the same time, he retained rights to further improvements in jumpgate technology. His colleagues then accused him of industrial espionage, claiming that the idea for jumpgates was actually the brainchild of an IMG think tank. And, although William lost the court battle for custody of the patent, the name "jumpgate" remains as his legacy.


[align=center][img=768x327]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v97/p ... d7d51c.png[/img]
Jumpgate in operation[/align]

While the principle behind jumpgate technology is rather straight forward, application proved slightly more difficult. The generation of an artificial wormhole requires so much energy that technicians calculated it would take over twenty-one thousand solar arrays to generate enough electricity to power each jumpgate. Figuring one solar array per sector, the resulting string of arrays needed for a single gate might've extended from one end of the Evoverse to the other.

Eventually the problem was solved by applying Tesla Propagation, tapping raw energy from nearby stars and broadcasting it in a tight beam at receptors built into the outer ring of each jumpgate. Astrophysicists calculate that there is enough energy in the average star to power a jumpgate for at least the next four score and seven years. After which, nobody knows for sure.


* For example, the infamous Windows-V8 (promotional catch phrase: "Man, I could'a had a vee-eight!") eventually acquired the nickname of "Windows V-Ate" due to its predilection for swallowing up entire folders of data, deleting their contents and then overwriting the memory modules with long strings of the number five.

[Marvin]

Stealth Generator

The stealth device was the brainchild of genius inventor Professor Phil Eldridge. When first testing his original prototype, the professor installed a fail-safe actuator. The purpose of the actuator was simple: should the stealth generator actually work (making it impossible for the professor to then find it to turn it off), the actuator would time out after thirty seconds and automatically deactivate the device. Happily, when he turned on the stealth generator, it promptly disappeared but, inexplicably, it failed to reappear after the set time had elapsed. The professor was certain that, while the device had worked as planned, the actuator had not.

Actually, it was the other way around. The stealth generator didn't disappear; it was transported 200 miles away, ending up in the garage of Mr. Andrew Furuseth. At which time the actuator kicked in, leaving the device sitting on the hood of his Talon space ship, where Andrew found it the next morning.

As it turned out, Andrew was a genius in his own right. That is, a genius at taking credit for other people's work. Claiming rights under the "finders-keepers" law, he hastily reverse-engineered the professor's device* and patented it under his own name. Andrew then spent all the proceeds building a larger machine, intending to make a fortune by transporting people to far-away planets for holiday. Which turned out to be a waste of time since the device, at any size, would only transport itself. And there wasn't much of a market for any machine which could only transport itself.

While most scientists believed that the key to turning an object invisible was to alter its index of refraction, Prof. Eldridge realized that it was much more practical to alter an object's index of reflection. Technology had long ago made it possible to create a surface which wouldn't show up on radar. The only real obstacle was to make an object invisible to the naked eye.

Ego, the fundamental philosophy was amazingly simple. The professor adopted the universal principle of "seeing is believing" and turned it inside out, using the reverse principle of "believing is seeing" such that, once an object disappeared from radar, observers would no longer believe it existed and, therefore, refused to see it.


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A stealth generator in operation[/align]

Until recently, all stealth production was probably based on this reverse principle. New advances in radar technology for terrain walkers changed all that. Even the most radar-resistant, non-reflective material cannot defeat a TW's detection equipment. Consequently, stealth technology has reverted to something more complicated.


* Unbeknownst to the professor, who never realized that his first attempt at building a stealth device actually tuned out to be a matter transfer machine.

[Marvin]

Wormholes

The first wormhole was discovered by Mr. Gideon Jordon* inside the black hole located a few sectors north of Sapphire. He theorized that there should be something holey inside every celestial object (see entry on black holes). To prove his theory, Gideon drove his personal space ship directly toward the center of the black hole, hoping to reach and pass harmlessly through the wormhole. Unfortunately, the jump drive had not yet been invented. Consequently, all that remained of Gideon and his ship was the Black Box, containing the final conversation between Gideon and Space Traffic Control (STC). That conversation has been transcribed, published and subsequently reproduced herein.

Gideon: "I see it. I see it! Right smack in the middle of the black hole!"

STC: "Can you reach it?"

Gideon: "I'm almost there. The light is blinding but ..."

(A loud explosion is heard.)

STC: "There goes Mister Jordan."

After that, investigators promptly abandoned any further attempts to confirm Gideon's findings. The first wormhole to be classified as such was discovered a few months later near the Olympus star system.


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A wormhole as envisioned by certain astrophysicists[/align]


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A real wormhole, near Olympus, as captured on film[/align]

The name "wormhole" derives from the theory that, hypothetically, they are tunnels in space-time which look like the holes found in mud after earthworms have been tunneling. Which begs the question: Why would traveling through a squiggly wormhole be faster than traveling directly from point to point?


* Gideon was often so convinced of his theories that a colleague was once quoted as saying, "He was certain wormholes had to be bi-polar. You know: with both a positive and a negative end. In fact he was so certain that he took the practice of 'publish or perish' to extremes ... placing printed copies of his theory everywhere: library bulletin boards, grocery store windows, even hotel rooms. It got so, every time you checked into a hotel, you'd find a copy of Gideon's Bi-pole lying on your bedside end table."


[Edited on 4-29-2013 by Marvin]

[Marvin]

Black Holes

Black holes are similar to wormholes but a lot more dangerous.

Following the discovery of wormholes (see entry on wormholes) and the subsequent invention of the jump drive, Gideon Jordan III attempted to prove his grandfather's theory (again, see entry on wormholes). After making a series of careful calculations, Gideon executed his jump toward the center of Sapphire's black hole. Sadly, he was never to be seen or heard from again. The scientific community concluded that the only thing to be found inside a black hole was a really nasty singularity. Gideon was discredited and his theory was soundly ridiculed.


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A black hole as envisioned by certain astrophysicists[/align]

Years later, after the discovery of the Entirely Safe Corridor and the invention of the key to entering it (see entry on the ESC), Gideon Jordon IV attempted to restore his late father's good name. Gideon tried over and over: calculating jump coordinates, jumping to the adjusted waypoint, blowing up, activating the ESC, reconstituting himself and his ship, then recalculating. Undaunted and after numerous failures, he successfully penetrated the black hole, finding a wormhole at its center.


