Corrected Date; Before Launch 288.2.12

[This entry is a photograph of an ancient form of news distribution, a newspaper, that has faded text and a ruined picture, and the language is in an old form of Novian, but the transcript is freely visible in modern language]

NOVEL NOVUS NEWS - Murrsday
PLANT AND ANIMAL WOES – ARE ENEMIES TO BLAME? OR SUFFERING WITH US?
(a very faded drawing of a wilting gold-leafed tree of the Kingdom of Novus, seen by their people as a symbol of its prosperity and security in the court of the Palace)

Collaboration between the nations of Novus, Lesmere, Meredi, and Lopture is taking place today, at a hall specially built within the High Novus School for what the constituent members are calling a “conference.” The topic of the landmark symbol of cooperation between our beautiful Novus and the others is the apparent oddities in a variety of ecosystems around the continent. Travelers from beyond the sea also report strange tidings from their own lands, providing the rise in concern between the four powers that was needed to drive such an auspicious occasion. While many citizens of our shining Novus call for both the eternal grudge of past wars be remembered, just as many call for these wounds to be buried and forgotten in the face of an apparent global problem- one that strikes here at home.

The symbol of our nation’s strength, the very pride of our Palace Courtyard, the golden tree of Novus, is wilting. For hundreds of years unto the lost tales of time, through war and famine and pestilence, such a thing has never occurred. Many of the Holy See of Novus claim it is, in itself, punishment for bowing to the desires of the Meredii people, even as attempts by the Queen to explain it had been wilting long before this conference was proposed do not seem to sway them. Even still, they have stood down their attempts to blockade or protest the conference as only men and women of science have been permitted into the School grounds, quieting their opposition to military or foreign clergy having access to Novian lands. They still voice strongly their opinion that one of the other powers is in fact responsible for these events, and only self-inflicting themselves with the curse to avoid suspicion.

The reason that only science seems to be of note in this conference is that the variety of new scientific endeavors around our continent have been trying to confirm and coordinate the cause of these ill-fated phenomena, which affects all nations. The purple forests of Lapash in Lopture have turned a sickly green, the tide pools around the coasts of Lesmere have dried up, and even Meredi finds its “famous” vine-bats to be collapsing down their cliffs from heat, apparently. Such dark portents may only spell the beginning of even more woes for great Novus, but some Nobles have also seen the wisdom in new avenues to open to trade and engage diplomatically with our neighbors. For the moment, the Queen is favoring caution and coordination, believing that no divine would strike all nations equally, and that no one nation has the power to achieve such esoteric strikes on us all.

Corrected Date; Before Launch 245.13.25

[This entry is sourced from a copy of an official proclamation of the United Astronomers Coalition, the long result and ancestor of Elysria’s first scientific symposium solely dedicated to identifying the cause of increasing ecological damage, a task started four decades prior; the original text has no archived pictures or photographs in the original language and secondary sources have been omitted in this preview in favor of the transcript only; they may be found in the historical tracing]

To all members of the world to whom this DOES concern,
It is the opinion of the combined astronomers and sky-watchers of Lesmere, Lopture, Meredi, and Novus, acting together as the newly notarized and recognized United Astronomers Coalition, that the various temperature, moisture, meteorological, and otherwise ecological phenomena observed on the surface of Elysria in the last forty-to-sixty years that has negatively impacted both flora and fauna alike; is the result of a marked increase in the amount of light and heat that our star, Azal, has begun to produce in that period. Our current instruments have been thoroughly and repeatedly inspected, their results double-checked, all conversions to or from old units of measurements used by individual nations in the past verified at least thrice, their methods and available constructions debated, confirmed, or denied; and all available data in this area of study dug out of archives, fetched from private homes, and otherwise dredged from their hiding places with great prejudice. We have spoken at length, on the frame of years, with our sister organizations composed of biologists, geologists, zoologists, and chemists; and even with the guilds responsible for farming, animal husbandry, and wilderness exploration; even with the cooks and the pet-shops. Their testimonies and similar dedication to their craft and objectivity have made it clear for us; all ninety-nine members of this Coalition have, through this period and to no small amount of sadness, come to a complete and total consensus that this conclusion is presenting the accurate cause for the degradation we see in the world’s environment.

