View source for Sarah McKillup's elog

==June 2045==

<b>6.4.2045.</b>
I have taken a job in the [[Experimental Engineering Group]] aboard [[Thaumas I]]. I wish to leave a chronicle of my efforts, so I have created this elog. I will be working on devices designed to give off no electromagnetic emissions, in anticipation of complications such devices could pose in the face of an enemy capable of detecting such emissions better than we are able to conceal them. This will mean a departure from electronic technology, and a return to mechanical design and engineering paradigms. To this end, I have commenced studying clockwork mechanics for the first time in many years.

<b>6.6.2045.</b>
[[Walter Lewis]] has agreed to participate in psychotronic experiments aimed at enhancing his natural abilities. Walter is able to cognitively pull mass through higher dimensions at macroscopic scales. In effect, he is able to move between points in space without taking a path through the lower three dimensions. His ability in no way interacts with the temporal dimension of spacetime thus, while his movement appears instantaneous, it is not. The trip through the fifth and sixth dimensions takes 5.6704 picoseconds. This time never varies, regardless of the distance between his departure and arrival points in observable spacetime. The biochemical trigger for the trip takes an additional 78.664 milliseconds. I do not believe there is a way to speed the trip time, though the biochemical trigger time can be reduced through Yurua-14 enhancements.

Lewis's ability is limited in the total distance he can travel. He cannot jump more than 10 yards through space. If supplemented with Yurua-12, he can jump as much as 500 yards. I believe that with an appropriate psychotronic device, such as a helmet insert or even a neural implant, Lewis will be able to make jumps up to 500 miles if both Yurua-12 and a helmet were used in conjunction. It may also be possible to design larger devices to be housed in Thaumas facilities that would amplify his abilities to the point that he can move a sufficient distance to go between the facilities.

At present, the only method of powering psychotronic prototypes is electronic. I will try to merge micro-clockwork technology with the psychotronic devices to render them undetectable.

<b>6.7.2045.</b>
I have successfully engineered a micro-flywheel prototype from a hyperdense ferromagnetic ceramic composite. The wheel can be suspended in a vacuum chamber with an osmium inner wall lining. I believe that a layer of iron applied externally to the osmium inner wall in an appropriate fashion will prevent any magnetic fields from leaking out of the housing of the vacuum chamber.

<b>6.8.2045.</b>
The micro-flywheel prototype is a success, though there is room for further miniaturization. I have successfully achieved a spinup speed of 0.45c. If I can achieve a spinup speed of 0.8c or greater, then subsequent frictional energy with helium gas should be sufficient to create a fusible plasma. Tiny amounts of helium introduced into the flywheel's vacuum chamber should absorb enough kinetic energy to achieve this. Lead shielding around the vacuum encasement, and ferromagnetic containment and funneling of the energy produced should power all of a vessel's systems. If the design can be micronized significantly, it can be put to use in portable devices.

<b>6.9.2045.</b>
It has come to my attention that several persons who wished to join the volunteer defense forces were unable to pass Halon's cadet entrance swim test. I will henceforth be giving swim lessons at the C-2 recreation pool on deck 11. Beginner classes will be at 7:00 p.m., and intermediate classes will be held at 8:00 p.m. Furthermore, I have created a supplementary VR swim tutor, available at Mediabay 6.

<b>6.10.2045.</b>
Mads Larsen in Machine Shop 2 has proven to be exceptional in both speed and competence. He helped me manufacture a prototype hyperdense lead flywheel storage device. We have dubbed it the superflywheel. An array of wheels will be housed externally to the micro-flywheel vacuum chamber, and will store energy released from fusion nano-bursts. These wheels will, in turn, power all of a vessel's mechanical systems. In effect, it is a mechanical battery. We have begun basic design work on an amphibious submersible. The submersible will be coated with the same sea mineral composite of which the Thaumas stations are built. It will be similarly indistinguishable from the ocean floor when scanned from above the water.

