The Dying Light

by Sean Williams

  “At the very heart of this chaotic mental realm, however, lies the most peculiar thing of all: a bottomless pit, drawing everything toward it as a whirlpool or black hole draws ordinary matter to a single point. This, the one flaw in the multifaceted gem that is group-mind of the Olmahoi Caste, is the irikeii, which literally means ‘the unnamed’ or ‘the unnameable,’ one of the few thought-shapes in the Olmahoi ‘language’ that has a vocal analogue. Little is known about the purpose or origins of the irikeii, but we do know this: that it is not an artifact, nor a spontaneous natural phenomenon, but is, in fact, a living entity.

  “One is born every generation: an otherwise normal Olmahoi whose mind is not so much a peak as an abyss, sucking thoughts in, swamping the Grand Design for a vast area around—counterbalancing, perhaps, the tremendous complexity that is the Olmahoi world of thought. This one is shunned but not reviled; the Olmahoi understand the irikeii’s role in their world, strange as it seems to us. Whenever that one is removed, as he must always be eventually, by natural death if not by accident,12 another is immediately born to take his place. And thus the cycle continues, as it has for countless generations.

  “So, even at the center of the Olmahoi Caste, where one might have expected utter chaos, one actually finds another example of the universe’s natural tendency toward balance, symmetry, and cycles—proving, perhaps, that, despite the many and varied efforts of every Caste in the galaxy, the greatest beauty of all is still to be found in nature.”

  NOTES:

  1) Not to be confused with the Olmahi Republic, and independent government of the Nezhina Caste.

  2) Often referred to by researchers as the Grand Design.

  3) Not for nothing are Olmahoi retribution units (grayboots) the most admired—and feared—fighting force in the Outer Arms, thereby disproving the usual association between pacifism and epsense ability.

  4) He is the usual pronoun used when referring to an Olmahoi individual and covers both “sexes”: reproductive function, whish is changeable at will, plays little part in an Olmahoi’s sense of identity.

  5) As propounded by Professors Dubsky and Toma of the Cornilleau University of Antiquities.

  6) Itself a Low Human developed from mundane in the distant past.

  7) Predominantly in the form of cranial fossils, ruins, and the like.

  8) As championed by Professor Linegar Rufo of the independent research facility Galine Four.

  9) Olmahoi are notoriously difficult to tell apart.

  10) Analogous to a signal-to-noise ratio.

  11) Or perhaps, say the Kesh researchers in this field, they simply choose not to reveal themselves.

  12) No Olmahoi in his right mind would dare murder the current irikeii; the penalty for committing such a crime is the most severe allowed under Olmahoi Law.

  GLOSSARY

  A-P cannon—a weapon that fires accelerated particles of various types. Common on spacefaring warships.

  Adamek, R. Pyatt—author of The Olmahoi: Reconstructing the Myth for Beginners, published in ‘595 EN.

  Alik—an outrigger belonging to Long Span spine.

  all-suits—the generic term for the highly individualized environment suits worn by outriggers.

  Ana Vereine, DBMP—the first of a new class of warships—the Marauder—manufactured by the Dato Bloc as part of the Andermahr Experiment. Its design incorporates a captain surgically interfaced with the ship. Once part of the Ethnarch’s Military Presidium, it is now an independent vessel registered to Morgan Roche.

  anchor drive—the usual means of crossing interstellar space, but by no means the only one (see slow-jump). Indeed, the anchor method has undergone several radical redesigns over time; current technology is rated at 49th-generation.

  anchor points—regions of “weakened” space from which translation to and from hyperspace is both easier and less energy-expensive; jumps from anchor points are therefore of a greater range than from “normal” space and usually terminate in another anchor point. They are typically located near inhabited systems (but far enough away to avoid distortion by background gravitational effects) or in locations in deep space that are considered strategically important. There are approximately ten thousand million anchor points currently in existence—one for roughly every ten stars, scattered across the galaxy.