We understand this news may come with no small side of dread. This is a problem that cannot be solved on this world, for it is not born of this world. We know the star has given all of us, from the canines to the avians, our lives and all that grows and is beautiful on our planet. It seems now, however, that a fragile balance in the star has shifted, and its warming rays seem to only get hotter, and hotter. We have no way of knowing what has caused this shift, or if it will continue to worsen before it gets better. It may never revert. However, we believe, with the utmost sincerity borne of the self-evident, miraculous nature of this crowning coordination in science, that the people of Elysria can and MUST come together in work and mind to protect ourselves and our world from this tragedy. We know, positively, without doubt, that all Elysrians can work together to achieve wonders beyond our imagining- and we know because this finding is one of those things already. Our shared will is our shield from this onslaught, and if we direct it totally, fully, at the future, we can thrive.

Corrected Date; Before Launch 210.6.14

[This entry includes the modern version of the text of a globally distributed missive that had been translated to all common languages at the time, photographs of the variety of versions can be found in the historical tracing]

The Azal Scientific Treaty Union - All Nations and Peoples, We Implore You

Greetings, esteemed colleague.
This official missive seeks to convince you, great leader or diplomatic power of your nation or country, to join the newest initiative in global diplomacy and understanding, the ASTU. The Azal Scientific Treaty Union has the goal to unify and harmonize the scientific efforts of every corner of Elysria to address and blunt the effects of the growing output from our star, Azal. It is imperative that all peoples of our world come together to face this existential threat, but we are aware there are concerns.

Firstly, there is little economic dedication, requiring only small stipends for the upkeep of any delegation of your top scientists that you elect to send- the founding members of the ASTU cover equipment, project costs, and the on-going maintenance of testing theses. Secondly, we pledge to share all breakthroughs and information derived from the ASTU in exchange for your contribution of minds and paws; there is no additional cost for this knowledge. Thirdly, we must stress the importance, the inherent need, of this work to safeguard our world. Fourthly, you or your government shall have a voice in the future needs and direction of the ASTU’s directives and priorities, should they need to change. We are dedicated to ensuring this Union represents all the people in our world, which is why all nations have received this missive. We also hope this Union can unlock a greater degree of cooperation politically and economically between our members.

This Union will be the foundation of our global technological and scientific research going forward. We will guide the efforts and systems that direct us to a brighter future- figuratively, of course. Your participation would be greatly appreciated in our efforts, but we understand not all places can commit in the face of dwindling crop yield, drying reservoirs, and the constant spread of arid and desert biomes in our new reality. Please, we ask that you send who you can to help us all find solutions to these issues.

Corrected Date; Before Launch 191.10.7

[This entry is a translated retelling of a journal of a biologist regarding the first efforts to save animals on Elysria, his name is Litming, in Lesmere- as per many journals of this time, there is no primary source available, and the various copies and translations through the ages are found in the historical tracing. Words lost to translation or time have been substituted with their most likely counterpart with brackets]

Argant 7, 7954

The facility has taken in several more trobbles today, bringing our total to thirty-six- we think that will be enough to start a new [colony], if there was ever a cause to. The citizenry have taken to calling the compound a “zoo,” as we have begun selling admittance to the inside for viewing the [contained] animals. But I must admit, I am a little uncomfortable with both the moniker and the idea of it all; these creatures have been taken from their real homes, but only to save them. Letting the average person gawk at them with their [slack-maws] and vacant stares feels depressing, somehow. Like a [perversion] of the intention. Still, at least they are saved, for now. I doubt they are as comfortable in these concrete houses than they would be in a real prairie, but the ASTU’s estimates have marked the prairie for full degradation in only a decade. There are few places left for these fuzzy critters to live anymore. I am glad I could be part of this [conservation], at least for as long as I can.

It has been getting more difficult to find the trobbles in particular, as their need for high amounts of standing water have made them very vulnerable to the drying of the area. I fear we may not find many more, as our usual [blinds] and surveyed nesting sites have yet to report any new sightings. We may stumble on a new nest by trudging through what muds remain, but alas, I am not fond of wandering around aimlessly, even for such an important task. They tend to scatter in all directions when we approach too. As well, the predators have become more aggressive towards us from the [dearth] of prey. We are beset by the star from above and the animals from below, and through it all, I just wish I could tell them, I want to help you. Please let me help you. All our futures depend on it.