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A real rotating black hole near Sapphire, as captured on film[/align]

The scientific community was, at first, astounded. Then they later claimed to have suspected the wormhole's existence all along.

[Marvin]

Factions

As the old saying goes: There are two sides to every story. And the Evoverse is no exception. Its two sides are: (1) the Federation and (2) the Alliance. Without going into great detail (or any detail at all), suffice to say that these two sides have somehow managed to maintain an uneasy detente (see entry on the cease fire agreement), despite numerous provocations.

All the gated star systems (and most of the ungated ones) are governed by one side or the other. Every pilot, military or civilian, is to some degree associated with one of these sides. Like it or not, somewhere in the tangled network of computer data exists a record informing local authorities where each pilot stands. Ergo, pilots are rated* according to their reputation: good, fair, moderate or hostile. Alliance pilots fair badly in Federation-held star systems and Federation pilots fair no better in Alliance space.


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Map of the gated systems and their predisposition to Alliance mercenaries[/align]

Admittedly, there is crossover (it's part of the cease fire agreement). Ergo, you will often find Alliance ships (including really big Navy cruisers) transiting Federation space and Federation ships loitering, unmolested, within Alliance space.

Nonetheless, the worse a lone pilot's standing is with local authorities, the greater the likelihood he will be harassed by factions. Navy capital ships can be downright belligerent, attacking without provocation or warning. As can Navy fighters. And, if the Navy is against you, expect other factions to follow suit. Even law-abiding pilots working for Energy or the Miners are likely to take pot-shots at an unsuspecting mercenary. And don't be thinking that lawless factions like Rebels or any of the Guilds will treat a wayward pilot any better. On the contrary. Guilds are nothing more than mobsters, often flying in packs, preying on independent pilots who will never receive (nor should they expect) protection.

While it's nearly impossible for a mercenary to convince the local administration of one's good intentions, it is possible to improve one's reputation among some of the factions. Even the indigenous Navy, supposedly operating under direction of the authorities, will begrudgingly "go easy" on pilots who sign up to assist in defending the star system from marauders, interlopers, carpetbaggers and invaders. Admittedly, the Navy and other lawful factions will still stand aside while a lone mercenary is under attack. But at least they aren't as likely to join in on the side of the attacker(s).


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News Console readout displaying faction reputation in one particular star system[/align]

Of course, it's possible for a mercenary to choose the road not normally taken: completing contracts for rogue Guilds or Rebels. Should that be the case, the mercenary will then almost certainly be branded as a bandit and hunted by agents of the current administration. He will find no solace or refuge within the associated star system. Nor will his actions curry favor from the opposing side, be it Federation or Alliance. Because an untrustworthy mercenary can be trusted by no one.


* I bet you thought it was the other way round. (Confusion can be blamed on local authorities, all of whom are hidden behind city walls and trade station energy fields. You hear them. You sometimes read their messages. But they never fly. They hardly ever even take a taxi. They are the Federation. Or the Alliance. And they can make life very, very difficult for anyone born and raised in a foreign star system, be it a system which is far, far away or even one right next door.)

[Marvin]

The ESC

Shorthand for the Entirely Safe Corridor. The ESC transcends time and space, is difficult to define, and is probably located somewhere between normal space and the dimension of sight, sound and mind. According to scientific theory, Schrödinger's cat can survive any random event when protected by the ESC.


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Representation of how both Schrödinger\'s dead cat and living cat are combined in the ESC[/align]

Entering the ESC is a two-step process. First, the pilot must activate the ESC and, second, he must energize his Standard Access Vortex Equipment. Currently, all ships sold to Alliance pilots come equipped with SAVE as an integral, built-in accessory. Free of charge. And worth every penny. In fact, many pilots go so far as to consider the SAVE to be an essential part of daily operations.

[Marvin]

Federation-Alliance Cease Fire Agreement

Falling short of an actual treaty (or armistice), the most controversial part of the agreement is where capiltal ships are allowed to enter the opposing government's star systems in support of their own pilots if their own pilots come under attack. Granted, this clause probably sounded good on paper but, as it turns out, it leads to very unhappy circumstances for independent mercenaries. How? Well, it's like this:

A mercenary, intent on increasing his reputation in some unspecified star system, accepts a contract to defend a large transport while it prepares to jump out of the system. In doing so, this mercenary finds it necessary to deal with ("prosecuting") rebels or guilds aligned with the opposing government. It matters not that these rebels or guilds are considered bandits and outcasts by their own people. Blood is thicker than space dust. So, next thing you know, a battleship from the opposing Navy hyperjumps not more than a few kilometers from the mercenary who is fighting desperately to keep the transport safe (or, at the very least, in one piece and capable of eventually jumping away).

In defense of its own factions, the battleship promptly starts firing* on the mercenary. Depending on the mercenary's reputation with the current administration, he either will or will not receive assistence from local factions. If all goes well (meaning, things don't get any worse), the transport will survive the onslaught and jump out of the system on schedule. At which time everybody shakes hands and compliments one another on how well they fought.


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Editorial cartoon by T. Nast suggesting that a truce (cease fire) might be a good idea[/align]


* Sometimes poor targeting results in the transport being hit. For which the mercenary usually takes the blame.

[Marvin]

The Evoverse

There are a number of similarities* between the universe most of us live in and the Evoverse, where most of us play. They both have stars and planets. They both have lots and lots of space. They both have dark matter, although dark matter in the Evoverse is a lot darker. So dark and dense, in fact, that celestial objects only a few sectors away cannot be seen with the naked eye.


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Planet and moon in the Evoverse, with a star almost totally masked by dark matter[/align]

Like our universe, the Evoverse is multi-dimensional. Our universe has string theory. The Evoverse has web theory. Thanks to Albert Gore, electronics expert and part-time climatologist, we now have access to all three dimensions described in web theory:

• Secluded Places (SP)
• Moderated Places (MP)
• The Entirely Safe Corridor (ESC)

Pilots can transit from one dimension to another with little to no loss of life or livelihood.

