Am
Revised 2013.03.18 @ 13:48 ·
Am is the colloquial (and technically incorrect) term for a "condensed" quad-axial space, accessible by certain life forms and organic technologies. Am is a form of "hyperspace," in which travel and communication circumvent general relativity. Prior to the development of the Heirotus BTS, Am was only accessible via the will of humans possessing certain genetic mutations unique to navigators.
Motion in Am is possible through five dimensions - the XYZ axis, time, and "depth." Space condenses along the depth axis while time does not, effectively enabling "realtime" FTL travel on a logarithmic scale.
Ambient Energy Index (AEI)
Revised 2013.03.18 @ 13:47 ·
A dimensional "variance" in the firmament, between Am and Prime and between the Veil and pocket universes, best defined as the relative ease with which Will can be exercised as a Force in a given area. In practical terms, the AEI determines the relative effort required for a Navigator to transition themselves and additional matter into Am, the mental fatigue incurred by a learned individual crossing between realities, and the relative "ease" with which psionic disciplines such as telepathy and remote viewing can be verifiably conducted.
A measurable divergence (positive or negative) from the local AEI is known as a Holt-Rischmann Variance.
Astral Space
Revised 2012.09.01 @ 18:19 ·
A cognitively-informed plane of perception, Astral Space is a blanket term applied to Astral Projection, Remote Viewing, and other forms of cognitive or psychic non-corporeal translocation in which the physical location of the characters has little or no bearing on events or actions. It is, in short, "Head Space." While Am and the Veil share certain visual similarities, the key difference is that astral space is perceived only by directed mental observation, and perception depends entirely on the worldview of the participants - accounts of Astral events vary wildly from person to person, and those not directly involved often don't see anything at all.
Dyluck appears to be capable of physical relocation through Astral Space, though this may be how she perceives the act. As physical travel through a cognitive plane is presumed impossible, a more likely explanation is that while Dyluck perceives it as an Astral act, she is in fact generating a biomagnetic transfer through Am.
Colonial Authority
Revised 2012.09.02 @ 05:49 ·
A Colonial Authority is a corporation that has been delegated key responsibilities of the state within a specific region of space. Colonial Authorities are invariably influential mega-corporations with a significant number of government contracts - so significant that the state has determined that it's better to keep them happy than it would be to run the risk of pissing them off.
The designation is typically granted to corporations that provide services deemed vital to human health and security, whose assets and income total more than sixty percent of the gross domestic product of the company's geographical area of operations, and for whom the state (or a major state contractor) is the primary source of revenue.
A rough equivalent would be the East India Company.
Executive Order 571.3 (Templar)
Revised 2012.08.29 @ 16:00 ·
An addendum to Templar law that prohibits any Templar or Templar asset from setting foot on a vaguely described continent in a pocket universe of an undefined planet. Access without escort by either Michael West or the Frater Superior of the order is strictly prohibited, and carries severe penalties.
The vague text of the order (omitting region of space, system, planet, etceteras) is available to any Templar initiate. Templar of rank VII° or higher are allowed access to a version of the document detailing the region of space, and Templar of VIII° are issued the full text.
Jumpnet
Revised 2013.03.22 @ 11:18 ·
A jumpnet is an alloy mesh that surrounds a spacecraft like a Faraday cage. A Navigator in physical or very close proximity to a jumpnet can transition a spacecraft into or out of Am.
The field amplification effect of the jumpnet medium extends the HRV of any entity that makes contact with it - while this has a profound, civilization-defining benefit for Navigators, contact with a jumpnet mesh also boosts the abilities of telepaths and remote viewers.
Navigator
Revised 2012.08.29 @ 15:51 ·
Any human or metahuman with the genetic ability to transition themselves and other objects - typically a starship - into and out of Am. While the effective area of influence of most Navigators includes a space suit and possibly a toolkit, physical contact with an alloy mesh colloquially known as a "jumpnet" will expand this area of influence to cover a starship and all materials and persons contained therein (and possibly nearby, if the object is completely inside the field of influence).
Standard Date
Revised 2013.03.22 @ 11:18 ·
The Galactic Standard Date (GSD) is a wide-spread means of time-keeping. While "Standard Date" is the official term, it's considered "Galactic Standard" by the Fed and its Colonial Authorities and "Federal Standard" by non-Fed states.
The 360-day Standard Year (SY) is based on no specific orbital period or rotational period. Rather, it is officially based on an average of the orbital periods of several human-inhabited planets, with the 25-hour Standard Day based on a rounded average of broadly sampled human biorhythms. Unofficially, there's 360° to a circle and the math from there is just... easier.
The Colonial Authority Corporate Interests And Espionage Act
Revised 2012.08.29 @ 15:58 ·
A block of corporate-backed legislation that can, under certain specific conditions, extend "enemy of the state" status to persons deemed detrimental to the interests or security of corporations granted Colonial Authority status. The legislation effectively enables Federal peacekeeping forces to arrest, detain or execute any person who commits a crime in Colonial Authority space or against Colonial Authority assets operating outside of Colonial Authority space.
The Veil
Revised 2013.03.18 @ 13:47 ·
The Veil is the common term for the membrane between the Universe and pocket universes. The term is also applied to the space between successive pocket universes which, if they exist, are accessed linearly. Objects in the veil effectively exist in two realities until transitioned to one or the other. Objects in the veil are not visible to either reality, though both realities are visible from the veil. Whichever reality is "closer" is the more sharply defined of the two.
The Waking God Protocols
Revised 2012.09.13 @ 05:31 ·
The Waking God Protocols (full title The Waking God Protocols : Human History & What You Can Do About It) is a Templar operations manual written by Judas Lang. A loosely structured collection of essays, reports, historical findings and diatribes peppered with technical diagrams and DNA sequences, the book claims to reveal the true origins of the human race, details the war the humans fought for independence from the overseers, claims that the extinct alien race will return and lays out a series of methods and means for preparing humanity for the coming war.