We did hear from the facility in Novus this morning, and they have successfully captured a pair of sandcrabs. I understand the claws are strong enough to bend or cut a lot of common metal types and thicknesses, so they’ve had to build a special enclosure for them. They’re apparently calling their compound Airedge, though did not expound on why. I suppose it helps with the [tourism] or something, which probably means Cyndia will of course want to come up with a name for ours too. At least I don’t need to worry about [funding] I suppose.

Corrected Date; Before Launch 162.5.24

[This entry is a translated copy of a report by the Azalar Observatory of Lopture, an official ASTU facility dedicated to the close observation of Azal, and instrumental to the tracking of the increase in solar output in this era. The actual document was available, but not brought aboard, and was left on Elysria. Scans are in the historical tracing]

This morning the Observer-on-duty reported an Azalar prominence that peaked at a level that our measuring scale currently doesn’t account for. He extrapolated the length reaching a height from the surface at three-point-seven million kilopaters, roughly 30% larger than the last largest recorded prominence eight years ago. This has been the latest in a trend that has included more frequent and larger flares from Azal’s surface ever since we started observing them. In hindsight, we should probably have started a petition to expand the scale with ASTU Central.

We feel it important to remind all members of ASTU that cosmically speaking, we’ve been relatively lucky so far. The frequency of these flares has meant the odds of one striking Elysria directly has been non-insignificant, and as far as we know, these flares are probably composed of a great amount of gaseous material that is charged and heated, and hitting our world would create a surge of temperature and magnetic anomalies. Considering the damage already done by Azal’s growing brightness and temperature, we’re defiantly hoping beyond hope we never do get hit by one of these flares. We hope this new record won’t cause too much undue alarm, as we are still monitoring, and a theoretical rate of growth in the flare progression is being crunched by mathematicians in ASTU Novus.

It is not all bad news either, as the new photography systems have been working great around here. We have photos of that prominence, and several others in the last few weeks, all thanks to the work of the photo department fast-tracking our camera request. We’ll have the photos developed and sent to Central in our materials shipment next month. The detailing is amazing, and being able to capture a specific moment in time has been instrumental in describing newly discovered features of both the flares and Azal itself.

Reporting,
AOL
Met 24, 7983

Corrected Date; Before Launch 139.7.18

[This entry is a newspaper from a central city of Lesmere, who had recently adopted the Novus language for convenience in economic and government systems, the modern transcript is available under the photo]

Lesmerian Lecturer, Jana 18 COMBUSTION- SAVIOR TECH? OR GOING TO MAKE THINGS WORSE?

Right here in Lesmere the talented inventor Askelone has unveiled his brand new invention utilizing the liquid black gold of the deserts to generate mechanical power! This new version of combustion engines, historically clunky and requiring a lot of maintenance and care, needs only refueling on a moderate basis and can operate largely independently from an engineer- even the typical layman can use it! The design is small enough to mount on your average carriage, allowing the motorized coach to finally compete with quasini-drawn wheeled carts. Best of all, these new designs are powerful as well as efficient, achieving a whopping 16 kilopaters per hour. Think of the places you can go at that speed!

In addition to the pure power of these engines, all sorts of technology can benefit infinitely from the ease of use. Refrigeration, long the dream of many a workshop and textile mill, can now be economically achieved with small tweaks to the early compressor designs- powered by the Askelone engine. This technology is so powerful, we’re hearing from ASTU that they’ve had ideas that temperatures can be dropped so low, even ice can be made- from the comfort of your own home! (or research facility, as it were). Considering the temperatures running ever higher these days, this sounds like a perfect solution to keep people cool and keep animals comfortable in the zoos.

But we’d be remiss to not ask the question, is even more combustion the real answer? We know burning these fuels result in exhaust that, according to ASTU again, can increase the temperature of the world over time; and NO ONE wants that! They say it would take an unimaginable number of engines to do it, but that every little bit might count. For now there’s only engineers and mechanics using combustion to drive trains and ships, but could a smaller, more compact, every man’s version be the push to the hundreds of thousands of users that ASTU warned about? Would the massive jump in living quality be worth it anyway?

Corrected Date; Before Launch 136.6.14

[This entry is a transcript of a speech made by ASTU leader Karun on the indicated date regarding the first large-scale tragedy of Elysria’s decline]

Scientists. Delegates. Colleagues. Friends, even.

