Virgo Cluster

According to legend, the Singing Stones were delivered to the Daamin by the Elder Gods in the time before the Pylistroph.

The Stones were 21 in number, of many different colors and shapes. They produced music -- music that was different for each listener, and which could not be captured on physical recording devices. Scientists later devoted millions of years to studying the Stones, and conjectured that the Stones are telepathic resonator/amplifiers. They pick up, focus, and re-project all the thought patterns and emotions that occur anywhere in the Galaxy. The combined concert of all the Galaxy's minds is perceived as the most pure music ever created.

The surviving Singing Stones are kept on Nephestal in Geva Elen, the Place of the Stones, before the Temple of All Worlds. There, the Watchers of the Stones, a cadre of telepathic-sensitive volunteers, attempt to divine meaning from the music of the Singing Stones.

Through the millennia, some specific prophecies have come from study of the Stones.

Information on the individual Stones is here.

Tachyon vesicles are naturally-occurring piezogravitational bubbles composed mostly of quintessent matter. They are usually found in interstellar space, in comets, and in the rings of gas giants. Physically, they resemble soap bubbles without the fragility. When stimulated by coherent radiation, tachyon vesicles produce four distinct effects: antigravity, ultrawave, tachyon conversion, and defense screens.

Antigravity

hen stimulated by coherent radiation, a tachyon vseicle produce a grav field which is highly directionsal and variable in intensity. By allowing the vesicles free movement, and by varying intensity and wavelength of the radiation, almost any grav effect can be produced. Generally, since stimulated vesicles are fragile, total vesicle mass should be at least 0.00000364 of the mass being moved.

Ultrawave

A stimulated tachyon vesicle produces a single ultrawave tone. These tones range through six octaves on the UW Effect Scale. Amplitude modulation carries a signal which can be detected in a receiving set. By the variation introduced into the receiving vesicle, decoding can be accomplished even if the two units are not tuned to the same note -- although best results are obtained from units tuned to whole multiples of an octave apart.

A "keyed" ultrawave circuit obtains between to sub-vesicles produced from the same parent. Since each vesicle is extremely sensitive to its twin(s), very low amplitude can carry a signal undetectable even to vesicles tuned to the same note. Keyed ultrawave communication does not pass through Ultrawave Relays and can be used across most of the Galaxy.

The Free Peoples of the Scattered Worlds use a frequency modulation ultrawave signal which is totally undetectable without the tunable antigrav.

Tachyon Conversion (FTL drive)

Conversion to tachyon (faster-than-light) phase is a catastrophic effect that takes place when a tachyon vesicle is overloaded with energy. In response, the vesicle expends energy by producing a field which converts all particles within into their tachyon equivalents. The triggering energy varies on a logarithmic scale, according to the total mass of the system. Masses above 10^25 kg cannot be converted; the vesicle(s) will destabilize first.

The radius of the conversion field is determined by the total mass of vesicles used, and is given by r = 1.65*(m)^(1/3).

In the presence of too many shifting grav fields, tachyon vesicles will destabilize; the precise destabilization potential (and hence, speed limits) are given by Basse's Law. In practical terms, Basse's Law limits the speed of FTL travel within the Galaxy to roughly 500 parsecs/hour.

Defense Screens

A rotating tachyon vesicle, within a grav field produced by a resonating vesicle, creates a primitive version of the K1 defense screen. Variations in energy, rotation, frequency, etc. can modulate the field to just about any desired configuration.

The L-type pressure screen is a sophisticated antigrav effect, rather than a true defense screen.

Defense Screen Types:

• K1: Absorbs radiant energy, kinetic energy of objects faster than 50% lightspeed; overloads and explodes when radiation passes violet.
• K2: Like K1 but radiates well into ultraviolet before failure.
• K3: "Full coverage" - reflects all radiant energy and matter. Development of the Federation of Kindreds.
• K4: "Antishock" or "Anticrash" -- kinetic damper, can be set for any range -- must be used in connection with another K-type field for radiation. Developed by Federation of Kindreds.
• K5: Absorbs all of the above, radiates as neutrinos. Fails when neutrino radiation passes Moore's Limit. Developed in Late Second Empire.

Mathematical relationship that governs operation of tachyon vesicles in a stardrive unit.

Basse's Law gives destabilization potential in terms of vessel speed (kpsc/hr), number of tuned antigrav units, and density of interstellar medium.

(N.B. All values are highly approximate. 99+% shatter potential indicates virtual certainty of crystal shatter within first hour of flight; the speed value represents a calculated minimum.)

Maximum Safe Speeds in Typical Galactic Core (kiloparsecs/hour)

Maximum Safe Speeds in Typical Galactic Arms (kiloparsecs/hour)

Maximum Safe Speed in Typical Clear Lanes (kiloparsecs/hour)

Maximum Safe Speed in Near Intergalactic Space(kiloparsecs/hour)

Name: IGSGL 186,927
  
Type: Ring Galaxy
  
Distance: About 50 million light years (16Mpc)

Name: Messier 87 (NGC 4486, Virgo A)
  
Type: Giant Eliptical Galaxy (E1)
  
Position (J2000):
  R.A. 12h 30m 49s
  Dec. +12° 23' 28"
  
Distance: About 70 million light years

Based in the Virgo Cluster, a supercluster of galaxies surrounding M87, 70 million lightyears from the Milky Way. The Virgans had a high and mighty culture, in many ways superior to culture in the Milky Way.

About 22 million BCE, Garadhros met the expanding Virgo Cultures. A great war ensued, a war which resulted in the detonation of M-87's Core. Garadhros, however, was conquered and the Gergathan shut down. The Virgo warrior Jel Haran fought, and was seriously damaged, in this final war.

About 19 million BCE, Diebethar attacked and, ultimately, defeated the Virgo Cultures.

In 23,524 H.E, a Second Terran Empire vessel (the Virgo Mariner), carried a Scattered Worlds crew, under the command of Mal Arin, on a voyage of exploration to the Virgo Cluster.