<b>6.12.2045.</b>
Walter Lewis asked me if it would be possible to place a psychotronic device within a medium of spandex, presumably so that it can be woven into a form-fitting suit. I think it can. In fact, I believe psychotronics could ultimately be placed within bioplas, which can itself can be designed to function similarly to spandex. Bioplas, however, is in short supply. The first generation of psychotronics will almost certainly have to be made of aluminum and copper. If we are able to fabricate more bioplas aboard Thaumas I, the next generation of psychotronics can likely comprise a pseudo-neurological form of bioplas.

<b>6.13.2045.</b>
Eight people showed up for the beginner class, and six showed up for the intermediate class. I believe most of the beginners will be able to pass the Halon cadet entrance swim test within a month, and that a few of the intermediate swimmers already have the ability to pass it. Their confidence will be sufficiently boosted to attempt it within a week or two.

<b>6.14.2045.</b>
[[Harold Tran]] has announced a submersion date of 7.5.2045. The Thaumas stations will be submerged and brought to the seafloor, where they will remain indefinitely. Azimuth scientists predicted an arrival date for the extraterrestrials of 8.10.2045 with a three week margin of error. I will attempt to build at least one mechanical amphibious submersible for export to Thaumas II prior to this date. Progress on the MAS has been slower than I had hoped. I have newfound respect for the tradition of Swiss watchmaking. An entirely mechanical powertrain and power storage system for an amphibious vehicle has proven inordinately complicated. I anticipate many sleepless nights ahead.

<b>6.15.2045.</b>
Most people have been spending as much time outdoors as possible. The ensuing period of submersion is intimidating to everyone except the Halon personnel for whom this is not unusual. I have been unable to get outside as much as I would like. Amateur astronomer and former Azimuth solar engineer, Enrique Velasquez, has been hosting observation sessions every night at 9:00 p.m. at the western palm grove on the breakwater. I went tonight, and saw first-hand several of the 32 identified green stars of conquered systems. The farthest is situated some 1,480 lightyears from Earth, indicating these extragalactic conquerers began their incursion in our home galaxy at least as early as the time of the Byzantine Empire. 19 of the identified green stars are solar-type stars. The rest are red dwarves.

When we submerge the station, the entire facility will be sealed. All systems will be powered down to minimal lighting and life support. No wireless communication will be permitted, and all surveillance equipment will be shut down. We believe that no EM emissions will leak out of the station when we are operating at that level.

<b>6.16.2045.</b>
An improvised explosive device detonated in my lab today. It was triggered by a motion sensor, and exploded when I opened a certain cabinet. Luckily, I was unharmed, but my lab was ruined. My work on the MAS has been set back at least a week. The bomber had an EM redirector, and was unable to be identified from any facility recordings; he was effectively invisible to the cameras. Harold Tran has decided to relocate me to a laboratory in an undisclosed location and take me out of the Experimental Engineering Group. I will be working alone again and sending designs through the pneumatubes to mechanics. I do not mind working alone; I did it for years when employed at Azimuth. Ronnie Coleman heard about the incident and insisted that he be allowed to resume his role as my personal bodyguard. He has been serving as a personal firearms safety instructor on board the station since his arrival in March. I agreed. He will return to service by my side.

<b>6.17.2045.</b>
Today I visited the secure medical lab that houses anonymous test subjects 2, 3, and 7. These three have shown the highest potential for radiation tolerance, and have been left to develop the longest. Subject 3 shows similar levels of psionic enhancement as Walter Lewis from initial psychotronic tests. I have no doubt that psychotronic helmet inserts will be ready within two months. All three subjects have responded well to our Dream Teacher program. They will be taught skills necessary for survival outside of the facility. I, too, am learning these skills in my spare time (what little there is). We will likely be the only people on board who are able to survive exposure to the expected radiation levels following the assault described in the alien transmission.