Unlike the eleven dimensions of string theory, as described here (quoted from The Authorized Evochron Mercenary's Technical Guide) ...

We live in one universe within a Level II multiverse. The most significant property of such a multiverse is that each universe within it has different fundamental physical constants.

... there isn't much difference between the first two dimensions (SP and MP) of the Evoverse. Both contain, as already mentioned, planets and stars. Both dimensions must suffer the slings and arrows of two competing governments. Both are currently engaged in a war with a species known as the Vonari. Ergo, when you describe one Evoverse dimension, you're pretty much describing both.

For example, there is conflict. And places to conduct war. Some places are tactically advantageous locations (see entry on battlefield tactics) and some are just places to hang out and party.

Currently, twenty-seven star systems are connected by jumpgates (see entry on jumpgates). Many more star systems, including the Sol system, are sometimes partially linked through a gate or wormhole ... but most are not linked at all. Ergo, to reach these ungated systems, you must journey there manually, either by coasting on inertial (not recommended) or with the assistance of a jump drive and your shipboard autopilot (see entry on the autopilot).

Most ungated star systems are also uncharted and travelling to an uncharted system is a hazardous venture (see entry on distress calls). But, for those who succeeded in finding an uncharted planet or two, it's really cool. And you get bragging rights.


* Admittedly, there are also a number of differences. Mostly in such mundane matters as the history of evolving cultures. Some cultures do a better job of evolving in the Evoverse and some do worse (see entry on battlefield tactics).

[Edited on 6-24-2013 by Marvin]

[Marvin]

Distress Calls

Subspace chatter is crowded with distress calls* made by pilots stranded hundreds of sectors from civilization, pleading for somebody to come and rescue them. The sad part is that most rescue attempts end in tragedy: the transmissions are usually ignored and, during those few times when some good Samaritan decides to respond, the pilot in distress usually dies or disappears before the Samaritan can reach him.


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Reenactment of a failed rescue attempt - the stranded pilot, whose time has run out, is seen in the right quarter panel[/align]

Even sadder, entire civilizations sometimes die of starvation waiting for a resupply ship. The most tragic such incident took place in 2817 and concerned Anton Karidian who, under a previous identity, was urged to execute a few colonists in order to save the rest from starvation. As governor of the colony, Karidian refused, opting instead to broadcast a distress call. Unfortunately, the resupply ships which could have saved the whole colony arrived much later than the governor had anticipated and everyone died. The moral being: sometimes the means don't necessarily justify the end.

Getting back to the subject of stranded pilots, it must be noted that not all pilots of the Evoverse are what we call "alternate inhabitants" (AI). Some (if not many) are flesh and blood. Muscle and bone. And sometimes even these fleshy mercenaries get lost. Or, if not lost, at the very least find themselves stranded ... a long way from the nearest gas station.

Luckily, as of late, such situations are almost always unnecessary. Pilots who plan to do any serious exploring of the Evoverse can now install the H2GE Navigation Computer (see entry on the navigation computer) prior to that first foray into the unknown.


* Not all distress calls are legitimate. Some poor, unsuspecting mercenary, receiving a transmission from a so-called pilot in distress, might respond ... risking life and limb to travel thousands of sectors across hostile gated systems and then across dozens more sectors in the boondocks ... only to be bushwhacked by some horse-thieving AI sending a decoy distress call. Or some practical joker out having a good time, looking to get into mischief. So, word to the wise.

[Marvin]

Battlefield Tactics

Consider the difference between one of history's most famous battles, as it was played out in the Evoverse.

Wellington's Beef with Napoleon

Quatre Bras, 17 June 1815.

Wellington: "No fair. Napoleon has cut off our communications with Ostend and is attempting to engage us before the Seventh Coalition is in place."

Aide: "Sir, we could fall back. Take up positions at Waterloo."

Wellington: "What for? We're in a good position right here. If only Napoleon would abide by the rules I set forth: no attacking until all our units are in place."

Aide: "But sir, the rains have drenched the field at Waterloo."

Wellington: "So what?"

Aide: "Napoleon will most likely wait until the battlefield is dry. It'll be around midday tomorrow before he begins his attack. By then, the Prussians will almost be in position to take Napoleon's right flank."

Wellington: "Sounds 'iffy' to me."

Aide: "And, sir, we will be choosing the battlefield. We will be in the most favorable position to engage the enemy. They will be fighting on our terms."

Wellington: "No, I think not. Our best chance is to stay right here and demand that Napoleon play by our rules."

Aide: "What if he refuses?"

Wellington: "Well then, we entice him with blackbird pie ... that should do it. Load a few cases into the cannon and loft the whole mess* in the direction of the French. By the time Napoleon and his army finish eating, the Prussians should be in position."

As it turned out, Napoleon was hit in the face with the first pie. Insulted, he attacked immediately, overtaking Wellington before the Prussians could be of any help.

Of course, the Battle of Waterloo happened a lot differently in our own universe. The point being: choosing where to fight is essential, especially if you mean to counter methods of combat which you find to favor your opposition. This is an old axiom of warfare and can well be illustrated in the following excerpt from Wikipedia:

The Waterloo position was a strong one. It consisted of a long ridge running east-west, perpendicular to, and bisected by, the main road to Brussels. Along the crest of the ridge ran the Ohain road, a deep sunken lane. Near the crossroads with the Brussels road was a large elm tree that was roughly in the centre of Wellington's position and served as his command post for much of the day. Wellington deployed his infantry in a line just behind the crest of the ridge following the Ohain road. Using the reverse slope, as he had many times previously, Wellington concealed his strength from the French, with the exception of his skirmishers and artillery. The length of front of the battlefield was also relatively short at 2.5 miles (4.0 km). This allowed Wellington to draw up his forces in depth, which he did in the centre and on the right, all the way towards the village of Braine-l'Alleud, in the expectation that the Prussians would reinforce his left during the day.

