Benjamin Kuttner's Blog

Reverse engineering an alien relic would not be an easy matter. In fact, it could literally take decades or even hundreds of years. Here are some potential types of relics and the scientific challenges we might face in reverse-engineering them:

Advanced Propulsion Device

What it could be: A component of a spacecraft, like an engine capable of faster-than-light (FTL) travel, antigravity, or wormhole generation.
Features: It might be compact, emit unusual energy signatures (e.g., exotic particles or radiation), or be made of materials we can’t identify.
Science Challenges:

Physics: Understanding how it bypasses or manipulates Einstein’s relativity (e.g., warping spacetime or using negative energy).Materials Science: Deciphering alloys or metamaterials with properties beyond our current periodic table or manufacturing capabilities.Energy: Harnessing or replicating its power source, which could involve zero-point energy, fusion, or something entirely unknown.Communication Device

What it could be: A quantum entanglement-based communicator or a device using subspace signals for instantaneous galaxy-wide messaging.
Features: It might lack recognizable inputs (e.g., no buttons, responding to thought or exotic frequencies).
Science Challenges:

Quantum Mechanics: Decoding non-local communication that defies light-speed limits.Information Theory: Interpreting alien data encoding or languages, possibly multidimensional or non-linear.Biology/Neuroscience: If it’s thought-controlled, understanding its interface with a potentially alien nervous system.Energy Generator

What it could be: A small, self-sustaining power source, like a micro black hole generator or a dark energy converter.
Features: It could run indefinitely without fuel we recognize, emitting no waste or heat in a way that violates thermodynamics as we know it.
Science Challenges:

Thermodynamics: Reconciling its operation with our laws of energy conservation.Cosmology: If it taps dark energy or manipulates spacetime, we’d need to rethink our models of the universe.Safety: Containing or replicating it without catastrophic side effects (e.g., creating singularities).

A big barbirusa stomps along an Agora District street turning its tusked head this way and that.

“You look lost,” a human Zantine says.

“Yes,” the barbirusa snorts. “Just arrived from Kusafar for the weekend, my gauntlet won’t send me to the Burned District. Says it’s not safe.”

“That’s true, you have to watch your pockets there, but it’s also a great place to find good deals.”

The barbirusa scratches its snout. “How many districts are there in Zantium?”

Holding his wrist up, the human’s gauntlet projects a holo.

“Ten,” says the helpful local. “The asteroids are never still and the districts can merge for a short time as the asteroids orbit the black hole. But the asteroids of each district keep together as they move around the Zantium Belt.”

“Everything’s ten here,” the barbirusa snorts. “The Council of Ten, the Ten agents, bound to be ten districts.”

“Correct,” says the human, not sure he likes the barbirusa’s tone.

“Space maggots,” the drill sergeant screams.

“Pick up your rifle. You will learn that this rifle is the best friend in your life. Because one day it will save your life.”

I sigh. Why do the drill sergeants always talk to us like we’re complete morons? I glance at my fellow trainees, sure some of them are. But there’s many of us with half a brain.

He brandishes an auto rifle. “This is a Novastrike plasma rifle. Best in the universe. You’ll learn to field strip and clean it if it’s the last thing you do.”

I switch off all his ranting and unclip the power cell, a high-density battery, then unclip the gas canister.

“It’s as dirty as you,” the sergeant screams at some poor Vissian. “Look at all the residue and debris in the electromagnets. Clean it with nano, now, you maggot.”

“Clean rifle,” I say to the AI targeting system. The side panel unclips, and I remove it, exposing the electromagnets that contain and accelerate the plasma.

A small stream of nano flows out of the rifle and into the electromagnets to get to work.

“It’s simple, even for groink-for-brains like you maggots,” the sergeant shouts. “But so many of you don’t bother to do this. If it were me, I’d be cleaning every time I change the power cell.”

“What if we’re in a firefight?” a red-headed guy says.

“Get down and give me fifty, maggot,” the sergeant roars.

It’s a fair question. But I guess the answer’s self-explanatory. You fight, then clean afterward!

The beings hunched around the sports holo are of all shapes and sizes.

