Prologue Two
"How Far Is The Horizon?"
Robotech IV- The Odysseus Epic
Act One: Superdimensional Starforce Orion
by Presley H. Cannady (revprez@mit.edu)
and Lou Barnes (lbj@magiccarpet.com)
_______________________________
"Protoculture, according to my most literal definition, is the process of
deriving energy from seeds [of the Flower of Life, fuseria] through the
forced extension of the period of gestation through external provision of
nourishment; thereby prodding matrices containing the fuseria seeds to
undergo a futile process, which ultimately completes the incubation period,
repetitively until such a point where the matrices' nutriet reservoirs have
been entirely spent. As incredible as it may sound, the seeds require a
massive, internal energy source to assist in "cracking" the impressively
hardy epidermal layer. As experimentation has demonstrated, only a nuclear
chain reaction--although minute and contained--can effectively force the
seed out of the gestation phase. Harnessing the natural energy generated
within these seeds, an inexpensive and entirely replaceable source of energy
and power presents itself.
"I also used the term 'protoculture' to describe the fusive-ready atoms
generated after the initial fusion process. Two resultant particles fuse at
the nuclear level under heavy monopolaric influence, and the process
continues as the fusive particle increases to a point of critical mass.
Eventually, the mass build up of the conglomerate atom would lead to its
eventual deterioration, the fission process providing the necessary
activation to repeat the cycle of nuclear fusion. This reflexive
relationship between fission and fusion, safely contained within a proper
matrix, releases an impressive abundance of rest energy with a lower input
work threshold, and the process the 'protoculture,' fused atom
undergoes--while finite--is for the most part self-sustaining.
"But it would be criminal to leave protoculture at that; the existence
of an powerful bioenergy source deserves to be held with much more respect.
No, the story of protoculture goes beyond that bio-energy source that is
technically much less powerful than the matter-antimatter power sources that
we are developing to power our vehicles of starlight travel someday, but
significantly more powerful than those energies released during lightweight
fusion and cold fusion sources, an much more suitable for handling. A form
of bio-derived energy, from a "tracheophytic" plant life-form with a limited
number of animal characteristics. The protoculture seemed to respond to the
universe, much more systematically than antimatter and matter reactions.
There was little chaos in conjuring the energies of the Flower in the
protoculture, as can be found in the nearly unpredictable annihilation
cycles of energy to pure energy. For this reason, I've found the
protoculture process in many ways much more efficient than our present
fusion and M/AM vessels--although far less powerful in terms of raw energy
output. The source of the energy pulses within the Flowers are unknown, and
I have ruled out fusive activity an explanation. The Flower was exhibiting
'reflexive' behavior to its surroundings, particularly that to the
(discredited) [Fam] Ura's 'ether fields.' In the presence of strong EM
activity, the organism exhibited impressively energetic responses, the
induction of its charge was massive enough to power a small building's
internal generator. Sentience, however, would need to be evaluated through
other measures. It seems that the numeral [three], the obsession of the
state's and empire's totalitarian leaders is almost manifest from the
flower, and now, its secret as well..."
"Protoculture, in its third import, is unexplainable in normal physical
terminology, or physical sciences. I tread unsure ground in the fields of
biogenetics, and I am but an infant in the fields of psychology.
Nonetheless, I am now convinced that protoculture has a psi-sentient
manifestation. I've been hiding this from both my colleagues and allies,
but the Flower of Life's seemingly amazing and unprecedented nuclear-fusion
capabilities are nothing compared to my most recent findings. This
organism, which I once thought violated [the laws of conservation] be
seemingly deriving the energy to power not only its internal fusion
mechanisms, but machines external of itself, seemed to come from nowhere.
No matter conversion--the bionutrients we originally suspected to be the
agents of were in fact simply used for the plant's photosynthetic
activities. How even more surprised I was to discover that the Flower of
Life does not rely on photosynthesis as its primary source of sustenance,
but seems to convert nuclear energy to a chemical state from its own
reproductive activities: 'nucleoplasmosynthesis.'
