999 OCTILLION SOULS, May 14, 2024
I FLIGHT
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TRANSLATOR'S NOTE:The following information is derived from Information Seed 40 and received by the Gravitational Wave Observatory. I and AI performed a frequency analysis on it. IE edited certain parts to make them more 'readable'. (He might have overdone it.) Please feel free to comment.6
EXCERPT FROM ECHOES OF THE SWARMS
Number of Dyson Swarms: 100,000,000,000+ (vast variations in size and complexity)
Total Population: 999 Octillion Biological Sentient Beings (spread across various civilizations)
Number of Known Class A Empires: Over 10,000 (with countless smaller, specialized societies)
doc_T: the YouTube pundits called it
luo_ji: aren’t you one of them?
doc_T: not really
The era of galactic habitation within Dyson swarms witnessed an unprecedented flourishing of civilizations. Freed from the limitations of planetary resources and empowered by harnessed stellar energy, countless societies carved their paths. Studying these empires, both grand and niche offers a fascinating glimpse into the governance that arose during the Illuminated Epoch.
The Bears, a loose group of civilizations with common biological roots, were the dominant force in the galaxy. (Bears was the name humans gave them since the aliens resembled Earth bears.) They were followed by the Hidnajaf Empire, inhabited by albino-like humanoids with small horns. Andromeda was also populated by Bears, and so a natural alliance came to be.
Average Dyson Swarm Diameter: 1 Astronomical Unit (AU) (the distance between Earth and the Sun)
Total Stellar Energy Harvested: Equivalent to the combined luminosity of 100 Billion Suns
The dawn of the Illuminated Epoch era marked a turning point in the quest to harness the boundless energy of the cosmos. Colossal networks of solar power satellites encircled stars (mostly red dwarves with an average life in the hundreds of millions of Earth years) and black holes, capturing their energy on an unprecedented scale. This remarkable feat revolutionized the energy landscape, propelling civilizations and paving the way for advancements in science, exploration, and the betterment of societies.
otavio_br: black holes too?
prof_sparky: their gravity pulls matter releasing energy
doc_T: yes you can throw gas into the BHs, friction does the rest
The Open Earth Federation
Founded by Earth, the Open Earth Federation was a vast, meritocratic federation with a strong emphasis on scientific advancement and exploration. The OEF, one of the first civilizations to pioneer Dyson swarm technology, served as a beacon of collaboration and knowledge sharing for many fledgling civilizations. Unlike their swarmers, the OEF never destroyed their home planet. Instead, they built a gigantic building to house as many Earthlings as possible.
ru_mikhail: coincidence. we live on Earth
cap_mal: so these are all lies
translator: unless IS40 transmits from the future
us_gwo: that can’t possibly work. Grandfather paradox
Average Travel Time Between Swarms: Earth Weeks to Earth Months (depending on distance and technology)
Communication Delay Between Swarms: Planck seconds to Earth Years (due to the vast distances and variety of technological means involved)
Number of Active Wormhole Subnets: Over 100,000 (complex networks connecting major Dyson Swarms)
The Milky Way contracted and expanded over time. The Contraction and Expansion Eras were hard to predict and could last between millennia and millions of Earth years. Civilizations attempted to move stars closer to each other with stellar thrusters. Advanced propulsion systems and energy sources enabled faster inter-swarm journeys. Quantum entanglement and wormholes were used for communication.
uk_gwo5: I don’t believe in wormholes. stellar thrusters might work
doc_T: I did a video on thrusters. quantum entanglement is too flaky to be useful
IE: you’re all skeptical
The Azoin Collective
The Collective, one of the most numerous after the Bears and Hidnajaf Empire, was a hive-minded society. The Azoins, crab-like and one-gendered, known for their mastery of cybernetics, existed in a symbiotic relationship with their Dyson swarm, viewing it as a living organism. They were the first in a radius of a thousand parsecs around Earth to build a swarm.
[Translator’s note: the following 559 words couldn’t be translated.]
cosmos_boss: I bet the Azoins taste like chicken
hatmaker_H: I think so too, boss
translator: I apologize for the missing text
de_tech_G: don’t worry. it’s only the first GW transmission ever
The Kazari Commerce Guild
The KZC was a loosely affiliated network of tradehouses and merchant clans, prioritizing economic prosperity and resource management. The Guild facilitated trade between countless empires, acting as one of the economic engines of the Grand Empire. They claimed to have ancient Japanese roots. As far as we know, Japan was an empire on Earth.
[Translator’s note: the following 394 words couldn’t be translated.]
The Grand Empire
A series of over a thousand Grand Emperors ruled the Grand Empire. It was a rigidly hierarchical society ruled by a theocratic elite who believed in the Holy Earth, St. Trillian, other high-dimensional and bodiless beings like her, and a preordained destiny for their civilization. The Grand Emperors, shrouded in secrecy, possessed advanced technology beyond the comprehension of many other empires. Dozens of smaller human empires were part of the Grand Empire and enjoyed limited autonomy.
The Grand Emperors were all Giants: engineered humans (engineered by an unknown entity), as tall as Thohnuths, and in possession of XNA (DNA with robust synthetic sugar groups). Medical nanobots, artificial blood cells, brain chips, other implants, and aristocratic titles were a birthright for the Giant elite.
builder_7: what was the average lifespan of these grand emperors?
IE: centuries probably.
builder_7: how long was the GE around?
translator: unknown
The Lemivio Dominion:
On the other side of the galaxy relative to Earth, the Dominion was a militaristic empire focused on conquest and expansion. The Lemivio, feared for their ruthless tactics, clashed frequently with other empires, particularly those harboring pacifistic ideals.
[Translator’s note: the following 691 words couldn’t be translated.]
ru_mikhail: Grand Empire is also fascist
cap_mal: but human
The vastness of the Dyson swarms and the inherent diversity of the galactic populace presented challenges for governance. For instance, the OEF's meritocratic system struggled to address the concerns of smaller, culturally distinct member worlds. The Azoin Collective, while achieving remarkable harmony within its borders, had difficulty establishing diplomatic relations with more individualistic societies.
gwo_fr_5: the Azoins are cyborgs, right
IE: correct
The Illuminated Epoch was not without its conflicts. Ideological clashes, territorial disputes, and resource scarcity contributed to periods of interstellar warfare. This included the Great Galactic War between the early Grand Empire and the Open Earth Federation. However, the shared dependence on the delicate balance of the Dyson swarms often led to uneasy truces and fragile alliances.
otavio_br: they fought Earth but worshiped it too?
translator: indeed
otavio_br: strange
The Big Merger with Andromeda
Percentage of Dyson Swarms Destroyed: 7% (leaving a scattered network of remnants)
Estimated Population Loss: Over 5% (civilizations in the core affected most severely)
Number of Stars Displaced from their Orbits: Millions (creating vast, unstable regions)
The collision of the Andromeda and Milky Way galaxies fundamentally altered the landscape of galactic civilization. Entire swathes of Dyson swarms were destroyed, caught in the crossfire of stellar collisions and intense gravitational forces. Countless civilizations were wiped out. Their legacies were lost to the swirling chaos.
us_gwo: Andromeda won’t collide with the Milky Way for billions of years
uk_gwo5: four and a half if memory serves
cosmos_boss: plenty of time to prepare