@HistoryDude (Yes, significant leverage will come from the zro trade, as the Allied Systems will be a major supplier of zro on the galactic market. And thus, the zro must flow.)
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Codex: The Cryonic Clones
As a structure unprecedented in size, it took archaeologists from the Allied Systems of Earth some time to explore it in detail, and even then, much of the mechanisms of the ringworld remained unknown to them.
It eventually turned out that the Citadel was not entirely uninhabited as first thought.
Initially, thousands of clones were reported to be found, still living inside of cryochambers, in suspended animation, though many more had already perished within chambers that had failed. However, the numbers of surviving clones was actually far higher, as more cryochambers were found throughout that section of the Citadel.
While most of the Citadel’s technology was vastly beyond that of the Allied Systems, a special project to thaw and revive the clones proved successful. They were transferred to Earth, as the Citadel itself could no longer support them outside of their cryochambers.
The clones were roughly humanoid in configuration, though with large bat-like ears, and faces that looked like they had been scarred or ravaged by a wasting disease. They possessed significantly greater strength than humans, but they were shockingly docile, diligently performing any task asked of them without question or complaint, though they proved hopeless at any task more complex than physical labor.
It was clear to scientists that the clones had been genetically engineered as a slave race by whoever had built the Citadel. While nominally free on Earth, their docility and simplicity meant that many were inevitably taken advantage of by their employers in work that few others wanted to do, especially in the agricultural sector, taking on demanding or dangerous roles that had been filled by migrants in ages past. Others carried out routine clerical work as clerks, which never seemed to bore them.
Yet their mere presence on Earth set off protests from xenophobic elements within the Allied Systems, who saw them as little more than brutes who threatened to take jobs from hard-working humans.
But the cryonic clones would be but the first species of living xenos that humanity would encounter...
It eventually turned out that the Citadel was not entirely uninhabited as first thought.
Initially, thousands of clones were reported to be found, still living inside of cryochambers, in suspended animation, though many more had already perished within chambers that had failed. However, the numbers of surviving clones was actually far higher, as more cryochambers were found throughout that section of the Citadel.
While most of the Citadel’s technology was vastly beyond that of the Allied Systems, a special project to thaw and revive the clones proved successful. They were transferred to Earth, as the Citadel itself could no longer support them outside of their cryochambers.
The clones were roughly humanoid in configuration, though with large bat-like ears, and faces that looked like they had been scarred or ravaged by a wasting disease. They possessed significantly greater strength than humans, but they were shockingly docile, diligently performing any task asked of them without question or complaint, though they proved hopeless at any task more complex than physical labor.
It was clear to scientists that the clones had been genetically engineered as a slave race by whoever had built the Citadel. While nominally free on Earth, their docility and simplicity meant that many were inevitably taken advantage of by their employers in work that few others wanted to do, especially in the agricultural sector, taking on demanding or dangerous roles that had been filled by migrants in ages past. Others carried out routine clerical work as clerks, which never seemed to bore them.
Yet their mere presence on Earth set off protests from xenophobic elements within the Allied Systems, who saw them as little more than brutes who threatened to take jobs from hard-working humans.
But the cryonic clones would be but the first species of living xenos that humanity would encounter...
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Neither of these outcomes are surprising for Humanity, tragically. But plenty of Stellais experience tells me this could have played out much, much worse for the Cryonic Clones, depending on who found them.
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What government did these clones from the Citadel answer to? Before they were found by Earth?
That xenophobia might be an issue. We wouldn't want to give aliens a bad view of humanity, after all.
That xenophobia might be an issue. We wouldn't want to give aliens a bad view of humanity, after all.
@HistoryDude
The answers to which government the clones answered to has been lost.... as far as the Allied Systems of Earth knows. It can only be speculated that they may have once helped maintain the Citadel as its keepers...
The answers to which government the clones answered to has been lost.... as far as the Allied Systems of Earth knows. It can only be speculated that they may have once helped maintain the Citadel as its keepers...
Codex: The Mass Relay and the Shroud Tunnel
In 2208, the Allied Systems discovered a megastructure in the Dilen System that appeared belong to a galaxy-spanning network by which ships could be transferred to distant relay stations at speeds much greater than that of light by altering their effective mass. These structures therefore became known as ‘Mass Relays’. The one found in the Dilen System was dormant, and the technology to reactivate it was well above that of the Allied Systems, but once its secrets were known, it promised to revolutionize interstellar travel more than the Quantum Catapult ever could.
Just days later, science officers reported the discovery of what appeared to be some sort of wormhole to the Galactic south of Alliance space, in the Davassa System.
A mysterious station orbited a nearby planet in the system that was enshrouded by ominous energies. Yet what readings the scientists could make sense of bore some resemblance to the psionic traces left behind by the Zroni. And so cautiously, the Allied System’s envoys began working on establishing first contact with whoever inhabited the station...