  Andermahr Experiment—a covert project specializing in cybernetic interfaces designed to allow mind and machine to merge. Founded by Ataman Ana Vereine, who desired captains that were as much a part of their ships as was the anchor drive—an integral, reliable system rather than a flesh and blood afterthought. Continued in secret until the Ataman Theocracy emerged from the COE as the Dato Bloc. Culminated in the DBMP Ana Vereine, the first Marauder-class warship, with Uri Kajic its captain.

  Armada—see COE Armada.

  Aro—the largest moon of Jagabis and site of Emptage City; also the largest solid world of Palasian System. (Relative mass: 0.000271 [1.6 Cartha’s Planet]; distance: 1 million km; max. surface temperature: –140 degrees C; diameter: 5500 km.)

  Ascensio—the homeworld of Morgan Roche.

  Asha—the single, warlike deity of the main Kesh religion.

  Asha’s Gauntlet—see Solar Envelope.

  Ataman Theocracy—a tightly knit empire that existed as an independent entity until its absorption into the COE after the Second Ataman War in ‘442 EN. After several centuries, it eventually seceded as the Dato Bloc (‘837 EN).

  Autoville—the vernacular name for the innermost dark body halo of Palasian System, so-called because of the prowlers that dominate it. (Radius: 2.4–4.0 PAU; largest mean diameter: 2400 km.)

  AVS-44—one of the Ana Vereine’s large contingent of scutters.

  B’kan’s Folly—the remains of the system in which a Solar Envelope was first employed.

  B’shan, Lieutenant-Doctor Haden—a Kesh officer/scientist, serving with Linegar Rufo on Galine Four; subordinate to Field Officer Shak’ni.

  Baeris Osh—a Surin territory.

  Bassett—commander, COEA Golden Dawn.

  Batelin Limit—the ceiling above which the complexity of a nation exceeds the biological capabilities of the individuals inhabiting it. In the case of the Pristine Caste, the value of the Batelin Limit is approximately three and half thousand systems.

  Black Box—the generic term for AI. Usually abbreviated to “Box.”

  Bodh Gaya—the capital system of the COE. Its second moon houses the Military College of the COE Armada.

  Box, the—an AI commissioned by COE Intelligence. Its binary identification number (JW111101000) is one digit longer than normal, indicating its unique status. Created by the High Human known as the Crescend, the Box is designed to infiltrate and subvert all available systems, thereby increasing its own processing powers until, at its most powerful, it resembles its creator.

  Byrne, Auditor—the leader of the outrigger clan associated with Long Span spine.

  Calendar—The galactic standard timekeeping method consists of: 100 seconds per minute, 100 minutes per hour, 20 hours per day, 10 days per week, 4 weeks (40 days) per month, 10 months (400 days) per year. All dates are expressed in the form of Year (usually abbreviated to the last three digits, ie ‘397), Month, and Day from the Ex Nihilo reference point. See also Objective Reference Calendar.

  Cane, Adoni—the occupant of an unidentified life-support capsule recovered by the COEA Midnight near Ivy Green Station anchor point while en route to Sciacca’s World. A genetically modified combat clone designed to mimic a Pristine Human, his origins may lie with the Sol Apotheosis Movement, although that theory is yet to be confirmed.

  Cartha’s Planet—the rocky, innermost world of Palasian System. (Mean distance: 0.16 PAU; diameter: 3600 km; relative mass: 0.000169; specific gravity: 5.3; mean surface temperature: 425 degrees C.)

  Caste C—third of several unknown Castes mentioned in the ancient Gil-Shh’ana Fiche. See Primordial Castes.

  Castes—Following the speciation of the Human
race, numerous Castes have proliferated across the galaxy. These Castes are too numerous to list, but they can be classified into three broad groups: High, Low, and mundane (which includes Pristine and Exotic). There are seven predominant Exotic Castes to be found in the region surrounding the COE: Eckandar, Hurn, Kesh, Mbata, Olmahoi, and Surin.

  Cemenid—the fourth and largest planet of Palasian System; a gas giant with thirteen major satellites. (Mean distance: 2.24 PAU; diameter: 183200 km; relative mass: 1.33.)

  chaos-lock—a security device employing the chaotic electrical output of two identical circuits to conceal ordered data: when the two “tuned” circuits are linked, the data can be extracted from the signal; otherwise, the signal is concealed within unpredictable noise, and is impossible to decode.