"Certain colleagues of mine claim they have suffered instances of
hallucination and even divination (of which I still remain skeptical). I
felt compelled to eventually subject the Flower to a hyper-wave analysis by
these ridiculous reports of divine intercession and supernatural
experiences. The results were even more confounding. It seemed to generate
gravitational distortion field which varied each seed generation period. A
specimen gathering trip to the Karbarran specialized energy-production
facilities, now nationalized under Imperial control, produced no
corroborative evidence of fields in any other stage of the Flower's
development other than that of the Flower stage. Gathering specimens from
the Karbarran orchids in the fruit-bearing stage, I expedited the
germination process of the spore to the flowering stage. Each specimen
began to generate continuum distortion fields, on various frequencies.
These results were confounding, and unless the Flower is somehow harnessing
energy emissions from elsewhere with these fields, I am at a loss. We will
plan a voyage to Haydon IV, where I have yet to discover whether the
Awareness has any record of contact with such an organism. I pity my delay."
-paraphrases of a section of Zor Derelda's notes, transcribed by
Cabell, 2048
* * *
"We can see our world from one single point, what is commonly called the
present. This diagram is most associated with the K'tna Paradox Theory, in
which the linear perspective of modern physics shows the future stretching
out proportionally ahead to the past stretching out behind. Much of these
theories were loosely developed independently in Terra, five-hundred years
after the K'tna theory, and was later used to establish the theories behind
alternative universes. The closest Terran approximation to the following
diagram is that the the world event cone, described in detailed by
Einstein's Theory of Special Relativity."
F U T U R E
\ Finite Finite /
\ Possibility | Possibility /
\ |S /
\ |P /
\ |A /
\ |C /
\ |-- /
\ |T /
\ |I /
\ |M /
\ |E /
\ | /
\ | /
Realm of \ | / Realm of
Impossibilities \|/ Impossibilities
P r e s e n t
/|\
/ | \
/ | \
/ |S \
/ |P \
/ |A \
/ |C \
/ |E \
/ |-- \
/ |T \
/ |I \
/ |M \
/ |E \
/ Finite | Finite \
/ Possibility | Possibility \
P A S T
"The any point on the line is the present of that time, the past of any
anterior point, and the future of any posterior point. Alternate universe
concepts hold that the funnel linear diagram indicates the possibilities of
multiple pasts passing through any point (considered the present) and
stretching into an finite
possibility (since the universe is finite, suffering of entry, and
eventually prone to collapse, possibilities may be enormous, but all lead to
the final destruction of the universe).
"Through the use of wormhole and hyperspace theories, we've been able to
move about through points on this linear possibilities.
"It naturally follows that understanding forward linear though allows us
to briefly understand backwards linear thought. However, simplicity is
often found in choices, in sets, of two. Time and space are not necessarily
on the only axises we must consider when constructing our universal
coordinate system. Impossibility, however, seems to characterize an
orthagonal perspective to space-time. We've achieved the level where we
know for certain that cause and effect are equally separate and dependent
upon each other, resolving a paradox that confounded sentient life for
millenia. This new knowledge allows us to understand the deeper workings of
hyperspace beyond its implications on communications and travel. Still,
there is nothing in our thinking that can prepare us for the points of view
orthagonal to our understanding of time and space.
"So, what are these realms of impossibilities? The Infinite? The
eternal paradox? God?
"The final answers to the mysterious nature of hyperspace travel lie in
this realm. When we undergo the actual process of transcending from our own
plausible position to a different plausible positions in space-time, we are
being lifted not only through higher dimensions, but possibly through these
orthagonal realms.
-Dr. Athalia Langston, exceprted a transcript from the 2788 Galactic
Federation Science and Theology Summit, Tirol. Hosted by Dr. Masuo
Takaya, Rev. Linus McKeegan and Dr. L'than, Ph.D in Comparative
Religions of Earth
-------==========*****End Prologue Two*****==========-------
* * *
+-----------------+-<The Badass Reverend of Funk Prez>---+
| Presley H. | Political Science / Computer Science |
| Cannady II | and Electrical Engineering Undergrad |
|<revprez@mit.edu>| at the Mass. Institute of Technology |
+-----------------+-<Anime Manga Development Group>------+
+ Author of Liars and Dreamers, a Robotech fanfic +
+-------<http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/1731/index.html>-+
| MIDN 4/c A-2-2 SQD, MIT-Harvard-Tufts NROTC Battalion |
|_|"The art of war is of vital importance to the state"|_|