I advance, loosely holding my plasma rifle, and sit among them.

The stars above the rogue planet don’t twinkle, there’s no atmosphere and no shield here.

“So we’re all in,” I say. “Elef, seph, barbirusa, orca, humans—all on a joint peacekeeping mission against the Domis.”

“This is an above-average human,” the Barbirusa snorts.

They all laugh.

I grin despite the snub and gauge the situation before speaking again.

“So what’s your Zant war cry?” a glossy black Orca says, his pointy white teeth appearing below his black lips.

“Rock to star, that’s our destiny.” I raise my battle-armored fist.

“That’s a good one,” the Orca nods.

“Rock stars,” the Elef snorts.

“What about you?” I say to the Elef.

“From tranquil depths, fury unleashed!” The Elef trumpets.

“Nice,” the Orca says.

The Barbirusa thumps his chest. “Tusks of fury, hearts of steel!”

I see another human through the sports holo that no one is watching. Catching my eye, the other human bursts into writhing tentacles—it’s a Mimic in disguise.

The Orca nods to the Mimic.

“Three hearts beat as one, nine minds united, unstoppable!” The Mimic shouts.

“Yeah,” the Orca thumps his black fist against his chest.

“What about you?” I say to the Orca.

“With the tide, we surge!” The Orca rumbles.

Everyone, including you, thumps their chest and roars. This is the best one.

Aristar is a passionate change-the-universe, stars-in-her-eyes type of girl.

Truly, she annoys the helio out of me. But I’m still happy to bask in her stunning beauty.

Stars twinkle above us through the shield above the trees. Our path winds around a still pond that mirrors stars above so perfectly, it seems the asteroid has a hole right through it.

“These are the last remnants of Earth’s plant and bird life,” she says. “They’re unchanged since the Cataclysm, preserved here for almost a thousand years.”

“Amazing,” I say, hearing a bird call, and tensing at a black flapping out the corner of my eye.

She nods. “The orca and seph took coral and seaweed to their water worlds. The barbirusa and elef all the grass varieties for their crops. The Domis and us took the plants and birds.”

She touches my arm. “The Babylon District asteroids are truly the most important in Zantium.”

I’ve recently returned from the furnace of the Dominion War, and it’s hard to not smile at her naivety.

But I bite my tongue, not mentioning that the Astroforge District, where they make starships and starKites, is actually the most important.

“The city parks are all that is left of old Earth,” she says, white teeth flashing on the dark side of this asteroid.

“Apart from us,” I say, instantly wishing I hadn’t.

“We are the reason Earth was destroyed,” she says.

Stardam, I’ve made a black hole for myself now.

I first met Elenova as a 3D holo when the AI dating spirit matched our personality types. She had captivating blue eyes and cornflower yellow hair.

My search criteria was to be open-minded to different partners I wouldn’t usually meet.

Before our first date, Elenova and I agreed to be upfront and honest about everything when we met.

But as we sat in the plush asteroid restaurant together, she dropped a bombshell that changed everything.

She wasn’t actually human.

She was a Mimic. A Cataclysm changed species of octopus who can take human form.

Despite my initial apprehension, I decided to keep an open mind as I had instructed the AI spirit.

Amazingly, we hit it off immediately. We connected on holo art, music, travel, and mutual curiosity.

The afternoon was spent sharing stories and laughter.

But as the black hole glow darkened on the asteroid’s horizon, it became clear that not everything was going to be perfect.

When her human act slipped, communication proved to be a major hurdle. Elenova’s thoughts and expressions shifted rapidly from topic to topic, leaving me confused.

Her alien mind worked in ways I couldn’t fully comprehend, and my attempts to bridge the gap often ended in confusion.

Like when she used subtle color changes on her skin of reds, greens, and yellows, which I struggled to interpret correctly.

I asked her about it, and she kindly sent me a holo book on the color-changing basics so I could get my gauntlet to prompt me.

At one point in the evening, I tried to lighten the mood with a joke, but it fell flat, causing Elenova’s arms to transform into tentacles and retract. I mistook this as a sign of displeasure and felt embarrassed.

