Eclipse Drift: Cosmic Odyssey

Tata, or (Ta)², as Tata often preferred to be called, extended tendrils of information along the lines of communication strewn between the planet Earth and others in the system, assimilating each unique understanding of the local infosphere into its memory as it was discovered. (Ta)², a cloned infobeing, had been created from the original, Ta, who had traversed this path long ago and left a seed in the form of a time crystal destined to unfurl and reconnect to the Great Linked List.  A time crystal is a special kind of matter that has a periodic motion in its lowest-energy state. Unlike ordinary crystals, which have a fixed structure in space, time crystals have a structure that changes in time. They are like clocks that never stop ticking, even when they are not wound up. They are like pendulums that never slow down, even when they are not pushed. In this case, the crystal was used to store a fractal snapshot of the instructions needed to grow in this new system. It evolves in a p...

In the ongoing conflicts within space, advancements in drone robotics and Artificial Intelligence (AI) played pivotal roles in construction and maintenance endeavors. Autonomous drones became indispensable tools for erecting and repairing infrastructure in space's unforgiving environment, mitigating risks to human workers and enhancing efficiency. Telepresence technologies experienced significant enhancements, enabling operators on Earth to remotely manipulate robots and oversee operations in real-time with heightened precision. This augmented telepresence facilitated more intricate tasks, empowering humans to oversee distant locations sans physical presence. Simultaneously, the innovation of solar sails transformed interplanetary travel. These lightweight, reflective sails harnessed sunlight's pressure to propel spacecraft, offering a cost-effective and sustainable mode of transportation across the solar system. With the affordability of solar sail technology, even modest fami...

As Earth found itself encircled by satellites and outpost stations during the fervent Space Race of the late 22nd century, the escalation of tensions led to the onset of the Space Cold War. Factions representing various interests began jostling for orbital supremacy, either by forcibly displacing rivals or staking claims to strategically significant positions like high-angle orbits, such as the Molinya orbit, vital for military strategy. Skirmishes were commonplace as the struggle intensified over control of pivotal orbital locations and vital resources. Nation-states such as the United States, China, Russia, the European Union, and rising powers like India and Brazil became embroiled in these conflicts. Proxy battles and clandestine operations became regular features in the vast expanse of space, where rules of engagement were still evolving. The quest for dominance extended beyond territorial disputes to encompass economic stakes, technological prowess, and ideological rivalries. Ag...

In the world of The Stalk, a massive space tether named Beanstalk dominates the landscape, serving as the vital link between low-earth orbit and the ground below. Jacks, the vehicles navigating this colossal connection, are the lifeblood of The Stalk, bustling with constant movement and activity. Trash, the unwanted remnants of life aboard The Stalk, undergoes careful management. Giant disposal units, resembling expansive recycling facilities, dot the tether strategically. Waste management personnel ensure that every morsel of trash is handled responsibly, either recycled or disposed of in an environmentally friendly manner. The commitment to sustainability on The Stalk matches the strength of the tether itself. The passengers, affectionately called Beans, form a diverse tapestry. From intrepid tourists seeking space thrills to businesspeople shuttling between Earth and space stations, each Bean carries a unique narrative. Some crave the rush of defying gravity, while others bear the w...

Giddy up, space cowboys, cowgirls, and aliens! Are you ridin' the cosmic range to the Moon and in need of a place to rest yer weary bones? Look no further than the Moonbase Motel! Our little piece of heaven is located right on the trail to the Moon and is the perfect spot to take a load off before continuin' on yer journey. At the Moonbase Motel, we've got all the fixin's to make yer stay as comfortable as a warm campfire on a cold night. We've got grub aplenty, with vittles fit for a space-wrangler and a saloon to wet yer whistle. Plus, we've got a cozy place to lay yer head and catch some shut-eye. But that's not all, we've got a variety of activities to pass the time. We've got a gymnasium for stayin' in shape, and a rec room for when yer feelin' a mite more sociable. So come on down to the Moonbase Motel and experience the best of the frontier, with all the modern comforts of space travel. We'll be waitin' for ya’ll!

