The Engine of Aurotharius (Part One)

October 18 - Zenobia

"No longer were there individual destinies; only a collective destiny..." - Albert Camus

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I received a message from Consulari Raghilda on the diplomatic channel:

"Major, I was remooring our new Bow Class Frigate in High Orbit of Mu Draconis. The Guild Heighliner is gone. It's 'engine' is still here. I think it's an engine, like from an Exodus Ark class fusion igniter."

I answered immediately, "Thank you Consulari. Can we get a science team up there to take a look?"

"I don't see why not," she replied, "Anyone you would recommend?"

"Dr. Qui Serendipity, if available. Accompanied by one of our troopers."

"Good idea. I will track him down. I think he is still in residence."

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October 20

Reconnaissance Report

By: Captain Manda Soldi Westminster, M.D., UAP SIU

To: Major Pepper Siamendes, UAP SIU

Location: Mu Draconis

Subject: Spacing Guild Liner Apparatus

Consulari Oyl reported to the local Zenobian Aegis commanding officer, Major Pepper Siamendes, that the Spacing Guild Liner was no longer located in high orbit over Mu Draconis. A large high energy apparatus remained and requested that our resident physicist, Doctor Qui Von Wer Foreman Serendipity, make some observations and report.

The Consulari left it up to the professor’s discretion which Aegis trooper would accompany him and he chose me stating my strong sciences background, albeit in medical, would be helpful.

The professor and I set up a time close to sunset and met at the landing tarmac of the Splintered Rock Settlement. The apparatus was directly above Desert Basin East in Geosynchronous Orbit and we would stop off on our way at the new Zenobian Bow Class Frigate of the Consolidated Associate Traders of Zenobia.

The professor insisted on his own bulky antiquated Environmental Suit outfitted a large proton beam emitter. Apparently the professor felt some need for a mobile EMP device in the event of a robot uprising. When his visor was raised, I could smell whiskey on his breath. He carried on at length about the zombie apocalypse and someone named Alice and Eliza. He frequently reminded me that he has tenure.

I used an ornithoper refitted for trans-orbit. Ironically, the Valkyrie we usually use to run down smugglers is not suited to the locations we would be visiting today.

From the observation bay of the forward hangar deck of the Frigate, we could see the reaction core left over from the Spacing Guild Liner. We refueled and headed off.

The reactor core is located in the northeast corner of the Desert Basin East Sector. According to Professor Qui, the Exodus Ark Class Core is composed of 12 Titan Class Ignition Particle Beam Emitters. There were four visible particle injectors focused on the Core. One from the south of Deep Desert, one from the north of Desert Basin East, one from the east of Desert Basin East and one from directly overhead. The hardware for these particle emitters extended more than a kilometer and a half in each direction.

Qui insisted on EVA inspection of the reactor core, he refers to is as a Centavos Ignition Array. Upon closer inspection, it was evident that some modifications were made. “This is not your Granny’s Ignition Array,” according to the professor’s expert analysis. Qui says that the Centavos is absent.

There was one particle beam emission leading away from the Centavos Ignition Array/Reactor Core. It extended far beyond our available sensors. We took careful measurements and will later use the navigational computer to calculate the emission’s target.

We followed the incoming particle injector that was coming from overhead. Unlike the other 3 particle injectors, this one had 2 additional rotating plates which according to Qui, acts as additional confinement, focus and acceleration. Following this up a further 2 kilometers, we found what Qui identified as an antiparticle storage ring. The storage ring is 250 meters in diameter and 6 different colored plates ran thru the storage rotating in and out. Above was 6 other rotating rings in a close cluster. Qui claims that the rotating rings are used to sort the different particles from the incoming particle stream. The other plates are then used to transmit to storage and emit when requested.

Above the rotating rings was a plasma sail that extended up an addition 30 kilometers. Qui says its purpose is to capture particles as they are created by cosmic ray bombardment as they hit the planet’s magnetic field. They are then drawn down to the rotating rings for sorting and storage. They use something similar to harvest antimatter on Heinlein.

Somehow the storage ring can combine the antiparticles to form macroscopic amounts of antimatter which it them emits at relativistic speeds at the Reactor Core where it collides with a small amount of super-dense exotic matter called a Centavos, precipitating a unique reaction.

We were not able to locate any controlling mechanism. Perhaps that is on the Spacing Guild Liner.

I found it improbable that Qui could determine all of this from mere observation and queried him. He replied that the designs are derived from a 20th century Italian Physicist named Fermi and the basic layout was Fermi’s design for an orbital particle accelerator/collider called a Fermitron. That and the Exodus Ark Class Ignition Array Reactor Core are taught in some advanced curricula.

I inquired further what the purpose of the device was, Qui replied “To warp, bend or fold spacetime”.

According to Qui, it was Wylder Aurotharius' idea.

I will follow up with an additional report when we run some numbers through the computers.

Qui says he is leaving for Heinlein to find a Centavos. I have looked up what I could in the relevant literature, there is no reference to a Centavos.

Captain Westminster, UAP SIU

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