12 VZSciFi Universe Background
Last Updated: 17 April 2000
500 years ago, the Human
colony ship Dauntless, captained by James Orell III made an emergency
random hyperjump to escape attack from an Inlixi marrauder. It was the
last desperate act of a man determined to save his 3000-strong complement
of colonists and he knew full well the jump could have landed the Dauntless
in the heart of a sun -- or worse.
But the reknowned Orellian luck ran true to form
and although crippled, its jump engines beyond repair, the Dauntless
reappeared in what is now the Orellian System,
named after the eponymous captain who 'discovered' it. But this was no
ordinary star system. The colonists had discovered the home of a long-vanished
alien race, the Chi'kkren, aliens so advanced they had begun to convert
their core system into what Humans call a Dyson
Sphere (although the concept was originally conceived by SF writer
Olaf Stapledon as early as 1937). However, for whatever as yet undiscovered
reason the Chi'kkren abandonned both their construction and their home
system, vanishing (so far) without trace.
In commencing the beginning of the Sphere building,
the aliens had created a maze of Skyhook-style accessways, connecting every
planet in the system. This incredible advance on Skyhook systems proposed
by NASA and other scientists in Earth's 20th century -- and brought to
life in fiction by authors such as Arthur C. Clarke -- have been taken
well beyond the abilities of current Human technological ability. These
accessways literally link the planets together as they orbit the system's
sun, regulated by highly advanced systems deep within the bowels of the
outermost, artificial world -- Technos.
One side effect of the tube system that connects
all the planets is that while all the planets still orbit the sun, planetary
spin is minimal on many of them, apart from Aqua
where the tube system connects to a water-bound relay point, and Technos,
where the spin may be a requirement for the operation of the hyperspatial
'cannon', better known as 'The Spike'. It is belived the 15 kilometer high
'Spike' once provided some means for the creation of a hyperspatial gateway
enabling transportation to other parts of the Chi'kkren Empire in other
star systems. So far, scientists have been unable to confirm this theory.
For climatic rerasons there is some planetary
spin, but this is necessarily slow as the tubes adjust in a complicated
mesh to reflect the change of position for their base points in relation
to all other connection points.
The Chi'kkren
While exploring the system the colonists discovered
all the planets were inhabitable, though some proved more inviting than
others. It is presumed that the arthropoid Chi'kkren were oxygen-breathing
given what they left behind, although they had a non-Humanoid body
shape. So far, very few records of the Chi'kkren have been deciphered and
much of their technology remains mysterious in construct, operating in
many cases, or so it has been suggested, on the quantum level. (Explorers
will be delighted to learn that there is a huge bounty on the discovery
of any new Chi'kkren technologies).
Although bi-pedal in appearance, and possibly
of simian origin, it appears the Chi'kkren evolved well beyond that form
as its society advanced, incorporating genetic and technological dvelopments
into re-structuring their very appearance according to their role in society.
The Chi'kkren who built the conduits connecting their home system's worlds
(if indeed, Orell is their home system) were tall spindly creatures, possibly
multi-limbed or able to 'add' limbs depending on their work detail. Planet-dwelling
Chi'kkren were shorter, more muscular, capable of great acts of strength.
It appears the Chi'kkren society was divided
into several levels:
The Hierarchs: Selected for their intelligence and bio-telekinetic abilities these Chi'kkren organised the building of their technological achievements. Tall, graceful and appearing as near-divine beings in the surviving visual records they also had a strength of purpose and brooked no opposition to their orders.What happened to the Chi'kkren?
The Hierarchs were served by Creators -- scientists -- and acolytes. Acolytes were as often as not selected from 'lesser races'.The Builders: Adapted genetically and mechanically according to their duties these Chi'kkren were master builders, working directly in a hive-mind -style state to create the structures the aliens have left behind, literally working until exhaustion if circumstance so demanded. In order to maintain healthy numbers of this 'caste' it is possible the Builders were fast bred in some way and perhaps Technos hides the secret of such technology
The Servitors: The 'debris' non adapted Chi'kkren who acted as maintainers and repairmen for the gigantic structure being built. These creatures appear close to Human -- bipedal, with only their golden eyes and six fingers on their hands indciating a different planet of origin.
One theory as to their disappearance is that the Chi'kkren disappeared into one of the many strange dimensional portals now being discovered on Orell and Harvax. These portals are jump-off points to other solar systems, universes and even times but access to them is currently restricted to hand-picked teams of military and scientitific researchers.
It is also suspected, although hotly debated, that there were in fact two races co-existing within the Orellian system at some time, until the Chi'kkren wiped out their rivals. Some fanatics, who form the core of the Luddite Movement (their foreheads tatooed with a defiant XXX), have argued that this second race protested at the creation of the Dyson Sphere and this resulted in their destruction. The Luddites have taken up this unproven cause on behalf of the forgotten aliens and preach for the dismantling of what exists of the Dyson Sphere construction. Conversely, the Progressives argue fanatically for its expansion and completion.