Back To Sleep in a Sea of Stars Save as PDF
Contents ( 300)
  1. PART ONE
  2. EXOGENESIS
  3. CHAPTER I
  4. DREAMS
  5. 1.
  6. 2.
  7. 3.
  8. CHAPTER II
  9. RELIQUARY
  10. 1.
  11. 2.
  12. 3.
  13. 4.
  14. CHAPTER III
  15. EXTENUATING CIRCUMSTANCES
  16. 1.
  17. 2.
  18. 3.
  19. 4.
  20. CHAPTER IV
  21. ANGUISH
  22. 1.
  23. 2.
  24. 3.
  25. CHAPTER V
  26. MADNESS
  27. 1.
  28. 2.
  29. 3.
  30. 4.
  31. 5.
  32. CHAPTER VI
  33. SHOUTS & ECHOES
  34. 1.
  35. 2.
  36. 3.
  37. 4.
  38. 5.
  39. 6.
  40. CHAPTER VII
  41. COUNTDOWN
  42. 1.
  43. 2.
  44. CHAPTER VIII
  45. OUT & ABOUT
  46. 1.
  47. 2.
  48. CHAPTER IX
  49. CHOICES
  50. 1.
  51. 2.
  52. 3.
  53. 4.
  54. 5.
  55. EXEUNT I
  56. 1.
  57. 2.
  58. 3.
  59. 4.
  60. PART TWO
  61. SUBLIMARE
  62. CHAPTER I
  63. AWAKENING
  64. 1.
  65. 2.
  66. 3.
  67. 4.
  68. CHAPTER II
  69. WALLFISH
  70. 1.
  71. 2.
  72. 3.
  73. 4.
  74. CHAPTER III
  75. ASSUMPTIONS
  76. 1.
  77. 2.
  78. 3.
  79. 4.
  80. 5.
  81. 6.
  82. CHAPTER IV
  83. KRIEGSSPIEL
  84. 1.
  85. 2.
  86. 3.
  87. CHAPTER V
  88. EXTREMIS
  89. 1.
  90. 2.
  91. CHAPTER VI
  92. NEAR & FAR
  93. 1.
  94. 2.
  95. 3.
  96. 4.
  97. 5.
  98. CHAPTER VII
  99. ICONS & INDICATIONS
  100. 1.
  101. 2.
  102. 3.
  103. 4.
  104. CHAPTER VIII
  105. NOWHERE TO HIDE
  106. 1.
  107. 2.
  108. 3.
  109. 4.
  110. CHAPTER IX
  111. GRACELING
  112. 1.
  113. 2.
  114. 3.
  115. 4.
  116. CHAPTER X
  117. DARMSTADT
  118. 1.
  119. 2.
  120. 3.
  121. 4.
  122. CHAPTER XI
  123. EXPOSURE
  124. 1.
  125. 2.
  126. 3.
  127. 4.
  128. 5.
  129. 6.
  130. CHAPTER XII
  131. LESSONS
  132. 1.
  133. 2.
  134. 3.
  135. 4.
  136. 5.
  137. 6.
  138. 7.
  139. 8.
  140. EXEUNT II
  141. 1.
  142. 2.
  143. 3.
  144. 4.
  145. 5.
  146. 6.
  147. 7.
  148. PART THREE
  149. APOCALYPSIS
  150. CHAPTER I
  151. PAST SINS
  152. 1.
  153. 2.
  154. 3.
  155. 4.
  156. 5.
  157. 6.
  158. 7.
  159. 8.
  160. 9.
  161. CHAPTER II
  162. A CAELO USQUE AD CENTRUM
  163. 1.
  164. 2.
  165. CHAPTER III
  166. SHARDS
  167. 1.
  168. 2.
  169. 3.
  170. 4.
  171. CHAPTER IV
  172. TERROR
  173. 1.
  174. 2.
  175. 3.
  176. CHAPTER V
  177. SIC ITUR AD ASTRA
  178. 1.
  179. 2.
  180. CHAPTER VI
  181. INTO THE DARK
  182. 1.
  183. 2.
  184. 3.
  185. CHAPTER VII
  186. NECESSITY
  187. 1.
  188. 2.
  189. 3.
  190. 4.
  191. 5.
  192. CHAPTER VIII
  193. SINS OF THE PRESENT
  194. 1.
  195. 2.
  196. 3.
  197. EXEUNT III
  198. 1.
  199. 2.
  200. 3.
  201. 4.
  202. 5.
  203. 6.
  204. 7.
  205. PART FOUR
  206. FIDELITATIS
  207. CHAPTER I
  208. DISSONANCE
  209. 1.
  210. 2.
  211. 3.
  212. 4.
  213. 5.
  214. CHAPTER II
  215. ORSTED STATION
  216. 1.
  217. 2.
  218. 3.
  219. 4.
  220. 5.
  221. 6.
  222. CHAPTER III
  223. ESCAPE!
  224. 1.
  225. 2.
  226. 3.
  227. 4.
  228. 5.
  229. 6.
  230. 7.
  231. CHAPTER IV
  232. NECESSITY II
  233. 1.
  234. 2.
  235. 3.
  236. 4.
  237. 5.
  238. EXEUNT IV
  239. 1.
  240. 2.
  241. 3.
  242. 4.
  243. PART FIVE
  244. MALIGNITATEM
  245. CHAPTER I
  246. ARRIVAL
  247. 1.
  248. 2.
  249. 3.
  250. 4.
  251. 5.
  252. 6.
  253. 7.
  254. CHAPTER II
  255. NECESSITY III
  256. 1.
  257. 2.
  258. 3.
  259. 4.
  260. 5.
  261. 6.
  262. 7.
  263. CHAPTER III
  264. INTEGRATUM
  265. 1.
  266. 2.
  267. 3.
  268. 4.
  269. 5.
  270. 6.
  271. 7.
  272. CHAPTER IV
  273. FERRO COMITANTE
  274. 1.
  275. 2.
  276. 3.
  277. 4.
  278. 5.
  279. 6.
  280. 7.
  281. CHAPTER V
  282. ASTRORUM IRAE
  283. 1.
  284. 2.
  285. 3.
  286. 4.
  287. 5.
  288. 6.
  289. 7.
  290. 8.
  291. 9.
  292. 10.
  293. 11.
  294. 12.
  295. 13.
  296. 14.
  297. CHAPTER VI
  298. SUB SPECIE AETERNITATIS
  299. 1.
  300. 2.