  COE—see Commonwealth of Empires.

  COE Armada, the—the combined armed forces of the COE, responsible for external security. Active soldiers are referred to as Marines.

  COE Intelligence—the body responsible for information gathering outside the COE. Originally and still nominally a subdepartment of the Armada, but an independent body in practice.

  COE Intelligence HQ—the command center of COE Intelligence, a large, independent station located in deep space near the heart of the Commonwealth.

  COE Military College—the main training institution of COE Armada personnel; situated on the second moon of Bodh Gaya.

  COEI—COE Intelligence vessel identification prefix.

  Commerce Artel—a galaxy-wide organization devoted to initiating and coordinating trade between Castes and governments that might otherwise have no contact. It prides itself on remaining aloof from political conflict yet has some strict behavioral standards to which it expects its customers to adhere (such as the Warfare Protocol). Structurally, it is divided into chapters managed by indigenous Caste members with only loose control from above. It has strong links, locally, with the Eckandar Trade Axis.

  Commonwealth of Empires—often abbreviated to “COE” or “Commonwealth.” A relatively ancient Pristine nation currently in its 40th millennium of nominal existence—”nominal” in that the membership of the COE is fluid by nature, with provinces joining and seceding on a regular basis. It has had many different capitals and its borders have changed radically over the centuries. Indeed, it has drifted with time, and now occupies territories quite remote from its original location. One thousand inhabited systems currently fall under its aegis, and another three thousand uninhabited systems have been annexed. It is ruled by a democratically elected Eupatrid and a council of representatives who, when united, wield supreme executive power. Its security departments include Intelligence, Armada, and Enforcement.

  Congreve Station—the abandoned xenoarchaeological base built upon Mok, the moon shared by Kukumat and Murukan.

  Cornilleau University of Antiquities—one of the many centers of study in the galaxy devoted to the exploration of Humanity’s past.

  Crescend, the—a High Human of some note and great history. His time of Transcendence is not recorded. Little is known about him, beyond the facts that he is the founder and overseer of Trinity, an ally of the COE and a key supporter of the Interventionist Movement. He is assumed to be a singular entity simply because the (male) first person singular is his pronoun of choice.

  Dahish—a mildly alcoholic drink found in most places in the COE.

  dark bodies—small, solid bodies found in most planetary systems (usually in belts, or dark-body halos) falling in size roughly between asteroids and planets.

  Darkan, General—a senior officer of the Kesh N’Kor Republic and commander in chief of the destroyer SRF Sebettu.

  Dato Bloc—an independent nation founded on the ruins of the Ataman Theocracy that recently broke free of the COE. Although not hierocratic in nature, the Ethnarch exerts a strict rule. Its security departments include the Ethnarch’s Military Presidium and the Espionage Corps.

  Daybreak, COEI—a courier vessel belonging to COE Intelligence.

  DBMF—vessel identification prefix for the Ethnarch’s Military Presidium.

  De Bruyn, Page—head of Strategy, COE Intelligence.

  Dictatrix—supreme leader of the Kesh N’Kor Republic.

  Diprodek-2—a potent neurotoxin most effective against Pristines.

  Dirt & Other Commodities, Inc. (DAOC)—a mining consortium that currently owns the rights to the Soul of Sciacca’s World. Its jurisdiction includes the planetary surface down to and including the mantle. In exchange for these exclusive rights, DAOC Inc. maintains the COE’s penal colony based in Port Parvati and the Hutton-Luu System’s only major base, Kanaga Station.

  Disisto, Gered—dock security chief, Galine Four.

  disrupters—see hyperspace disrupters.

  Dominion, the—a long-lived multi-Caste nation which joined the COE in ‘199 EN in order to fend off the Ataman Theocracy.

  Drish’en—a burrowing animal found on Hek’m.

  Dro, Sh’manit—the Sixteenth and last G’rodo Matriarch.

  druh—a Kesh weapon used in armed combat; typically a curved, bronze sword about as long as the average Pristine forearm.