<b>6.18.2045.</b>
I have set up in my new laboratory. It is considerably more spacious than my previous lab at the EEG. I have been asked not to give anymore specifics about the laboratory so as to keep its location secret. I spent the day organizing and stocking the lab. It is clear to me now that the bombing two days ago has made it impossible for me to finish a working MAS prior to the submersion date. As such, Thaumas I will be the only facility with a useable vehicle, until I am able to convey workable designs to the other stations, or until I can build and transport another one to them. For now, I will just focus on the prototype. It will give us a small amount of mobility and may give us a chance at defending ourselves against destruction.

I have begun plans for more vehicles and devices using micro-flywheel vacuum technology. I anticipate a frozen ecosphere, so vehicles capable of movement through ice and snow will be needed, as will flying vehicles. I did not think 10 years ago that I would become a designer of experimental mechanical devices and vehicles at any point in my life. But, I have to admit the work is fun.

<b>6.19.2045.</b>
The buzz going around the station today has been all about the attack on Thaumas II this morning. A fleet of assorted military and civilian vessels made its way into the waters of the Maldives. The resident Halon forces on board Thaumas II beat back the attack. The hovertanks proved themselves in battle, as they successfully swarmed from the supercarrier's VTOL ports. Footage captured of the battle showed a very one-sided victory, though a few Halon vessels were lost. No hovertanks were downed, and the supercarrier sustained no damage. Fortunately, the attackers had no nuclear weapons or weapons of mass destruction. All accounts indicate that they were East African and Middle-Eastern refugees, hoping to get their children aboard Thaumas II. Unfortunately, the station is already at maximum capacity. I wish we had been able to build the stations faster and with greater capacity, but I feel like we did our best. 400,000 survivors is better than 0 survivors, and these stations are certainly our best hope.

Military department heads at each station announced that any further incursions into Thaumas water will be met with deadly force, that no one will be spared. I believe they mean it. This incident makes me glad that we were able to maintain such operational secrecy on the Thaumas Program from its inception on. Had the general public known the true nature of the stations and the real reason for their construction, it is certain these attacks would have started much earlier.

<b>6.20.2045.</b>
Today Walter Lewis managed a 100 yard jump. The prototype insert is still bulky and looks a bit like something a planet-eating comic book supervillain would wear, but at least it works. Needless to say, the aesthetics of the device are not in keeping with Lewis's preferences. I will continue to tweak it to get more of a boost out of it, and to make it into something actually wearable with modern military combat defenses.

<b>6.21.2045.</b>
I have begun memorizing maps of the Pacific Ocean floor and ocean current patterns. There is obviously a tremendous amount of data to commit to memory, but I believe that my efforts and nightly Dream Teacher sessions will make it possible. The submersible will have no navigation equipment and no GPS. It will have a compass, a mechanical odometer, and a mechanical tachometer. That's it. I will need physical maps and my memory to navigate the open ocean. Some of our climatologists believe that the Pacific Ocean currents will be altered in the event of a nuclear winter, though they are not in agreement as to how much or when. I will learn what I can nonetheless.

<b>6.22.2045.</b>
A saboteur was caught attempting to destroy one of the Infinite Echo's coolant pipes today. He had come on board with forged Datalite certifications, and had assumed a real Datalite employee's identity. He had access to all computing areas. Infinite Echo foiled the attack through algorithmic analysis of his behavior and computer use patterns. It predicted the time and place of the attack and dispatched security personnel to the location. The saboteur was apprehended and placed in the custody of the Defense Department. His identity has not been released. He is apparently a member of a group known as [[Final Days]], a cult that believes that Earth's destruction is preordained and cannot be prevented. I hope there are not more like him on board the station. I do not think we should give up hope for our survival yet.

<b>6.23.2045.</b>
Jessica Tran has sent a facility-wide communique informing us that the final day for any interstation personnel or supply changes will be 7.1.2045. The last group of people to depart from or arrive at Thaumas I will make their journey on that day. Unfortunately, a MAS will not be among the last shipment from the station. The surgeon, [[Marcus Dunne]], will be one of the last to leave. He was formerly known as subject 1 in the anonymous test subject program. I met with Dr. Dunne one last time to confirm that his radiation tolerance had reached its maximum threshold and, unfortunately, it has. His field experience as a combat surgeon would have been invaluable. Fortunately, anonymous test subject 7 also has medical training. Additionally, Thaumas I, III, and IV, have agreed to send supplies to Thaumas II to assist in its recovery from the 6.19.2045 attacks.