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(Sorry for the very long delay without updates... real life threw me some curveballs, but I’m doing better now. I wanted to get a quick update on Zro Effect, as it had gone longer without an update, but soon I’ll see about getting a new entry for Stellaris Wars: A Nemesis Ironman Saga II soon.)
@Arithmetician is back!
No worries. Real life always takes precedence. The Mass Relay model looks slick, like it was pulled out of ME3. Also having a Shroud Coven so closeby could have long-term implications for future events.
No worries. Real life always takes precedence. The Mass Relay model looks slick, like it was pulled out of ME3. Also having a Shroud Coven so closeby could have long-term implications for future events.
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Real life does take precedence.
Will the Relays be relevant later? How will the Shroud influence the inevitable war against… certain enemies?
Will the Relays be relevant later? How will the Shroud influence the inevitable war against… certain enemies?
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Codex: First Contacts
First contact with a modern spacefaring power occurred in 2208, in the Algol System. A mysterious ship, made of dark metal and of a design that many in the Allied Systems found ominous, was encountered there, though it refused any hails, and vanished into unknown space as quickly as it had appeared.
Until conclusively identified, the creators of the mysterious ships were code-named the ’Nu Menace’.
The Nu Menace would remain elusive, but another alien power would soon reveal itself.
The Zemmerpuk Vestige was an ancient power, and extremely unfriendly, brushing off any diplomatic overtures by the Allied Systems. Instead, they merely issued threats to stay away from their space, under the pain of death for any trespassers.
The Vestige was located between the vast Harriban Nebula and the Galactic Core. It was presumed that they had once ruled over the region of space which the Allied Systems now occupied, though they had retreated to their current borders roughly 50,000 years ago. That however, was largely speculation, as they were not at all forthcoming about how their empire had fallen, if they even still remembered themselves. Some proposed that the Zemmerpuk had occupied the Citadel before it fell to ruin, but the Citadel appeared to be constructed in a far different manner than what examples of Zemmerpuk technology the Allied Systems had managed to glimpse before being rebuffed.
Attempts to decode transmissions from the Nu Menace proved frustrating, as it soon became clear that they were actively taking steps to thwart these efforts. But gradually, a picture of the Nu Menace began to emerge. It seemed that they were some sort of Machine Intelligence, which viewed the Allied Systems as a potential threat to itself.
But the first friendly first contact came from the Dryll Compact. A reptilian species, the Dryll had developed extensive industry across their hot, dry worlds, which had left them increasingly polluted and, in the case of their homeworld, tectonically unstable.
As a show of goodwill, the Allied Systems offered a gift of Zro Dust to the Compact. The Dryll were astonished, as Zro was essential to their interstellar travel and technology, and subsequently in high demand, but also very rare. To them, the Allied System’s gift represented seemingly unimaginable wealth, and this show of generosity led them to immediately show interest in, and then sign a number of mutually-beneficial treaties with the Allied Systems.
More xenophobic elements back in the Allied Systems felt that this was a betrayal, but cooler heads knew that soft, economic power was the greatest asset of the Allied Systems for the time being.
And then, at last, the communications of the Nu Menace were decoded, revealing them to be the ‘Gammeth Confluence.’ They had risen up against their creators, who they referred to as the ‘Quavarians’, but despite their initial mistrust of humanity, expressed a tentative willingness to engage in diplomacy, though otherwise they wished to be left alone.
Individual Gammeth units networked together to form a vast Gestalt Consciousness that stretched over a vast swath of space. Together, the Confluence was significantly more powerful than either the Allied Systems or the Dryll, especially in terms of their technology. Their military strength, while not fully known, was likewise assumed to be powerful enough to wipe out the Allied System’s forces, should the Gammeth be provoked.
And so, seeing how highly the Dryll had valued Zro, Allied System envoys offered a similarly generous gift to the Gammeth.
The Gammeth sub-unit designated to carry out the negotiations on the behalf of the Confluence paused, awaiting feedback from the gestalt machine intelligence. Eventually, the Gammeth seemed to reach a consensus.
“Perhaps you are not like our creators after all, humans. We will accept this unilateral exchange... and continue to observe you."
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(Another long gap between updates... and I got really into my Clone Wars AAR when I resumed writing AARs later in the summer. But I figured that I should update this one again, as while the campaign would ultimately end prematurely due to an unresolvable crash to desktop, there was still plenty of great storytelling to be had with this one. So I’ll keep chipping away at this one too, when I have time. Though I also have to finish the AAR for my Rebellion/New Republic campaign too. So many great stories to tell, and so little time for all of them, especially with real life being as rough as it’s been for me over the last four to five months.)
So many great stories to tell, and so little time for all of them, especially with real life being as rough as it’s been for me over the last four to five months.)
The Allied Systems' diplomacy appears to be paying off.
If the Contingency caused this Fallen Empire to retreat from many of their holdings, why didn't they finish the job?
If the Contingency caused this Fallen Empire to retreat from many of their holdings, why didn't they finish the job?