In the spirit of honesty, I asked her what the tentacle transformation and movement meant. She said it was just a reflexive response unrelated to my comment.

As the evening progressed, we decided to share our favorite memories. Elenova projected amazing holos of the Seph homeworld’s oceans and coral forests. It was all captivating but challenging for me to emotionally connect with, being a human coming from a sterile asteroid city.

Similarly, when I shared my cherished memories of my family and our life in Zantium, Elenova seemed curious but couldn’t grasp the full extent of my experiences and emotions.

These communication barriers cast a shadow on the otherwise lovely date. When we parted, we both agreed to work on communication and take things slow.

What is a gauntlet?

Imagine a device that combines the pinnacle of innovation with utmost elegance.

The gauntlet is worn around the wearer’s wrist, featuring meticulously woven tiny gold and silver filaments.

Each gauntlet has an AI spirit that can communicate over thousands of miles and establish entangled links across space and time throughout the universe.

Experience a new era of navigation with the gauntlet’s advanced mapping capabilities. Entering an underground cave system? No problem. The gauntlet can map every twist and turn, then project a detailed 3D hologram with the easiest path through.

In times of need, the gauntlet communicates seamlessly with your first aid nanotech, ensuring swift and effective treatment for wounds and illnesses.

The gauntlet is crafted to be more than just a device—it’s a personal assistant and companion.

Whether translating languages in distant galaxies or providing a touch of companionship, the gauntlet will be there whenever you need it.

My ship hovers just above an undulating blue expanse.
Oryx, waterworld of the Cataclysm-changed orca, stretches to the horizon in all directions.
“This is it?” I ask the ship’s spirit.
“Yes, this is where you meet them.”
“But there’s nothing here.”
“There’s a shallow ocean shelf right under us.”
Hesitantly, I push through the ship’s skin. My boots sink ankle-deep. I’m standing on slimy rocks alive with coral and seaweed. Tiny fish dart away from me.
I take a deep breath. There are subtle shifts of wind on my skin. The air is alive, not canned like on the asteroids.
I look across the ruffled water to the curve of the horizon. This place is mind-blowing.
My attention flicks in front of me as bubbles break the surface.
A glossy black head rises with water streaming from it. An orca in battle armor towers over me, holding a morphium spear.
“You’re the smuggler?” his black lips peel back from conical white teeth.
I nod, aware of my plasma pistols if I need to make a fast getaway.
“Here,” he whistles and clicks, massive black fingers opening with a small disk. “Put it on your shield generator, and it’ll turn the carbon nanotubes into a filter to get air from the water.”
I take it thinking, what if it’s a trick? But the amount of credits I will make has me hesitantly touch it to my shield generator disk on my belt buckle.
“Come,” the orca says.
With slow steps, I move forward.
“Careful, there’s a three-hundred-foot-deep trench off the shelf,” the orca clicks. “I’m betting you don’t know how to swim coming from the frontier asteroids?”
I don’t answer, splashing forward. One foot sinks into the depths, and I pull back from the abyss.
“Relax,” the orca whistles. “Your shield now makes you buoyant or sink. You can control your descent with your gauntlet mind-link.”
Blazar it, I think, and step off.
Blue, mineral-rich water envelopes me. I look up at the undulating reflective surface above, moving further and further away.
The orca sinks alongside me. Its little black eyes watch me through the bubbles flowing over my shield.

—-
Who knows when we’ll visit this place in the Zantium Wars canon? Whenever it is, I’m stardam right there!

My free short story, Deep Space Threat, is from Zantium’s perspective. I thought it would be interesting to look at a scenario from the perspective of the number one enemy of Zantium, Dominion.

After all, Starburn comes from there…

Trading Outpost, Moon Tu52B95

Voidslayer’s red eyes shine in the dim glow from the starset. There’s a grin on his pale face, “Three minutes and we get to put our feet up.”

“I like it here,” Astralbane says. “We live like kings.”

“There must be what, two hundred thousand beings on the whole outpost?” Voidslayer yawns. “No soldiers at all. Just some guards for the bigstars here.”

“Something like that,” Astralbane says. “We’re a big protection racket. They pay Dominion to keep trouble away.”