<b>6.24.2045.</b>
Candela Initiative 17 was passed by the Thaumas Citizens Concil. It states that, upon submersion, all Infinite Echo logs will be made public to all persons aboard the Thaumas stations. No secrets will be stored on any device on board Thaumas, and all Citizens Council and Command Council minutes will be made public. Three exceptions were carved out at the Command Council's request. When I started this elog, it was for a few close friends and associates. Now it will be for everyone to see. Most people will probably find it boring, but I feel like, even though Candela is clearly anti-corporatist and maybe even a socialist, that this policy will not be hard to abide (but I am not one of the people spending too much time in the Mediabays' VR suites). The irony, of course, is that corporatist organization will have saved those few of us who survive. But, that is a discussion for a time in the distant future, should we be lucky enough to live that long. I will not bother to delete any of this. Infinite Echo will store a copy, and the logs of the deletion will be public anyway.

<b>6.25.2045.</b>
Today Walter Lewis achieved a jump of 500 yards while wearing the psychotronic headpiece and under the effects of a dose of Yurua-12. The psychotronic device works! I believe it is operating at maximum capacity. The size and shape still need to be adjusted. Several more devices will need to be crafted for the remaining anonymous test subjects on board various Thaumas stations. The next step is to create a closet-sized enclosure capable of boosting his jump distance to Thaumas II or IV. Given his ability, Walter Lewis may be able to survive short trips outside of the stations in a radiation suit.

<b>6.26.2045.</b>
Every piece of news from the outside world is bad news. War, strife, famine, disease, fear, and violence come to plague civilization everywhere. The elite have been held accountable, their houses burned and their lives forfeit. Angry mobs roam the streets of major cities the world around. A bomb leveled the Vatican early this morning, inciting riots throughout metropolitan Rome. All commercial air traffic has been halted. Public transportation has also ground to a halt. Images of interstates from traffic drones show miles of gridlock and stopped traffic issuing out from the world's cities. Looting and rioting has been the norm. Even in the countryside, people have taken up arms against outsiders. People in rural towns have barricaded their borders and opened fire on refugees.

The loudest voices are the zealots. Religious fervor has taken hold in the hearts of people everywhere. People have turned to old ways, and some have created new ways. Final Days, a trans-Christian cult has grown in popularity. It is devoted to ensuring that the Earth's destruction happens. They have targeted defense facilities and personnel in their attacks, and have slipped sleeper cells into every imaginable corner of society. Having learned more about them since my laboratory was bombed, I have no doubt there are more on board our own station. They believe that the apocalypse is upon us, and that any effort to stop it is a sin, to be met with deadly force. They believe that God has judged us, and that the righteous shall live on eternally after death.

Survivalists and others like them have undertaken efforts to survive a nuclear attack. They have been building and stocking extensive subterranean bunkers across all continents, though most heavily in North America. If they have done their homework, they may well survive. But, to what end?

<b>6.27.2045.</b>
Walter Lewis is persistent! He came to me with designs he had sketched up for a psychotronic bioplas suit. The suit has large compound eyes and silver webs running across its surface. I don't understand his obsession with looking this way when he engages in long-range hyperdimensional transport, but I will try to accommodate him. If nothing else, I admire his enthusiasm. He confided in me that he believes that "people like us" are the only hope. That "with our great power comes great responsibility." I know what he means, but I think everyone is going to have to pitch in. We are faced with a problem unlike any in human history, and our time is running out.

<b>6.28.2045.</b>
Anonymous test subject 3 somehow communicated with Infinite Echo through his synaptic connection with the Dream Teacher. Infinite Echo was instructed to place an order for 12,000 cartons of cigarettes. Thaumas I was temporarily powered down to minimal life support and lighting while Infinite Echo assigned <i>all</i> of its processing power for two minutes to decipher and decide upon the instruction. Infinite Echo ultimately decided that 12 tobacco plants be added to hydroponic garden G-13, a garden for medicinals.

