Difference between revisions of "Sentinel"
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With what we found on board, we were able to rediscover techniques for building larger and larger space vessels, eventually developing the first interplanetary spacecraft and even eventually regaining the ability to build primitive Spike Drives. The facilities on Sentinel have served the Navy well both in the roles of logistics and command and control, as well as the large habitable volumes being used for training and familiarization of many of the initial navy recruits. With dozens of new stations now orbiting Bifrost and multiple large habitats spread through the solar system, it is considered a great honor for an academy cadet to be selected for one of the classes on Sentinel. In particular, there is a great amount of competition to be one of the lucky few classes assigned to Sentinel during the annual academy graduation ceremony. | With what we found on board, we were able to rediscover techniques for building larger and larger space vessels, eventually developing the first interplanetary spacecraft and even eventually regaining the ability to build primitive Spike Drives. The facilities on Sentinel have served the Navy well both in the roles of logistics and command and control, as well as the large habitable volumes being used for training and familiarization of many of the initial navy recruits. With dozens of new stations now orbiting Bifrost and multiple large habitats spread through the solar system, it is considered a great honor for an academy cadet to be selected for one of the classes on Sentinel. In particular, there is a great amount of competition to be one of the lucky few classes assigned to Sentinel during the annual academy graduation ceremony. | ||
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| + | === Starship === | ||
| + | |||
| + | In the largest docking bay was the *Nika*, a starship from before the scream, carefully preserved by whoever left it there. As though it were a reward for us reclaiming our place in the skies. She was not functional: her power plants were long depleted by centuries in mothballs. The spike drive, a technology completely beyond us, was completely out of tune. She could not serve us as a ship again, but as a storehouse of knowledge she was invaluable. Her databanks were still intact, and accessible (albeit slowly) without trained psychics. Her spike drive was nonfunctional but perfectly preserved, giving us an actual example to study while rebuilding our proficiency. Having the Nika to study is estimated to have saved us thirty years in spike drive development time. | ||
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| + | Study of the Nika and her systems continue today. | ||
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| + | === The Creche === | ||
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| + | The most surprising find on Sentinel, however, was not the Nika. In the very center of the asteroid, in an incredibly well shielded and secured room, was The Creche: An advanced production line for the assembly of robotic bodies as well as a large repository of control modules to install into them. The technology base of the creche does not quite match our ancestors, but seems to be a fusion of their tech with something similar to the systems that make up The Angels. There is no record of this we have discovered, and no stories in our folklore that seem refer to it, but it was there. And it had been used, as half the storage receptacles for control modules were empty when the Creche was discovered. | ||
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| + | After a few years of experimentation (and significant debate), a team of scientists assigned to Sentinel were able to successfully make use of the Creche to assemble and activate a robot. The resulting robot was sentient and self aware, but lacked any memories from before the moment of its "birth". The robot was nicknamed Adam, and spent a little over five years being studied and taught by the scientists stationed on Sentinel. Adam was found to have a level of intelligence essentially equivalent to a human, with the capability to feel emotions and to learn moral and ethical systems, and an inherent sense of self-preservation. With all of this in mind, once the lead scientist delivered her report on Adam to the Senate she requested that he be recognized as a person and be given full rights as any natural born citizen. | ||
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| + | The resulting debate dragged on for weeks, but when a quorum was finally called, the Senate voted to grant Adam the rights of a human citizen of Bifrost. They further voted to fund the "awakening" of more of the control modules stored in the Creche, with the resulting robots being granted their citizenship after a period of observation and instruction to ensure they will be able to assimilate into society. To further this effort, the Creche was carefully disassembled and moved to the surface of Bifrost, so that more facilities could be made available to support it. Ever since, five to ten new robotic citizens have awakened each year. | ||
| + | |||
| + | The robots do face some suspicion or even outright discrimination from a small percentage of the population, but in general they have been welcomed by society at large as minor celebrities. They have proven useful in several fields, with robot researchers, miners, and even farmers serving to demonstrate their flexibility and capabilities. But no other career path has captured the hearts of the public like those robots who choose to join the Navy. | ||
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| + | In addition to the esteem of dedicating yourself to a life of service, having a non-organic body has distinct advantages in space travel. Robots do not require a pressure suit. They do not consume the limited resources on ships. They can handle hostile environments created by shipboard emergencies in ways their organic crewmates could never dream. As such, Robot discrimination is unheard of in the Navy. | ||
Latest revision as of 02:17, 17 May 2021
Sentinel
The legends told us that Sentinel, the guardian star that crossed the heavens every night, stood vigil between us and the Angels. It protected us from the darkness beyond. There was surprising truth in those tales...