There's a whole other paragraph detailing more of how Wellington took tactical advantage of the terrain and various sundry environmental factors. So, if you really want to kill the horse deader, you can read all about it here: the Wikipedia discussion on Waterloo.

Battlefield tactics must also take into account what you expect the opposition to do. Sometimes you get lucky and the enemy makes a mistake here or there ... which can improve your own situation. But, even if you aren't aware of your opponent's mistake, those blunders can still give you the advantage.

The French army formed on the slopes of another ridge to the south. Napoleon could not see Wellington's positions, so he drew his forces up symmetrically about the Brussels road. ... In the right rear of the French position was the substantial village of Plancenoit, and at the extreme right, the Bois de Paris wood. Napoleon initially commanded the battle from Rossomme farm, where he could see the entire battlefield, but moved to a position near La Belle Alliance early in the afternoon. Command on the battlefield (which was largely hidden from his view) was delegated to Ney.

Oddly enough, the Evoverse has its own version of Waterloo. And, as you might be surprised to hear, a need for it. It's called a high-energy nebula and it does strange things to a ship's electronics.


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Ships cruising through a high-energy nebula




A map showing the location of a high-energy nebula in Sapphire[/align]

Some experienced pilots are like Napoleon: they have the initial advantage. They have sophisticated, high-tech, advanced weaponry (namely, stealth generators). And they are more adept in the use of jump drive technology. But neither the stealth nor the jump drive function very well in a high-energy nebula. Ergo, the Wellingtons of the Evoverse can either behave as Evoverse Wellingtons usually behave (see the above discussion between Wellington and his Aide-de-campe) or they can behave in a manner similar to the Wellington of our own universe.


* This tactic came to be known as flipping the bird pie.

[Edited on 6-24-2013 by Marvin]

[Marvin]

The Autopilot

The autopilot is a standard piece of equipment aboard every ship built and sold at trade stations, cities, and carriers. It has two main functions. (1) within a single sector, it orients the pilot's ship toward a designated navigation point and uses the ship's engines to travel at normal speed. (2) for interstellar travel, the autopilot does for space what canals did for Venice, Italy (old Earth): it uses the ship's jump drive to create a "canal" through space.

We will concentrate the rest of our discussion on the second use of the autopilot. A detailed description of its first use can be found here: The Navigation Console, in Section IIA.

As far back as the year 2303, when it became obvious to government municipalities that the greatest expenditures of local funds was in the area of rescue operations, officials mandated the inclusion of an operable autopilot. But people being what they are, many pilots often refuse to use their autopilot, preferring instead to either activate their jump drive manually or ignore the jump drive completely and fly the entire route by dead reckoning (the operable word there being "dead"). Neither option is acceptable to government authorities who, in response, have instituted a program they call "click it or ticket" whereby, if a pilot is caught flying by the seat of his pants instead of clicking on the Autopilot button in the cockpit, that pilot's name will be placed on the Ticket List. Which is something like a bucket list in that authorities probably won't get around to doing anything about it until the offending pilot is already dead and buried.


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An early attempt to get mercenaries to use autopilot - the campaign fell
flat once it was discovered that flying belts didn\'t have an autopilot[/align]

How the autopilot actually works is a mystery to everyone except its inventor. I'd like to say that the inventor's name is Otto ... but that joke is so old even I know better than to use it. So, to tell the truth, the inventor's name is as much a mystery as is his invention. Or as much a mystery as the fact the guy must be impossibly old by now. Ether that or his claim to have invented the autopilot is as much a prevarication as the claim by a guy on Atlas Minor who says he's Jesse James, back from cryogenic freezing (a fabrication in its own right since we already know that William Gates is the only person to have survived cryogenics).

For those who will accept most any explanation (whether they understand it or not), here is the best possible reason for why the autopilot has earned the nickname of zig-zag.


[align=center]
Diagram illustrating how and when the autopilot decides to include altitude in its calculations[/align]

Basically, it works like this: the autopilot ignores the altitude until the length of the SY axis is about equal to the number of jumps it takes to get to your destination. Ergo, using the example above and assuming the pilot has a Mantis Drive installed aboard his ship (10 sectors per jump), the autopilot will continue to jump horizontally until the remaining distance is about 400 sectors (give or take a couple jumps). Why it does this is uncertain except maybe because the autopilot refuses to acknowledge any distance which is less than a whole sector.

This theory is substantiated by the fact that, even when traveling along a "canal" in space which has no vertical component, jump points can zig along the X axis and then zag along the Z axis, depending on how you round off the square root* of X squared plus Z squared.


* Known colloquially as the square root canal.

[Marvin]

Territories

Not long after the Federation and Alliance divvied up the Evoverse, it became obvious to everyone that space was mostly empty. And, in order for either faction to make any money, people needed to colonize the planets within that empty space. So both factions began building colonies. Unfortunately, few people could be enticed to leave the comfort of a warm fire and a cold beer. So the factions built trade stations near many of the planetary settlements, the better to provide fire wood and beer ... in trade for gold, silver and platinum.

Still, there weren't very many takers.

Then along came Joshua Cummings, an eight foot tall retired basketball player (see entry on basketball) who went by the nickname of "Shorty" ... and he had a brilliant idea. Standing in front of a delegation from both the Federation and the Alliance, Shorty Cummings outlined his plan: build basketball courts in every star system. His logic: if you build it, they will come.

The members of the delegation, buying into Shorty's logic, agreed. As a test program, two basketball courts were constructed, one in Federation space and one in Alliance space. Then the two factions waited. To see if "they" would, indeed, come.

They did not.

When Shorty suggested that two courts weren't nearly enough and insisted more be built, members of another delegation said, "No deal." Instead, the factions went back to building more settlements. Supported by more trade stations. They built so many colonies that "supply" outpaced "demand" by a huge margin. Ergo, the local governments were forced to offer a billion credits, per family member, to anyone who agreed to leave home and settle in one of the near-empty colonies.

