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800 Realities
recent Realities |
When Yōd teleported to Observer Base, she left behind a gift: a collection of infites. I've been slowly assimilating the vast collection of information in those information nanites. There are hints in the Yōd infites that suggest the possibility that one particular positronic robot (R. Nyrtia) was responsible for creating a link between time travel and the hierion-based technology of the Phari. Without that link, which is responsible for the inertia of time, there would never have been so many different Realities. Because successive Realities were forced to be similar to previous Realities, it became possible for the residents of Eternity to search for -and systematically shape- better Realities.
The comfortable conclusion to be drawn is that the Final Reality is in some sense optimized for we humans and for long-term human survival in the future. However, there are other possibilities. It seems likely that the Huaoshy were intent on replacing we humans with another primate species, the Prelands. The Huaoshy were apparently forced to accept the idea that humans should be allowed to explore the galaxy.
The Foundation Reality
The first Reality in which humans used space travel to spread between the stars was the Foundation Reality. What we know about the Foundation Reality comes almost entirely from the science fiction stories of Isaac Asimov. In the Foundation Reality, Asimov was a science journalist, helping the people of Earth adapt to the rapid changes in technology that were made possible by help from R. Gohrlay's positronic robots and their Asterothrope agent on Earth, Trysta Iwedon.
The Asimov Reality
the Asimov Reality |
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The course of technological development in the Asimov Reality was quite different than that of the Foundation Reality. In the Foundation Reality, humans were provided (by positronic robots) with space travel technology based upon hierion physics. In the Asimov Reality, an alternative form of space travel (based upon sedronic technology) was made available to Earthlings by Grean. This was a serious violation of the Rules of Intervention, but under the terms of the Trysta-Grean Pact, the entire Asimov Reality was going to be "erased" and replaced by another Reality, so it was permissible to provide humans with the "intersplit" space drive technology.
The Ekcolir Reality
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The Buld Reality
Another Reality, the Buld Reality, was brought into existence in order to find a way to save Earth from ecological catastrophe. Under the terms of the Trysta-Grean Pact, there was no allowed knowledge of hierions or sedrons for Earthlings of the 20th century. In the 21st century, hierions could be mentioned on Earth, but only in the context of science fiction stories.
The Final Reality
the First Reality |
The End of Eternity |
The First Reality
In the First Reality, upon arriving in our galaxy the pek discovered the Phari, an ancient lifeform that had developed advanced hierion-based technology. As was their practice, the pek absorbed the Phari into the sedronic domain of life. However, Many Sails began a research project designed to explore Phari technology.
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Ultimately, that research project found evidence that suggested the existence of a strange type of hierion-based natural telepathy. This form of telepathy seemed highly inefficient and severely constrained by the effects of high temperatures in biological organisms. Many Sails eventually realized that an artificial lifeform might be better suited for exploring hierion-based telepathy.
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The Mallansohn Reality
Just before the Foundation Reality was the Mallansohn Reality, as described by Asimov in his novel The End of Eternity. Between the First Reality and the Mallansohn Reality were many other Realities. Some of these caused large changes to Earth's timeline and others were minor changes (what can be called microchanges).
An Ek'col male and an Asterothrope female |
When R. Gohrlay created the the Asterothropes, she had a prototype for a telepathic human, but the hermaphroditic Asterothropes were not quite human. Eventually, upon further human genetic experimentation and with help from the Phari, R. Gohrlay was finally able to create fully telepathic humans. The Ek'col and the tryp'At were used to bring into existence the Final Reality.
Bimanoid Interface |
Another important remaining technological mystery is if the current dimensional structure of the universe is compatible with an ability of hadronic lifeforms (such as humans) being able to travel through space at speeds greater than the speed of light. If the Trysta-Grean Pact won for we humans the chance to spread from Earth to the stars, it might be a hollow victory if our species can never travel faster than the speed of light.
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Exode
Another key provision of the Trysta-Grean Pact is that the people of Earth are to be allowed to know how the alien Phari and Huaoshy shaped the course of events on Earth. However, those revelations can only take the form of science fiction stories and no physical evidence for alien visitors to Earth is allowed.
First Fiction
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The Retrofuturian Movement |
Next: the brave new world of 1966
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