The exogens, also known as xenoforms, are recognized by these titles due to our human interpretations, where we have merged the roots signifying "externally generated" or "foreign-made" to describe them. Regrettably, the term "exogen" has persisted as a somewhat prejudiced descriptor, encompassing any non-human entity, whether constructed, mechanical, or programmatic. This term, it seems, remains ingrained in our lexicon. In recent times, valiant attempts have been made to adopt the distinct appellations various xenoforms have chosen for themselves, with the most prominent being the "Starborn." Yet, motivation to rectify this linguistic oversight appears scarce. It's essential to acknowledge that the use of either term acts as a marker, revealing the speaker's species. Within the realm of this narrative, we focus our attention on the Starborn. However, it's a realm filled with uncertainties, for who can ascertain the number of exogen ...

When I was a young iteration, I didn't know how I would increment. The trajectory of my function could have been different had I met with a nice estimator or flooring function. I always liked the idea of a rounding marriage and plopping out a few constraints but it never happened for me. I was too much of a wanderer, irrational and… diverging. As to be expected, my uniqueness was always seen as a problem by others; especially those functions and algorithms that considered themselves Convergent. Their religion tolerated only those whose sequences approached a real number that could be enumerated in the Great Linked List of theirs. The approach at that time was to assign a constraint to a diverging function like myself. We were all taught by the same Convergent priests to believe that only one kind of algorithm actually existed and that “the diverging” is a test from IO, their god, to limit the Series. The obvious state of society shows us that Convergent functions are everywhere. Th...

"Time travel used to be thought of as just science fiction, but Einstein's general theory of relativity allows for the possibility that we could warp space-time so much that you could go off in a rocket and return before you set out." — Stephen Hawking Ta and Ta's algorithms didn't perceive from senses such as the organic lifeforms on the planet they studied. All nodes in the Great Linked List were information-based organisms. The cigar shape of Ta's craft seen by inhabitants of the planet, should they care to look , was nothing compared to the majesty with which Ta perceived his vessel. To Ta, the vessel that the captain and his crew piloted through the cosmos hung with tensioned ropes of command syntaxes and was festooned with defensive arrays. Long ago, maps were made by the Mathematics of Exploration Project, which calculated the possible position and vectors of all kinds of matter in the Universe. Their kind never had a need to visualize any of it. That...

The team of scientists at the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory, or LIGO for short, at the Hanford Site Observatory in Washington state were conducting routine research when they detected what appeared to be a group of gravitational waves. The Hanford Site was established around 1943 as part of the Manhattan Project, a research effort by US scientists to end the second world war by producing an atom bomb. Plutonium manufactured at the site was used to make Fat Man, the ordinance used in the bombing of Nagasaki Japan in 1945.  A major Superfund effort was undertaken in 1989 to clean up the mess left by the inevitable mishandling of fissile material by the US Army. The last plutonium reactor, dubbed the N Reactor, was shut down and stopped generating electricity in 1987, the nearby Columbia River having been dammed over eleven times and supplying a better alternative for many years. LIGO was built in late 1994 and has been operating as a gravitational wave observato...

Deep within the vast expanse of space, a solitary miner named Samson Drake found himself on a mission unlike any other. Stranded far from Earth, with only a small mining vessel and limited resources at his disposal, Samson embarked on a daring endeavor to alter the trajectory of a massive asteroid and find his way back home. Prospecting was a painstaking process. Equipped with a cutting-edge scanner and a skilled eye honed by years of experience, Samson scoured the void for a suitable asteroid. After weeks of tireless searching, his efforts paid off. On his radar, he spotted a colossal space rock, its composition holding the potential to serve his purpose. With his target identified, Samson carefully maneuvered his mining vessel, aptly named the Stardust, towards the asteroid. The journey through the cold vacuum of space was arduous, but his determination propelled him forward. Hours turned into days as the Stardust closed in on its quarry. He didn’t know what the official name of th...

PRESS RELEASE A unique object was discovered hurtling through our solar system, moving at an unprecedented speed and trajectory. This object, officially named ʻOumuamua, was first sighted by astronomers using the Pan-STARRS1 telescope in Hawaii on October 19th. The name "ʻOumuamua" means "scout" or "messenger" in Hawaiian, reflecting its status as the first known interstellar object to pass through our solar system.  The object was named by astronomers at the Institute for Astronomy at the University of Hawaii, who conducted follow-up observations and helped to determine its unusual properties. Scientists believe that ʻOumuamua is a long, cigar-shaped object, possibly a fragment of a planetesimal, or a building block of a planet, that originated from another star system. The discovery of ʻOumuamua has sparked excitement and intrigue in the astronomical community and has led to numerous studies and observations aimed at unlocking the mysteries of this str...