Sentinel is an asteroid, honeycombed with tunnels and large openings for landing bays and docks for starships. It was moved into orbit of Bifrost by our ancestors, and serves as the largest "artificial" moon of our planet. It was the first goal of our early spaceships once we convinced the Angels to let us fly above the atmosphere once again. Once there, we found a treasure trove: it was a storehouse of long forgotten knowledge, useful technology, and an entire starship in good (if unusable) condition. For six hundred years, Sentinel had been silently guarding our people from a very specific darkness: the loss of knowledge.
With what we found on board, we were able to rediscover techniques for building larger and larger space vessels, eventually developing the first interplanetary spacecraft and even eventually regaining the ability to build primitive Spike Drives. The facilities on Sentinel have served the Navy well both in the roles of logistics and command and control, as well as the large habitable volumes being used for training and familiarization of many of the initial navy recruits. With dozens of new stations now orbiting Bifrost and multiple large habitats spread through the solar system, it is considered a great honor for an academy cadet to be selected for one of the classes on Sentinel. In particular, there is a great amount of competition to be one of the lucky few classes assigned to Sentinel during the annual academy graduation ceremony.
Starship
In the largest docking bay was the *Nika*, a starship from before the scream, carefully preserved by whoever left it there. As though it were a reward for us reclaiming our place in the skies. She was not functional: her power plants were long depleted by centuries in mothballs. The spike drive, a technology completely beyond us, was completely out of tune. She could not serve us as a ship again, but as a storehouse of knowledge she was invaluable. Her databanks were still intact, and accessible (albeit slowly) without trained psychics. Her spike drive was nonfunctional but perfectly preserved, giving us an actual example to study while rebuilding our proficiency. Having the Nika to study is estimated to have saved us thirty years in spike drive development time.
Study of the Nika and her systems continue today.
The Creche
The most surprising find on Sentinel, however, was not the Nika. In the very center of the asteroid, in an incredibly well shielded and secured room, was The Creche: An advanced production line for the assembly of robotic bodies as well as a large repository of control modules to install into them. The technology base of the creche does not quite match our ancestors, but seems to be a fusion of their tech with something similar to the systems that make up The Angels. There is no record of this we have discovered, and no stories in our folklore that seem refer to it, but it was there. And it had been used, as half the storage receptacles for control modules were empty when the Creche was discovered.
After a few years of experimentation (and significant debate), a team of scientists assigned to Sentinel were able to successfully make use of the Creche to assemble and activate a robot. The resulting robot was sentient and self aware, but lacked any memories from before the moment of its "birth". The robot was nicknamed Adam, and spent a little over five years being studied and taught by the scientists stationed on Sentinel. Adam was found to have a level of intelligence essentially equivalent to a human, with the capability to feel emotions and to learn moral and ethical systems, and an inherent sense of self-preservation. With all of this in mind, once the lead scientist delivered her report on Adam to the Senate she requested that he be recognized as a person and be given full rights as any natural born citizen.
The resulting debate dragged on for weeks, but when a quorum was finally called, the Senate voted to grant Adam the rights of a human citizen of Bifrost. They further voted to fund the "awakening" of more of the control modules stored in the Creche, with the resulting robots being granted their citizenship after a period of observation and instruction to ensure they will be able to assimilate into society. To further this effort, the Creche was carefully disassembled and moved to the surface of Bifrost, so that more facilities could be made available to support it. Ever since, five to ten new robotic citizens have awakened each year.
The robots do face some suspicion or even outright discrimination from a small percentage of the population, but in general they have been welcomed by society at large as minor celebrities. They have proven useful in several fields, with robot researchers, miners, and even farmers serving to demonstrate their flexibility and capabilities. But no other career path has captured the hearts of the public like those robots who choose to join the Navy.
In addition to the esteem of dedicating yourself to a life of service, having a non-organic body has distinct advantages in space travel. Robots do not require a pressure suit. They do not consume the limited resources on ships. They can handle hostile environments created by shipboard emergencies in ways their organic crewmates could never dream. As such, Robot discrimination is unheard of in the Navy.