Well, with cash as the incentive, eventually enough citizens relented. And, as the colonies began to fill up with the nouveau riche, many now-populated star systems began to attract the undesirable elements of society. And neither the Federation nor the Alliance were equipped to handle the influx of lawless mercenaries which found the flourishing cities to be easy pickings.

Along came Shorty Cummings again. And again he had a proposition. And again he placed his idea at the feet of a combined delegation from the two factions. His proposition: offer free season tickets to any mercenary or group of mercenaries who helped bring law and order to a lawless star system. The mercenaries would be awarded one ticket for each contract and, after completing at least eighty contracts, given a pass for a full season. When the delegation reminded Shorty that only two star systems had basketball courts, he quickly changed his mind and substituted "territory" for season tickets.

Shorty's alternate proposition: Both factions were to offer any participating clan percentage points toward the ownership of a tract of space, one percent* for each completed contract. The clan would be given control of the territory once they reached at least 80% and maintained it throughout. At which time each member of the aforementioned clan would receive a regular stipend, gleaned from taxes levied by the local constabulary.


[align=center][img=640x640]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v97/p ... c1907e.png[/img]
Territorial borders looking suspiciously like Evoball keys[/align]

The delegation relented. Outer space became the Evoverse's version of an Oklahoma Land Rush, with charted and uncharted star systems being gobbled up by any mercenary who could cram a couple letters between a set of brackets. Clans staked territorial claims from one end of the Nav map to the other. From Sierra to Deneb they built their orbiting stations and collected their fees.


[align=center][img=600x288]http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/c ... 73.tif.jpg[/img]
The original Land Rush of 1889[/align]

As usually happens in situations like this, claims were disputed. Harsh words were tossed back and forth. Accusations led to threats and threats led to border skirmishes. Until, finally, War erupted between rival clans.

What else is new?


* Originally, the delegation had agreed on two percent per contract until Shorty, unwilling to leave well enough alone, suggested three points for contracts completed in any sector which was five sectors or more from the closest star. In response, the delegation, abiding by the law of diminishing returns, countered by diminishing the number of percentage points, per contract, to one.

[Marvin]

Basketball

Evoverse basketball is played a little differently from the way it was played on old Earth. Granted, there are still indoor courts and outdoor courts (where darkness is actually part of the game and not some abnormality perpetuated by the electric company) but that's about the extent of the similarities.


[align=center][img=800x450]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v97/p ... b45faf.png[/img]
A player approaching the basket at an indoor court[/align]

Evoverse basketball has only one basket which is shared by both teams. The second basket (at the other end of the court) was replaced with a "basketball generator" which creates a new ball after the previous ball has been tossed into the basket.


[align=center][img=800x450]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v97/p ... 62c70c.png[/img]
A player approaching the basketball generator at an outdoor court[/align]

Also, in Evoball (as it's often called in places like Sapphire), if the ball is stolen by one team while the other team is carrying it down court, the ball clones itself so that both teams then have a ball of their own. This rule was a concession to the Federation's Self-Esteem Coalition* to insure that neither side would suffer permanent mental scarring due to a team member's lack of coordination or inability to play the game properly.


* Not to be confused with the Steam Coalition, a group of spectators who never show up for a game unless the tickets are reduced to at least half price.

[Marvin]

Andromeda: Prologue

This is a sad story. And it would be even sadder if it were true.

It's a story about the race of people who, thousands of centuries ago, inhabited the Andromeda galaxy. And about how they went to extremes in order to keep their existence a secret. And how the Vonari invaded the Andromeda galaxy (having found a black hole which led almost directly to the Andromeda home world), decimating the local population and forcing the survivors to flee across vast sectors of space.

It's a story about how the Vonari stole Andromedan technology and used it against mankind. And about how they continue to pursue the Andromedan refugees, thinking there must be another black hole leading into the heart of the Evoverse ... the better to launch a surprise attack against the combined forces of the Federation and Alliance.

[Marvin]

Andromeda: The Provocation

It all started when a Vonari by the name* of Rin, a trader in certain post-transition metals, went exploring in search of cassiterite. As he worked his way north from Vonarion, he happened upon a black hole. Rin cautiously approached, making note of the hole's location, then keyed his subspace radio to report his find to Kennel Command. No sooner had he made his report when Rin was amazed to see the remnants of a space ship, it's crushed outer hull covered in what looked like vacation stickers, erupt from the hole's center, heading straight for him. Relayed over his subspace radio Rin heard the chilling words, "There goes Mister Jordan."

Then the two ships collided, totally destroying both.


[align=center]
Periodic Table with Rin\'s metal of choice (Sn) shown near the middle[/align]

Kennel Command managed to trace the relayed transmission, even though it had criss-crossed two galaxies (apparently in an effort to mask its point of origin) and had been floating through subspace for centuries. They discovered the source to be somewhere near the center of the Evoverse, in a section of space otherwise known as Sapphire.

Thus began the Vonari War of Revenge against mankind.


* The Vonari custom of adopting a last name is similar to that of the Anglo custom from old Earth: the Vonari's trade or profession is reflected in the family name. The only real difference is that the Vonari also adopt the same custom for middle names. Resulting in the middle name being repeated as the last name. For example, there was Schnauspiel Sing Sing, the great Vonarion impresario, who spent time in prison for organizing protest concerts.

[Marvin]

Andromeda: The Retribution

Caught in the middle was another race: the Andromedans. Since the ship which killed Rin had come from the black hole, Vonari Kennel Command assumed (erroneously) that the black hole led back to Sapphire. Consequently, when the first Vonari invasion force emerged from the hole, they seriously believed they were in Sapphire. Instead, a group of Andromedan's on vacation were taken completely by surprise, attacked and obliterated as they toured the asteroid field near the hole's exit point.

Sensors strategically placed around the star system alerted the Andromedan High Commissioner who immediately engaged the planetary cloaking device. Three entire squadrons were sent out to intercept the Vonari invasion fleet. They were met with fierce resistance and, having expended all their ammunition and missiles in a flurry of combat, attempted to return and rearm. Only to realize that none of the pilots had set a waypoint back to their cloaked home world.

