Void Engineer Paradigm

By Paul Beakley

The Paradigm

The Continuum: All reality is encompassed in the space-time continuum, following strict relativistic rules.

Magick

Technology, Research and Exploration : Unexplored reality is a blank slate upon which exploration writes the rules and expectations of future colonists. Clearly, technology is the most useful tool of these explorers. New research also reveals new areas of exploration or technological development (which is usually passed on to Iteration X, which is better suited to development).

Spheres

Correspondence: Space -- the relativistic measurement of distance between events in the continuum; Propulsion -- movement through space via increased vectors (although these vectors still cannot exceed the speed of light, unless utilizing experimental FTL drives). Transmission/ reception -- techniques for sending and receiving signals across great distances.
Time: Time -- the other half of the time-space continuum, Time speeds or slows relative to movement through the continuum.
Pattern Magicks: Patterns -- Everything that exists can be scanned as a pattern. While Iteration X creates new technologies, the Void Engineers are most interested in gathering information about new Patterns discovered in the Infosphere, Ectoplasmic Regions and the Metareality. Under this paradigm, Matter, Forces, Life and Mind are all considered patterns.
Scanning -- the most active application of Patterns. Using advanced Transmission technologies, scanners can reach great distances.
- Forces: Energy -- includes various applications of Energy, including weapons, shields, audio/video/holographics, etc.
- Life: Biology, Medicine, Pharmacology -- The VEs use the Progenitor Life paradigm entirely. However, their greatest emphasis is on identification of new patterns (this is their most common coincidence when exploring deep space in search of life).
- Matter: Elements and Composites -- one area of great interest to the Void Engineers is the "discovery" of new elements and composites from the three realms. Thus, new elements may come from the Infosphere, the Metareality/Deep Space or the Ectoplasmic Regions.
- Mind: Brainwaves -- the mind acts as a rather powerful transmitter of brainwaves. These waves can be scanned as a pattern (hence their reorganization under Patterns), replicated with technology, and altered with energy or pharmaceuticals.
Entropy: Chaos/Pattern Recognition -- research into chaos theory suggests that patterns exist even within apparently chaotic sets.
Prime: This sphere does not exist in the Void Engineer Paradigm. (A note by Michael M. Moolick )
Spirit: WARNING -- TOP SECRET CLASSIFICATION. CLEARANCE OMEGA ONLY.
Infosphere: the "High Umbra" of the Void Engineers, this realm encompasses all accumulated knowledge, artificial intelligence and data storage and manipulation. Accessible via virtual reality and other immersive technologies. Void Engineer research into lucid dreaming has also proven effective in this area, allowing the subject to tap into this realm of pure information.
Metareality: the "Middle Umbra" of the Void Engineers, this realm is the most secret area of research for the Void Engineers. The Metareality appears, to the Void Engineers, to be the "back stage" of reality, the source of all Patterns (see below). This dimension is highly unstable. Also, other alternate dimensions are accessible through the Metareality. These other Continua are simply different arrangements of all the same patterns found in the Metareality. The Metareality is partially synonymous to Deep Space, the most common and public paradigm. For now, Deep Space is mostly a vacuum until the Void Engineers can decide what to find in it.
Ectoplasmic Regions: the "Low Umbra" of the Void Engineers, exploration into this post-life netherworld is nearly as secretive as the Metareality. VE research into the Ectoplasmic Regions involves the controlled reduction of the explorer's life patterns, allowing the explorer's mind to enter the region while still being able to return to its body.

Arete

Discovery -- the more a VE has discovered, the greater her understanding of the Continuum.

Quintessence

Research/Exploration -- quite literally, research makes the subject at hand more real. Void Engineers "accumulate" research in terms of time spent performing said research or exploration, then converting those hours into "findings."

Paradox

Unexpected Findings -- this is the most vexing problem to the Void Engineers, who seek only to "discover" entirely expected findings. An Unexpected Finding means the entire continuum is in danger, until addition research time can be alloted to disproving the finding.

Mage-specific Backgrounds

Arcane: Security Clearance -- the highest levels of Void Engineer research occur at the strictest security clearance levels. This tends to insulate the engineers from the rest of the population. The higher the Arcane, the higher the security clearance and thus the higher amount of insulation.
Avatar: Brilliance -- this allows the engineer to accumulate greater research time and thus generate more complete findings.
Destiny: Focus -- Scientists with intense focus can work miracles and never stray from their research. Those with this much focus are invariably brilliant and arrogant. Highly focused scientists are not above stealing other scientist's work and some have made their names solely by this method.
Dream: Lucid Dreaming -- the VEs apply this meditative technique as a method of accessing the so-called Infosphere (see Spirit, above). Those not trained in this technique need virtual reality equipment to search the Infosphere for information.
Node: Research Facility -- a place where research can be maximized and distractions can be minimized.

Paul Beakley

adpyb@acvax.inre.asu.edu