It is with great sadness that I address you today, because over the last ten years, we have been engaged in a full and total evacuation of the country of Troseim. For any who are unaware, these worldly neighbors of ours once lay on the east coast of this continent, and for a variety of geographic reasons and meteorological exacerbation, the country itself is no longer habitable. The very stones have cracked under the endless sun. The dirt that once grew purple and healthy plant life now scatters as sand, baked and desiccated in the wind. River beds are empty and lakes contain the mass graves of fesh. The forests burned for weeks… A confluence of factors meant the temperature there has skyrocketed over the past decade, and the decision was made long ago that it was simply impossible to combat conventionally. That decision has proven prudent. The cities lie empty and crumbling in the heat. The natural borders have been manned to prevent any wanderers from trying to run in.

Thanks to advancements in combustion design, we have had the ability to operate heavy logistic machinery in the environment these past few years, to ensure as many as we could find were evacuated. The reality of it is though… while we did the best we could, just as many perished over this time. There is no way to move that many people, particularly when some don’t want to be moved. But in the ones we did save, I am proud. I am proud of the work this organization has done. I thank all of you for the miracle of who we did save. And I would like to express particular thanks to the nations of Novus and Meredi for agreeing to enact the policies and gather the resources needed to take on an influx of hundreds of thousands of refugees each. For those who live there natively.. I understand the strain is hard. The rationing, the extra work, all the strangers from a strange land. I ask of you, please, understand. We are all in this together. And we can survive together.. if we try.

We’re already considering the logistics of performing similar operations in nearby regions, or even places afar, across the sea. Ships can carry more people of course, but it’s a harder time for them, and us. We have to consider it, however, because the reality is, this situation is going to become more common. We’re already seeing desert spread encroach on Lopture. So I ask all of you, as members of this Union, please do all you can. Everyone has a place, has a purpose, has a way to help. And together we can all persevere.

Corrected Date; Before Launch 118.3.21

[This entry is an early audio recording of one of the first rocket tests that achieved sub-orbital flight, though the orbital phase would only last a couple minutes; periods of heavy static or silence have been processed or removed; the accompanying transcript is available for convenience]

T+ 00:00:33
[06:13] FIDO, this is GUIDO, we’ve got uh.. axial spin at.. zero-point-eight degrees per second. Copy.
[06:13] Copy FIDO, oh-eight spin. We’re.. within tolerances, assuming thrust holds.
[06:14] Boost, Flight. Any chance of the injection rate slowing?
[06:14] Flight, Boost here, we’ve got total green across the board. Everything running nominally. Any failure from here would be a total abort.
[06:15] Flight, GUIDO. Keep us apprised. Flight, All. Should be leaving strato in.. ten seconds.
[06:16] INCO to All, reminder that signal may cut out intermittently from Azalar interference.
[06:18] FIDO to Flight; trajectory still good, I think we’ve done it.
[06:19] Boost to FIDO, we’ve got an early burn-out alarm here.. uhh, looking at, thirteen seconds of missing delta-V.
[06:19] FIDO, copy. Hold.
[06:19] FIDO to Flight, initial calculations show we should still reach the boundary. Details in a minute.
[06:21] FIDO to Flight, we’re still good for a brief sub-orbit, but lost a lot of mission time. Updated period is about… four minutes, instead of original thirty-five. Pegging recovery out in the Zabo ocean.
[06:22] Flight to All. Despite our little mishap, I’m proud to announce mission success. We have our first suborbital rocket flight. The Azalar dynamics folk will get their data today.
[06:22] [Sounds of applause and jubilation]

Corrected Date; Before Launch 109.2.21

[This entry is a copy of a lab journal made by the head of the University of Novus’ physics department, Prinel, regarding the then-new technology using radioactive material to generate energy]

We’re so close now. All our calculations show that a softer, more careful burst of neutrons to drive a slow, self-sustaining reaction will generate enough heat to spin a turbine without reaching criticality. In theory, the generation itself creates new neutrons to cause more reactions which create new neutrons… so on. This may finally, after years of toil and argument, be a feasible replacement for those foul koal plants. Some members of the team have expressed concern that this new kind of- reactor, as it were, could be used to unleash all the energy in these hot elements at once, in an explosion on a scale I am hesitant to even speculate on. But none in the ASTU would do so, I am certain. I am doubly certain this kind of energy generation is the key to a new future for our world, where we no longer pollute the air and choke the cities, on top of the already oppressive light from Azal.