Meanwhile, the High Commissioner, preparing to evacuate Andromeda, had activated their two transporter devices. The inbound device, in orbit around the planet, was safely cloaked. But the outbound device, located in the asteroid field, was a worry. Before anyone could use it to escape an imminent onslaught, the Vonari fleet had to be drawn away. All agreed that the best place to lead them was to the nearby Kerr black hole. Ergo, the Andromedan pilots, out of missiles and ideas, were ordered to decoy the Vonari away from the asteroid field and, hopefully, into the singularity.

Once the coast was clear, space buses and civilian cruisers, escorted by the remaining military ships, launched from the cloaked planet and set course for the outbound transporter. As the last ship full of refugees lifted off, the High Commissioner, thinking ahead and intending to deprive the Vonari of its escape route, gave the order to destroy the transporter. His full transmission went something like this:

HC: We need to destroy the transporter. As soon as all civilian ships are safely away, those ships currently leading the invaders toward the black hole are to take a circuitous route back to the asteroid field. If possible, all but the trailing ship is to escape via the transporter. That last ship is then directed to destroy the transporter, denying access to the enemy. Good luck to us all ... and especially to the trailer.

Unfortunately, he failed to specify which transporter. Worse, due to subspace radio static, only the following portions of the message were received:

HC: We need to destroy the transporter. As soon as all civilian ships are safely away, those ships ... {static} ... If possible ... {static} ... That last ship is then directed to destroy the transporter ... {static} ....

Captain Corrigan, pilot of the last cruiser to depart the planet, heard the static-riddled radio call, assumed (erroneously) that the order was for him, locked on to the inbound transporter (the one needed for the return trip), fired a volley of missiles, and then continued on to the outbound transporter. One of Corrigan's missiles struck its target, knocking it out of orbit. The transporter, now totally inoperative, lazily drifted down to the planet (see entry on gravity) and settled upright in the dirt at the base of a small mountain.


[align=center]
What\'s left of the Andromedan inbound transporter[/align]

The Vonari, having noticed a mass exodus of Andromedan ships heading for the asteroid field, turned away from the ships leading them toward the black hole and doubled back toward the asteroids. The High Commissioner's flag ship, spearheading the exodus, saw the approaching enemy and, upon hearing that Corrigan had destroyed the wrong transporter, ordered all ships to alter course and head into open space. The Vonari were completely fooled by the maneuver and, as a result, never discovered the secret of the outbound transporter.

Unfortunately, many of the Andromedan buses were too slow to escape. They were either destroyed or captured. Those which did managed to elude the enemy eventually found a star system within mankind's gated communities, but away from the populated areas. They used a simplified version of the planetary cloaking device to partially mask their saucer-shaped ships* from any mercenary who happened upon the Andromedan's adopted home.

After interrogating their captives, the Vonari realized they'd made a mistake in assuming the Andromedans to be members of the human race. Irritated at their own incompetence, Kennel Command ordered a small contingent to remain in the area, where they were condemned to search for the cloaked planet. They also sent an exploratory force into the Andromedan black hole ... where they were never seen or heard from again (see entry on the unknown). The rest of the fleet returned to Vonarion with schematics on Andromedan technology.


* A recent breakthrough in HUD sensor design provides improved penetration of the mask, allowing Alliance pilots to see the actual saucer.

[Marvin]

Andromeda: Epilogue

Perhaps more than the Vonari, Alliance pilots have benefited from Andromedan technology. As ships fled from the Vonari fleet, stragglers found themselves alone, disoriented, lost and low on fuel ... many of them adrift along the northern borders of the gated systems. Stranded in the middle of nowhere, they died. Others made their way, alone, to uncharted planetary systems and then, inexperienced as they were at making planetfall, crash landed and died.


[align=center]
An Andromedan ship captured on film, floating lifeless within
range of an Alliance trade station - so close and yet so far[/align]

Occasionally scavengers would blunder on to these derelicts* and discover a wealth of technology beyond anything conceived in the gated systems. Some of them, like the transporter, were (and still are) beyond the comprehension of modern scientific achievement but others, like the Andromedan hyperjump engine and the cloaking device were adapted to give us a more complicated type of stealth (see entry on the stealth generator) and the Mantis Drive.


[align=center]
Alliance scavenger exploring what might be the wreckage of an Andromedan refugee ship[/align]

And, while the Vonari have managed to adapt Andromedan design to their own ships, they too have evidently failed to develop transporter technology. In fact, they haven't even learned the secret of the cloaking device. Perhaps even more importantly, they never figured out how to operate the Andromedan outbound transporter. Otherwise, by now, the gated systems would be swarming with hostile Vonari fleets indiscriminately attacking and destroying our own star systems. Instead, the combined forces of Federation and Alliance navies have managed to contain the invasion to a few war zones on the outskirts.

As for the Andromedans, nobody really knows. Unlike the Vonari, this other alien species appears to be peaceful (unless provoked). From what we can tell, the Andromedans hold no grudge against mankind for our part (unintentional as it was) in their annihilation. Admittedly, they probably still retain (and, perhaps, improved upon) the secret of cloaking technology and, consequently, the possibility exits that they are everywhere, spying on us. Waiting. For who knows what.

Slightly disconcerting, don't you think?


* Some of these scavengers did their blundering in Vonari space and, as they rummaged around dead-in-the-water Andromedan ships, were set upon by Vonari scouts. Consequently, these scavengers also died.

[Marvin]

Friction

This is the story of Billy Baron, who attempted to beat a very old speed record and, in doing so, get into the Guinness Book of Galactic Records. She bought a space ship and layered its hull with Inconel-X750, the same nickel alloy used to increase heat resistance on the X-15. But Billy failed to realize one important difference between her ship and the current record-holder: friction in the Evoverse isn't exactly like friction in the world of a shielded X-15.


[align=center]
The X-15 landing after successfully reaching a speed of 4,519 mph[/align]

At this point, it might be worth mentioning that Nature is a jealous mother. Some of mankind's more adventurous citizens often dream of flying off in search of other star systems* and friction is one of the hat tricks Mother Nature uses to keep these soldiers of fortune in their place. Literally.