Since increasing speed moves you away from c in FTL, there is no upper limit to tachyonic speeds, although there are practical limits, given the minimal level of energy needed to maintain particle integrity (remember, less energy = more speed in superluminal space). And while rest mass in subluminal space is real, positive, and increases due to special relativity as v approaches c; in luminal space, rest mass is zero and v always = c; and in superluminal space, rest mass is imaginary at v=c, but becomes real, positive, and decreases when moving faster than c.

An implication of this is the reversal of time dilation effects with regard to acceleration. In both STL and FTL, as one approaches c, one ages slower with regard to the larger universe. That is, the universe will age far faster than a spaceship barreling along at 99% of c. However, in FTL, approaching c means slowing down. If, instead, one speeds up, traveling at ever higher multiples of c, you would age faster and faster compared to the rest of the universe. This, of course, would be a major disadvantage of FTL travel if ships weren’t encased in a Markov Bubble when superluminal (more on this later).

As one can see in the graph, it is possible to have a velocity of 0 in subluminal space. What does this mean when motion is relative? That you are at rest with regard to whatever reference point you choose, whether that be an outside observer or the destination you wish to travel to. A velocity of 0 in subluminal space translates to around 1.7c in superluminal space. Fast, but still slower than the velocities of many FTL particles. Indeed, even low-end Markov Drives are capable of 51.1c. Nevertheless, if you need to reach a destination as quickly as possible, it can be worth the delta-v to bring your spaceship to a complete stop with regard to your destination before transitioning to FTL in order to get that extra 1.7c of velocity.

Were it possible to directly convert subluminal mass into superluminal mass, without a Markov Bubble, 1.7c would be the highest possible speed achievable, as there is no practical way to further accelerate the mass (i.e. further reduce the energy state of said mass) aside from chilling it. One can’t suck propellent into your tanks, for example. This would be the second major disadvantage of FTL travel, again, if not for the use of a Markov Bubble.

The third disadvantage would be the fact that matter in superluminal space behaves radically differently than in subluminal space, to the point where life as we know it would be impossible to sustain. This, again, is circumvented via a Markov Bubble.

The three different continua—the subluminal, the luminal, and superluminal—coexist within the same time and space, overlapping at every point in the universe. The luminal exists in a fluidic membrane that separates the subluminal from the superluminal, acting as an interference medium between them. The membrane is semi-permeable, and has a definite surface on both sides, upon which all EM forces exist.