999 OCTILLION SOULS, May 28, 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.25
EXCERPT FROM ECHOES OF THE SWARMS
Each Dyson swarm functioned as a self-contained ecosystem, with its internal resource management system. The Resource Grid, a network of automated mining drones and processing facilities, extracted raw materials from the swarm's structure and the surrounding asteroid belts. These resources, ranging from refined metals like "Stardust Steel" (a remarkably strong material unique to Dyson swarms) to complex organic compounds cultivated in sprawling bio-domes, formed the lifeblood of the swarm's internal economy.
Star Hoppers: ~50 quintillion vessels facilitating trade between swarms
Interswarm Exchange
Luminescent Moss: 10 quadrillion units traded monthly
Geneticists from Proxima Centauri B: 5 trillion contracts annually
Stellar Guild
Oversaw 45% of interswarm trade
Mediated 12 trillion disputes per Earth day
No swarm was truly an island. Specialized vessels, known as Star Hoppers, plied the large distances between swarms, facilitating trade. Interswarm Exchange focused on luxury goods and specialized services. For example, Luminescent Moss from the humid underbelly of the Barnard's Star swarm was a prized commodity in the drier swarms, while geneticists from the Proxima Centauri B swarm, renowned for their expertise in zero-gravity agriculture, were highly sought after. Interswarm trade was overseen amongst others by a consortium of neutral AIs known as the Stellar Guild, who ensured fair trade practices and mediated disputes.
translator: the following text is about economics and trade
luo_ji: many of us here are scientists
Black Market Bazaars
Estimated at 100 quintillion active bazaars at any given time
Annual illegal trade volume: 1 quadrillion Solar Bars
Black Market impact: Estimated at 7% of total interswarm trade volume
Major trade routes maintained: 250 million
No large-scale economic system is without its black market. Operating on the fringes of the established trade routes, hidden amongst the enormous asteroid fields, were the Black Market Bazaars. Here, pirates and smugglers traded everything from illegal weapons and exotic bioluminescent creatures to forbidden knowledge and banned technologies. The Bazaars were shrouded in secrecy, their locations constantly shifting, making them a constant thorn in the side of the Stellar Guild's authorities.
ru_mikhail: topic irrelevant
Currencies
Solar Bar: Accepted by 70% of swarms
Number of pre-Great Galactic War currencies: ~200 trillion
Number of surviving swarm-specific currencies post-war: ~5 billion
Ancient coins and legacy digital tokens: ~10 billion
Each swarm, civilization, and even some factions developed its currency, often based on a combination of rare resources, energy credits, and even bartered services. The Solar Bar, a standardized energy credit backed by the combined output of several major swarms, achieved a degree of inter-swarm acceptance, but its dominance was never absolute. The Great Galactic War led to the collapse of most swarm-specific currencies, leaving behind a legacy of exotic coins and forgotten digital tokens as curious relics of a bygone era.
de_tech_G: the great galactic war is their World War two
The Illuminated Epoch wasn't just about engineering marvels and zero-gravity living. It also witnessed the rise and fall of a volatile stock market – the Galactic Stock Exchange (GSE).
us_gwo: the NYSE but somewhat bigger
Market Capitalization (Peak): Estimated at 25 Octillion Solar Bars (a standardized energy credit) at the height of the boom, equivalent to the combined energy output of a major group of swarms.
The GSE wasn't a single physical location but an interconnected network linking up exchanges on various major swarms. Investors, both individual and corporate, could buy and sell shares in a variety of ventures.
doc_T: what about government investments?
Average Daily Trading Volume: 50 Octillion Shares
Companies like Stardust Incorporated and Helium-3 Harvesters profited from mining the resources within the swarms and the surrounding asteroid belts. Their stock prices fluctuated based on resource yields and interstellar demand.
Most Volatile Stock (All-Time): NovaCore a deep-core asteroid mining company. The stock price rose by 15,000,000% in a single week after discovering a massive helium-3 deposit, then plummeted to almost zero within a month due to a catastrophic asteroid quake that crippled their mining operations.
The Star Hopper companies, crucial for inter-swarm trade, were a popular investment. Their stock value depended on trade routes, fuel costs (often based on the volatile Antimatter market), and the overall health of the Interswarm Exchange. Genetically modified crops for zero-gravity farms or exotic bioluminescent creatures for the pet trade were big business. Companies like Zero-G Greens and GlowFauna Genetics saw their stock prices soar based on successful new products and changing consumer trends.
Longest Bull Run: 27 standard Earth years (during the initial phase of rapid swarm construction and expansion)
Maintaining and expanding the Dyson swarms required constant construction. Companies like Swarman Industries and Micro-Habitat Architects offered investors a chance to profit from the never-ending need for swarm upkeep.
Sharpest Market Decline: A 78% drop in the GSE index over a megasecond period following a series of ecological disasters caused by unregulated mining practices.
The early period of the Illuminated Epoch was a golden age for the GSE. Abundant resources, a seemingly endless frontier, and technological breakthroughs fueled a period of rampant speculation. Fortunes were made (and lost) overnight on volatile stock swings. The Galactic Chronicles, a financial news network broadcasted across the swarms, became a constant source of anxiety and excitement for investors.
Number of Companies Delisted Due to Bankruptcy per Earth Year: Over 10 Quintillion
The cracks in the seemingly perfect system began to appear as concerns about the Great Galactic War grew. Several high-profile ecological disasters involving unregulated mining operations caused public outcry and government intervention. This, coupled with political instability and the rising black market, led to a dramatic crash in the GSE. Many companies went bankrupt, wiping out investor savings.