But Billy wasn't like that. Mostly, she was a down-to-planet kid who only took short hops between her home world and its closest neighbor. In fact, she'd never been beyond the jumpgate to Orion. Not once. And she always returned home every night, promptly docked and in bed by 11:00 pm, Sirius City time.

Okay, now that that's been settled, we can get back to the story.

Billy figured the combination of Class 10 shielding and nickel alloy would give her all the protection she'd need to get beyond the 5,000 mph mark. Admittedly, this wasn't her first experience at hypersonic speeds. Impatient to a fault, Billy had previously exceeded the record as she flitted from city to city and even from planet to planet. But those were only momentary excesses of speed. To break the record, Billy needed to maintain an average speed of over 4,519 mph ... while flying between the two cities on Sirius A.

No sooner had she throttled up when Billy realized her mistake. She had miscalculated the difference between the physics of friction in our universe and the more whimsical properties of friction in the Evoverse. Later, when Mother Nature was asked why she had been so strict and unyielding (considering how Billy was such a good kid ... never wandering too far away from home and all that), Mother Nature shrugged and said, "No particular reason. I just don't play favorites."


[align=center]
The result of Mother Nature not playing favorites[/align]

Unfortunately, Billy had forgotten to make use of the Entirely Safe Corridor. And, so, our story ends here. The moral being: there's always going to be friction between a mother and her daughter.


* And, as far as Mother Nature is concerned, in search of other mothers.

[Marvin]

Communications

There are two modes of communication in the Evoverse: (1) subspace radio and (2) controlled hierarchically assigned transmissions (CHAT).

Subspace radio is the oldest of the two types, utilizing standard radio transmitters is conjunction with hyperspace relays. The dual-purpose antennae are fixed either atop or below each trade station, allowing station personnel and nearby mercenaries to send and receive messages to and from almost anywhere in the Evoverse. Currently, only the transmitters are in use. The hyperspace relays are inoperable due to poor maintenance, outmoded design and the fact subspace radio calls are now restricted to a single sector, used mostly by Space Traffic Control (STC) personnel during the course of directing traffic in and out of trade stations or city docking facilities.


[align=center]
A subspace radio antenna installed on top of a trade station[/align]

Subspace radio was invented by (of all people) Golong N. Cutwright, a professional player of old American football. Due to advances in human physiology (a result of the Intergalactic Sport(s) lobby pressuring the Interstellar* Sport(s) Commission to legalize performance-enhancing drugs), a good place-kicker can now punt a football out of the atmosphere and across two or three sectors of space. Consequently, the distance between goal posts had to be increased such that the two opposing goals are situated on different planets. This, of course, created more problems than it solved, the least of which was how referees would communicate with each team.

While in the middle of devouring a plate of macaroni and cheese, Golong noticed a teammate who was twirling strings of spaghetti, Italian style, onto a fork. The spaghetti reminded Golong of string theory and how it might solve the sport(s) problem in communication ... the pasta being like hyperspatial branes, the tomato sauce being like a radio signal attached to the branes and the twirling being like wrapping it all into a close-knit ball. And, although his idea wasn't heralded as being as brilliant as the one Fred Gehrke had when he painted ram horns on all his teammates' helmets, it was still thought of as a pretty good idea. Especially considering how it came from the brain (no pun intended) of a football player.


[align=center]
P-Branes floating in hyperspace[/align]

Although CHAT wasn't invented by a football player, it was (oddly enough) invented by Bud Longneck, an enthusiastic spectator of the sport. His idea was to generate a series of modulated signals which could be sent simultaneously in all directions at the same time. Located in or near almost every city within the patchwork of colonized space, CHAT antennae capture and instantaneously relay messages as they are passed from planet to planet. Ergo, while subspace radio must piggy-backing its signal along a directional, hyperspatial p-brane beam, CHAT uses a series of interlinked, omnidirectional transmitters which bypass the p-brane and is, therefore, relatively braneless.


[align=center]
CHAT radio antennae installed on a planet[/align]

Normally, the hierarchy associated with CHAT is insignificant and of little consequence. Messages are assigned levels of priority and, in most situations, priority is determined according to the order each message is received. If two transmissions are received at the same time, both messages will nonetheless be displayed in CHAT, one after the other. The most notable exception being when somebody attempts to communicate while a new (or returning) pilot is entering the Evoverse's Moderated Place (MP). Evidently, such announcements are considered important enough to override other transmissions, thereby resulting in the deletion of any normal message sent by a pilot already in service. For example, the message, "Starbuck has joined in 3500,0,-1500" will take priority over something like, "My, what a beautiful sunset on Sapphire" or "Somebody help me I'm being attacked by a horde of Vonari!" (Likewise, what's good for the goose is good for the gander. If the pilot calling for help is then destroyed, his own re-entry message will take priority over other in-service radio calls.)


* While the term "interstellar" is indeed a more accurate description of how the teams are currently organized, there is a long history in sport(s) of exaggerating who and what are included in a league. This tradition extends as far back as the "World Series" which never, by any stretch of the imagination, included teams from around the world. Likewise, the Intergalactic Sport(s) League only represents teams from within the gated star systems. None of the sixteen teams are actually affiliated with another galaxy.

[Marvin]

Gravity

It's no coincidence that the words grave and gravity have the same root.


[align=center]
Normal gravity: the bigger they are, the lesser they fall[/align]

Gravity is Mother Nature's joke on common sense. Unfortunately, it usually goes unappreciated. When Galileo climbed the Tower of Pisa and simultaneously dropped a pomegranate and a really heavy ball of copper off the roof, everybody watched both objects hit the ground at the same time. He then borrowed one of Leonardo da Vinci's lesser-known paintings (ironically titled The Next to the Last Supper) from da Vinci's grand nephew and hired four burly Italians to carry it up the Tower's walkway to the roof. On the count of tre (the Italian word for "three"), the painting was tossed over the side while, simultaneously, Galileo once again dropped the pomegranate. The much heavier painting, buoyed up by friction (see entry on friction), floated lazily toward the ground, landing a full two minutes after the pomegranate. Nobody, including Leonardo's grand nephew, laughed at* (or even understood) the joke. Even Leonardo, had he still been alive, probably wouldn't have found it to be all that funny.