  Dubsky, Professor—a scholar based at the Cornilleau University of Antiquities.

  E-shield—an electromagnetic barrier designed to ward off particle and energy weapons. Used mainly by medium-to-large spacefaring vessels.

  Eckandar—(Eckandi: adj. & sing. n.)—a Caste flourishing in the regions surrounding the COE. Its members are typified by their slight size, gray skin, bald scalps, and unusual eyes. They are a gregarious Caste, preferring trade and communication over conquest. They are also well-advanced in genetic science. Their past stretches back beyond that of the COE, although they lack the continuity of history that strong nationhood often provides. Their sole uniting body is the Eckandar Trade Axis.

  Eckandar Trade Axis—the main society of the Eckandi Caste, devoted, much like the Commerce Artel (with which it has close ties), to facilitating free and nondiscriminatory trade with and between the COE and its neighbors.

  Eli—an outrigger belonging to Long Span spine.

  Emptage City—the main base of Palasian System; situated on Aro, the largest moon of Jagabis. (Population approximately 350,000.)

  EN—see Ex Nihilo.

  epsense—an ability encompassing telepathy and empathy. The ritual training of epsense adepts generally takes decades and incorporates elements of sensory deprivation. Note: telekinesis and precognition are not covered by epsense and are assumed to be nonexistent. Skilled utilizers of epsense are referred to as epsense adepts, or reaves.

  Espionage Corps—see Dato Bloc.

  Ethnarch—the title of the leader of the Dato Bloc.

  Ethnarch’s Military Presidium—see Dato Bloc.

  Eupatrid—the title of the chief executive officer of the COE.

  Ex Nihilo—refers to the date upon which the COE is believed to have been founded. Evidence exists to cast doubt upon the accuracy or relevance of this date—notably the fact the Commonwealth as a single body did not exist at all between the 13th and 15th Millennia— but the date remains as a reference point. Usually abbreviated to EN.

  Exotic—any mundane Caste that differs physiologically from the Pristine. There are a vast number of Exotic Castes, and, although no one type of Exotic comes close to outnumbering Pristine Humans, the Exotics as a whole mass far greater than Pristines alone.

  Far Reaches—the name of the outermost fringes of the Outer Arms.

  Ferozac—a neurotoxin effective against Pristines.

  flicker-bombs—devices used in space warfare to attack an enemy vessel. Employing the fact that small masses (under a few kilograms) can slow-jump a small distance within a gravity well, these missiles skip in and out of space on their way to their target, which, it is hoped, they will materialize within, causing massive amounts of damage. They are easily deflected by hypershields, however, which form a barrier in hyperspace that no such weapon can cross.

  40th Mi
llennium—the current millennium in the history of the COE. See Ex Nihilo.

  Free-For-All—outermost dark-body halo surrounding Palasian System. (Radius: 15.2–21.7 PAU; few clusters and eccentricities known; largest mean diameter: 1375 km.)

  G’rodo—a Kesh lineage recently expunged from the N’Kor Republic.

  Galactic Reference Book—see Queale, Linn.

  Galine Four—a small mobile station owned by Linegar Rufo III; crew no more than one thousand.

  Gatamin—the fifth world of Palasian System; a gas giant with three major satellites and an extensive ring network. (Mean distance: 4.56 PAU; diameter: 60000 km; relative mass: 0.3; rings 100000–145000 km.)

  Geyten Base—a COE communications base around Cemenid in Palasian System.

  Gil-Shh’ana Fiche—an anomalous data storage device recovered from Hurn ruins in ‘636 EN. Some segments of the fiche’s contents point to the existence of several unknown Castes occupying the region now inhabited by the COE, although incompatible technology prevents clear translation; such ancient relics are occasionally found throughout the galaxy, but few are as spectacular or mysterious as those in Palasian System.

  Golden Dawn, COEA—COE Armada destroyer.

  Gorund Sef—a planet in COE territory.

  Grand Design—the Human term used to describe the social communion of the Olmahoi Caste.

  grayboots—see Olmahoi retribution squad.

  Guhr Outpost—a COE Armada refueling base orbiting Voloras, outermost planet of Palasian System.