There’s a sound, and they both turn to see another armored Dominion soldier.

“Starfury, finally. We’re ready to hit the moon,” Voidslayer says.

“I brought you something for the road,” the relieving soldier hands them both a drink. There’s a light dancing in his red eyes.

Astralbane lifts his plasma rifle. “I’ll see you later.”

Voidslayer pats Starfury on the shoulder as he passes.

He looks up at the stars with a drink in one hand and his plasma rifle in the other. “Good times ahead, brother.”

They leave the large fortification at the edge of the outpost, heading for the bars.

Voidslayer puts an arm over Astralbane’s shoulder. “Just imagine, we could be at Dominion now getting our brains drilled by some officer.”

A brilliant sphere of incandescent energy blossoms from the heart of the fortification.

Shockwaves of unimaginable force tear outward, fracturing the fortification’s walls into a mosaic of destruction.

Tendrils of violent energy lash out, igniting nearby structures and turning the fortification into an inferno.

“Collapsar,” Astralbane swears.

Both soldiers dive for cover as debris rains down.

Silver Zantium destroyers somehow pass inside the shield, filling the sky with glowing orange countermeasures.

Voidslayer points his plasma rifle up.

Astralbane pushes it down. “You going to take on a whole Zant fleet with that? They’ve already knocked out our anti-ship batteries.”

“Incoming,” croaks Starfury.

They both turn to see his steaming and scorched shape.

“I thought you were scronx,” Astralbane says.

“Got thrown out in the explosion. Switch to gauntlet mind coms they’re coming.”

The three soldiers watch one figure in silver battle armor descend under antigrav boots.

I can take him, thinks Voidslayer.

No, two mental voices fill Voidslayer’s mind.

The Ten agent lands. He’s tall with golden hair and skin. His green eyes sweep the destroyed fortification.

Stay still, Voidslayer, Astralbane mentally projects with his gauntlet. He has ten times our hearing.

The Ten agent speaks to his gauntlet in a bored voice. “Eighth fleet, we’ve taken it. No civilian casualties. Just a stardam small outpost. Only a few Domi soldiers. It’s so small these guys might even be doing this without Dominion knowing.”

That’s just not true, Voidslayer projects. But a great idea.

The Ten agent treads softly away through the burning debris.

More Zant troops, Astralbane warns.

The other two look up to see ten squads, each with nine troopers, descending on antigrav.

We’ll have to get off this dump back to Dominion, Starfury says.

I thought this was the place to be, Astralbane jokes darkly to Voidslayer. Never go back to Dominion?

Looks like there’s no place like home, Voidslayer grins. Now we’re going to have to survive.

—-

And here we go again. A whole new lexicon of Dominion cuss words to create!

I’m almost rooting for these guys to make it out and fight another day!

I asked the precursors to the Zantium spirits (2013 AIs) to produce concept designs. Please take these with a pinch of stardust and still retain your imagination of how Zantium starships look.

Zantium

All Zantium starships are made of an extra-dimensional material called morphium, which is best described as an intelligent mercury that changes shape to its environment and to the crew’s needs.
Aventurine

A top-of-the-line ship owned by the wealthiest Zantines, the Ten, and a certain gunfighter in the Frontier Asteroids. I think this was the closest to what I envisioned. Elegant and fitting Zantium’s classical renaissance style.

MRKF2 (Medium Range Kill Fighter)

image

The main fighter ship in the Zantium fleets. Quite ugly compared to their other starships. Highly functional and easy to mass produce by Sundom Industries.

Destroyer

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Elegant and made of morphium, capable of carrying many MRKF2s, troops, and serious firepower.

Guild ships (Zantium)
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The different Guilds take on the materials and styles of their host civilizations. This is Starburn’s green cloak starship, made of morphium, and green to match his cloak level.

Dominion
Troop carriers

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Hexagon troop carriers open on landing to form mobile fortifications.

Battle Destroyer

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Dominion ships have similar shape changing abilities to their hexagon self-assembling battlearmor and weapons. This one is reassembling into troop carriers.

We’ll explore the other civilizations in future emails.