[align=center]
The expected effect of gravity: a space station after having suffered orbit degradation[/align]

In the Evoverse, the joke is on Mother Nature (and, likewise, on Galileo). While gravity in our universe is systematically and persistently hard-headed (to the point of being dictatorial), gravity in the Evoverse is often contrary, preferring to take life easy. Sometimes it's passive and sometimes it's aggressive, according to its mood, friction and the democratic process. Standing on a hilltop, gazing up at the sky, you might observe discarded cargo pods falling with grim determination (and undaunted deliberation) to the planet's surface. But, on the odd weekday you might find much heavier objects floating like balloons, drifting lazily overhead.


[align=center]
One of the whimsical effects of gravity: floating asteroids[/align]

Nonetheless, on the whole, gravity behaves itself. In fact, it's unusually accommodating. In space, cargo pods manage to counter the high gravitational forces of nearby stellar bodies (probably due more to the installation of pod-sized antigrav units than to gravity's accommodating behavior), allowing pilots to recover lost or misplaced pods with ease. And space ships, once they hit the atmosphere, find themselves subject to overwhelming drag, which slows them down** to the point of almost buoying them up ... else they would plummet at tremendous speed, crashing down with incredible force, exceeding speeds which would, due to friction, subject them to the fate known as "blowing up" (again, see entry on friction).


* Although everybody did laugh the next day, when Galileo repeated the experiment for the Grand Duke of Tuscany and the painting landed on the head of a vendor of pork pies and sausages in a bun. Even the vendor laughed as he called out, "Finders keepers!" and ran off with the painting. Later, he sold it and, with the credits, bought a ticket to a planet he said, "... might be as flat as that painting but at least it's gotta have a better class of gravity."

** But only when operating under the influence of inertia. All bets are off if the pilot has engaged IDS.

[Marvin]

Station Detonator

The station detonator (SD) creates a miniature wormhole ... exactly large enough to suck a station into oblivion (while leaving nearby objects unharmed). The "bang" you hear is probably dark matter rushing in to fill the void.


[align=center]
Station Detonator (courtesy of DaveK)[/align]

The Authorized Evochron Mercenaries' Technical Guide explains it this way:

It targets the fabric of a constructed station as well as disrupting the structural integrity field. Rather than using explosive technology, the SD folds the fabric of space-time within the station, disrupting the structural integrity field, disassembling the matter and shifting it into the space through which a WH would normally thread. The result is that the station disappears (though there is some residual energy production visible as a flame ball).

The Technical Guide also goes on to explain, in rather simplified terms, the politics behind distribution and sale of the SD.

Station Detonators were originally created to prevent station overcrowding - allowing legal authorities to clear redundant stations quickly and cleanly. Unsurprisingly a black market developed as mercenary clans fought for possession of systems. Bowing to the inevitable, local authorities started to sell SD's on the open market, officially to be able to control their sale but also, as many suspect, because it is so profitable!

In reality, the politics was far more convoluted.

The station detonator began as a classified project conducted by military personnel on the relatively uninhabited planet of New Manhattan. Originally, it was intended to be used only by Alliance construction crews in an official capacity: clearing away old, dilapidated and outdated trade stations. Even under government supervision, strict guidelines for deployment of an SD were to be observed. Consequently, during its development, secrecy was paramount.

Except it didn't turn out quite that way. After the accident (dubbed by the Alliance as a minor "singularity incident") which resulted in the total destruction of New Manhattan, keeping the secret was impossible. In today's world of instantaneous news and intergalactic travel, you simply cannot hide a planet which has been turned to rubble ... especially when the explosion also results in the creation of a nebula-sized gas cloud covering most of an entire sector of space. Eventually somebody will ask the question, "What happened to Aunt Mae ... didn't she have a retirement home on that nice planet, New Manhattan?" And, once somebody takes the local Sapphire Shuttle to check on Aunt Mae and instead finds an asteroid field surrounded by a nebula, the cat is out of the bag.


[align=center]
The remains of New Manhattan (with MMaggio\'s trade station visible in the background)[/align]

Early explanations for the destruction of the inhabited planet came from those individuals directly responsible for the mishap. Their stories* differed from telling to telling and included: the planet being struck by a wayward comet; a catastrophic internal explosion; and an attack by some massive, unstoppable doomsday device.

It was later left up to the Alliance's Department of Naval Affairs, Office of Information, to discredit each successive explanation and come up with one of their own. Since panic had already set in, the only course left open to them (or so they thought) was to tell the truth. Which, in hind sight, turned out to be a big mistake. The SD project was subsequently turned over to a private contractor, under civilian supervision ... completely cutting the military out of the loop. Resulting in a total shift of priorities** and opening the project to public scrutiny. Naturally, once the public got hold of SD technology, it quickly found its way into the hands of every rebel and guild faction to roam Alliance space. And, from there, to the Federation.

While both the Federation-Alliance War and the Vonari Conflict have been blamed on claims that enemy forces were attempting to build stockpiles of SDs, the truth is that neither war can be connected in any way to station detonators. Nonetheless, history keeps rewriting itself and, for every two people who can tell you how each war actually got started, there are a dozen who will blame one or both wars on SDs.


* Later, these explanations were traced back to story lines from an H.G. Wells novel, the origin of Superman and an old Star Trek episode.

** From one of restricted military use (as a deterrent to interstellar war) to one of mass distribution driven by politics, greed, social economics, carelessness and total incompetence. But, now that I think of it, isn't everything?


[Edited on 6-21-2013 by Marvin]

[Marvin]

Space


Space in the Virtual Multiverse (VM) is often described as a sandbox. While most VMs offer space which looks like this:


[align=center]

Sandbox representation of most VM space[/align]


... by comparison, space in the Evoverse looks more like this:


[align=center]
Sandbox representation of Evochron space[/align]