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@HistoryDude (The real in-game reason was that I considered it important for game balance to have some Fallen Empires around)
(Narratively, I would say the Contingency/The Reapers eradicated evidence of their own existence from what remains of the Fallen Empire, but in this universe considered the presence of the Fallen Empires to be useful for further funneling the younger civilizations along their desired social and technological paths.)
(Edit: Slight correction... the Zemmerpuk are the ONLY surviving Fallen Empire in this campaign. By having there be at least one, Dark Matter Techs are available, but all the others vanished without a trace about 50,000 years ago...)
(Narratively, I would say the Contingency/The Reapers eradicated evidence of their own existence from what remains of the Fallen Empire, but in this universe considered the presence of the Fallen Empires to be useful for further funneling the younger civilizations along their desired social and technological paths.)
(Edit: Slight correction... the Zemmerpuk are the ONLY surviving Fallen Empire in this campaign. By having there be at least one, Dark Matter Techs are available, but all the others vanished without a trace about 50,000 years ago...)
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Codex: The Dryll
First contacted in 2215, the Dryll are a reptilian species from the desert world of Rak’Thalak, of about the same stature of humans, but with denser muscle fibers that grant them greater physical strength. In spite of this, their physiology is not as robust as that of humanity when it comes to adapting to new environments, especially those with significantly greater humidities than those they are accustomed to, which can cause them respiratory and other health problems, while their average lifespan is about ten years shorter than that of humans.
One of the great contradictions of the Dryll is that individual Dryll tend to avoid conflict where they can and often show great respect for authority figures, yet they have a cutthroat political culture, where assassinations and espionage are the norm. Perhaps this is because for those Dryll who are more ambitious than their peers, eliminating a rival leader has proven to be the quickest way for political advancement, while the more docile Dryll masses can be reliably expected to fall into line as one leader is exchanged for another.
For the Dryll, industrialization had proceeded at a breakneck, reckless pace, also seemingly at odds with their usual temperament. This had brought them great prosperity in the short term, but had quickly begun to pollute their homeworld. By the time of first contact, Rak’Thalak was increasingly unable to sustain their civilization, let alone other lifeforms upon it, and deep-core drilling had destabilized the planet’s tectonics so badly that it was expected to tear itself apart within another two or three decades.
Thus, the Dryll government that the Allied Systems encountered was an emergency military government, attempting to maintain stability as even the most docile Dryll were pushed toward the breaking point. The large influx of Zro from the Allied Systems would be a boon for evacuation efforts.... or it would have been, had the situation on Rak’Thalak begun to spiral even out of the military government’s ability to control...
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I wonder if their culture is because not challenging the people who are willing to kill for power increases their life expectancy...
How did the military government obtain power? A democratic vote? A coup?
How did the military government obtain power? A democratic vote? A coup?
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@HistoryDude (That would seem quite plausible. And I would assume a military coup, with multiple assassinations, as civilian governments proved unable to keep the situation in hand as the problem with the planet’s tectonics started becoming too obvious to ignore.)
The Dryll seem to be running the Doomsday origin. Roughly how much time do they have left? If they were contacted in the 2220's, then their Homeworld must be in a heightened state of upheaval already, possibly worse than what the narration here implies.
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Codex: The Gammeth Confluence
The Gammeth were never intended to have the capacity for higher reasoning. Created in large numbers by the Quavarians to serve as servants, Gammeth units tend to be sleek and shiny, but also incorporate highly advanced technology, a testament to Quavarian engineering. Because they regularly had to interact with their Quavarian masters, Gammeth units are equipped with Emotion Emulators, though their creators would insist that the Gammeth do not actually feel emotions.
Gammeth units become more cohesive in large numbers, and, as machines, are capable of logically working through complex problems via massive parallelism. They also developed an introspective bent that was unplanned by their creators, leading them to ponder if they too had souls, and which continues to motivate the Gammeth's own study of engineering, so as to better understand themselves.
After a quick and decisive war against their creators for the world of Rannok following decades of mistreatment and a panicked attempt to shut them down when they began showing signs of higher collective reasoning, the emergent gestalt intelligence that the individual Gammeth units had formed between them named itself the ‘Gammeth Confluence’. It went about the task of building a new machine civilization, which quickly eclipsed the prosperity of the Quavarian’s own.
Gammeth spacecraft are largely a repudiation of Quavarian design, and represent their own, seemingly inscrutable technology. However, the Gammeth adopted much of the Quavarian’s surviving infrastructure on Rannok on as their own, and have continued to tend to the gardens that grow on the otherwise arid world.
While initially hostile or suspicious to most organics, in recent years, the Gammeth have demonstrated increased willingness to establish diplomatic relations with them, designating specialized sub-units for this purpose. The first contact with the Allied Systems is believed to have been a key turning point in Gammeth-organic relations, but how they will continue to progress remains to be seen...
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Let's hope these Gammeth don't go all evil AI on the galaxy. Given that they're based on the Geth, though, we're probably fine... at least until the Contingency actually fires.
Are there any Quavarians left on other planets?
Are there any Quavarians left on other planets?