<b>6.29.2045.</b>
Improvements to the micro-flywheel have allowed us to attain a rotational velocity of 0.65c. Spin-up power needs are tremendous, so it is likely we will not be able to recharge the micro-flywheels after the station is submerged. Once a speed of 0.8c is achieved, I will have several wheels made and powered up in their vacuum chambers. The wheels will lose approximately 0.0001% of their energy per day. Total spin-down will occur in 274 years, though a wheel will only be able to power an MAS at 76% capacity or higher.

<b>6.30.2045.</b>
The facility survived a tsunami generated by a magnitude 9.2 earthquake 190 miles off the coast of Chile. The breakwater successfully prevented structural damage and to the interior of the facility. Flooding was also minimized. The efficiency of the algal pools was reduced but production will still exceed storage limits. The tsunami did massive damage to [[Polynesian Confederation]]. The death toll in the Polynesian Confederation is estimated to be in excess of 35,000, a small number in comparison to the deaths that have resulted from the chaos consuming the globe.

==July 2045==

<b>7.1.2045.</b>
Thaumas I was hectic today. Several hundred people relocated to the other Thaumas stations, and several hundred others relocated to Thaumas I from the other stations. The last shipment of supplies between the stations also occurred today, as per Jessica Tran's communique. I am disappointed that Mads Larsen was transferred to Thaumas II, but it could ultimately be for the best. He will be able to understand instructions for building MAS vehicles as well as other mechanical devices without me guiding him closely. His familiarity with the project will be helpful at distributing this technology to the other stations.

Harold Tran worked in my lab today on the exterior surface of the MAS. He has begun a saltwater accretion process on an electrically charged aluminum frame. No one knows this process better than he does. Under this will be a titanium skeleton and laminated nanocomposite and ceramic armor. The submersible will be able to travel to depths of 22,000 feet, and will offer some degree of radiation protection, thanks largely to the sea-mineral exterior. It will also be able to withstand plasma weaponry, which the alien message indicates is a component of the arsenal of the invaders.

<b>7.2.2045.</b>
Another attempt was made on Thaumas II by a small fleet of vessels from Eastern Africa. One powerboat managed to make it past the Halon defense vessels. Its occupants got out and immediately surrendered. They are attempting to gain representation so as to be allowed to remain on board in the brig to await justice. Thaumas II's leadership is torn between sending them away immediately or allowing them to remain in captivity. The captives have stated in interviews that they would rather die than be sent back out to sea to await the impending calamity.

<b>7.3.2045.</b>
All residents of Thaumas I were required to take a VR submersion preparedness class today. In it, we were exposed to the conditions that we will face after submersion when we are operating at minimal capacity. Additionally, I was summoned by the defense council to test the station's shield generators. The generators cannot be used for long when the station is submerged, as the power requirements are too high, but the shields will need to be ready immediately upon resurfacing. One of my last projects at Azimuth was the production of the four shield generators for the Thaumas stations. They are able to repel any non-nuclear weaponry of which we are in possession. Their production took me years of work, and cost Azimuth some $381 billion to make.

The shield generators were in perfect working order. The stations must be at full power production capability to use them; they would drain the batteries in 10.39 minutes, the same amount of power that could sustain the station for 30 years with 100,000 occupants. When the station resurfaces, fusion energy production can resume. Solar power may or may not provide worthwhile gains, depending on how bad the nuclear winter is. OTEC energy production may likewise be impaired, depending on how different oceanic thermodynamics at that time.

<b>7.4.2045.</b>
Ronnie found a suspicious person lurking in the residential corridors near my apartment this afternoon. He followed the individual into Mess D-1, where the man dashed into the kitchen. Ronnie gave chase, but the man had exited from the kitchen and disappeared down a service corridor. Whoever the man was, he had some knowledge of Thaumas I's electrical systems, as a resident reported having seen him earlier in the day doing something to an open utility wall panel. The resident did not know exactly what he was doing, but assumed he was there for repairs. Infinite Echo had scheduled no such repairs, and there was no known legitimate reason for the man to be meddling with that panel. Harold Tran dispatched engineers to investigate the scene. It is unlikely the man will be apprehended prior to the submersion tomorrow. All cameras on board Thaumas I will be powered down, so it is expected he will be difficult to find.

The final session hosted by Enrique Velasquez was tonight. We spent time observing famous sights in the summer sky, most notably the endless sea of stars in the central Milky Way. It reminded me that we have a long way to go before we are truly ready for the countless mysteries and challenges that lie out there, waiting.

<b>7.5.2045.</b>
Today was our final day on the ocean's surface. Nearly all the residents of the station gathered on the western breakwater beach, where we watched what may have been our last sunset. It was at once unifying and humbling, and I think it is something we all felt. My ancestors watched the sunset tens of thousands of years ago. Perhaps my descendants will, too, if we are lucky.

The submersion process began two hours after sunset. The entire facility was sealed, and was slowly pulled beneath the surface by six winches. It will take the station approximately 18 hours to reach the seafloor. Halon vessels have been docked in the interior of the station, along the lowest decks, and Halon personnel have moved into barracks in the areas adjacent to the internal docks. The submersion process was all but flawless. All seals held fast, and the station is now as protected from radiation as anywhere on Earth. I just hope it will be sufficient. We can expect that the attackers will be using weaponry far more powerful than anything we have available to us.

<b>7.6.2045.</b>
There is a somber and solemn tone on the station now. This is probably as much a result of the low lighting as anything else. I have tried not to let this affect me. I went to my lab as usual and put the finishing touches on the power train for the MAS. It looks like everything is in working order for the MAS, though I can find no way around having to manually crank the helium compressor prior to operation. The design of the vehicle is now largely complete, but assembly will take some time. Also, materials have been a problem. I want the entire MAS to run as quietly as possible. There is no electronic whirring, and no combustion rumbling, but the gears still clink softly. I have tasked the EEG with investigating some ceramic composites to find those with the best sound-dampening properties.

<b>7.7.2045.</b>
Walter Lewis came by the lab today. I had a new psionic amplification headpiece prototype for him to try. The shape now resembles a skullcap or yarmulka. Initial tests were positive. Lewis wishes to discuss further ideas following our tests, but I made him leave. I don't know if I will even be able to get around to the construction of the psychoportation enhancement booths, let alone a bevy of other ideas borne of the Silver Age of comics. Time is not on our side in all of this. On that subject, I should point out that all of my experiments over the years on a temporal manipulation engine failed.

<b7.8.2045.</b>
I saw security drone footage from residential Marin County. Rioters amassed in my old neighborhood and laid waste to many of the homes, including mine. Sol Timore was apparently the primary target of these people. They destroyed the main residence, firebombed the lab, and tore sections of the wall down. They vandalized the grounds, uprooting trees and shattering photovoltaics (some of the most advanced in the world, I might add). I was saddened to see my old home subjected to such wanton acts, but I suppose it was inevitable that someone or something was going to level it sooner or later. Fortunately, some key areas of the grounds remain undiscovered. My old workstation backup's subterranean housing, for instance, was not found. It is ruggedized and has about 38% chance of withstanding a nuclear bombardment as described in the alien transmission. There is a lot of accumulated knowledge on that device, not all of which had been transferred to Azimuth HQ and then to Thaumas I before I had to evacuate.

Seeing this attack on my home made me nostalgic. I watched footage of the old MTV Cribs episode where it was featured. It's hard to believe that was 8 years ago. Time has marched mercilessly ahead since then. At least I can say that I don't look any older. Hah! It will be a shame if all of humankind's knowledge garnered in the quest for eternal youth is lost. The future of that is something worth fighting for.

[[Category: GURPS Azimuth]]