Our designs do still need a fair bit of tweaking… and our protections. Jokruth came down with the exposure sickness yesterday, and some of the health fellows are adamant it’s from our reaction materials. We thought we had provided enough of a shielding with the tin alloy, but I suppose we will need a denser material, especially now that we understand the nature of these energy bursts. I cannot contain my hope for this technology, we could cleanly and safely propel our civilization away from wanton consumption. Sourcing this uranite and plutonite is certainly going to be a challenge as well. The highest concentrations in the earth were found to be in old Troseim, but the land is so barren and inhospitable, very few dare to set up any significant mining there. Even still, we must continue. This potential is too great to allow minor concerns to stop us now.

Corrected Date; Before Launch 107.10.12

[This entry is a photograph of a magazine from New Novus, reporting on the successful deployment of Elysria’s first ever solar observatory, Oculon]

Navres 12
Tech Talk Iss. 201
OCULON DATA ARRIVES – NEW ERA IN AZALAR STUDIES

After a tense few decades rapidly iterating on rocketry and space flight, the ASTU has finally reported on its crowning achievement in its current long-term plan today. The Oculon Wavelength Observatory is a brand-new kind of machine- one utilizing the cutting edge of modern advancements in nuclear power, Azalar sensory, and ground-based telemetry to deliver a constant stream of observations of our unfriendly star; all entirely automated. The primary benefit of this “satellite” is that it lies beyond the extremes of our planet’s atmosphere, which filters and reflects a staggering amount of emissions from Azal. With the OWO pointedly watching over Azal every moment of every day, the ASTU will never miss another clue in the mysteries of the ball of angry gas.

The OWO features the highest definition cameras and spectrographs currently available to any market, as well as a suite of gyroscopes for stability and a brand new “computer” capable of autonomously measuring changes in the size, shape, color, emissions, spin, movement, or any other conceivable physical attribute that Azal may have. These results are reported, pre-analyzed, via radio to the ground in a constant stream of updates to a sister computer at ASTU Central, a new method of communication from the burst updates previous rockets and satellites have had. The organization has confirmed that the satellite is already sending data, the contents of which ASTU has remained oddly tight-lipped about. A follow-up launch of a distance telescope to observe other stars nearby is scheduled early next year. We’re all looking forward to learning more about the cosmic clock, especially for Azal.

Corrected Date; Before Launch 95.11.13

[This entry is a video of a release from ASTU Central to all member nations, featuring ASTU communications chief Krasnev summarizing the results of the OWO and AWOO missions, and also serves as an early example of a new communication medium in the era, television; the translated transcript is below]

To all peoples of ASTU, and indeed to all of Elysria, The most dedicated of our Azalar scientists and astronomers have made their conclusions about the nature of our star. We now know that, through some twist of circumstance for our world, Azal is near the end of its lifespan. Our star is much larger than its neighbors, and as best as we can tell, that means it burns hotter, brighter, and much faster than your typical, or average, star. It is indeed a candle that burns twice as bright, but half as long. There is no effort, from ASTU or otherwise, that could possibly seek to annul the march of time, particularly for a star. We have, in a moment of sadness and tragedy, discovered that there is no saving Elysria.

We must make clear that in our observations of other stars in the space all around us, many flash out of existence in a great and awesome detonation with a blinding light and energy that briefly dwarfs anything around it, and we are nearly certain our star is one that is approaching that same end. It must first swell to a size greatly larger than what it is now, so large that our planet itself will be engulfed in its tormented plasma. This process has already started, and one we have tracked; Azal is 8% larger now than it was when OWO launched. The process will accelerate over time. So… this world, and everything on it, is doomed.

But far be it for ASTU or the people of Elysria to give up. We have spent nearly a century with ingenuity, cunning, unity, and drive to tackle this mystery, to learn the secrets of space flight and nuclear energy, of computing and radio. We can peer into the cosmic veil and see the wonders that lie in wait, we know that there are other worlds, perhaps one like our own, that exist in that sea of light. I know, without a doubt, that we can confront this new reality together just as we did the old. We shall strive forever forward, together, in defiance of that burning end.

Corrected Date; Before Launch 90.3.25

[This entry is a portion of an audio recording of a meeting between several ASTU conservationist specialists and directors, determining the needs to ensure the safeguarding of biodiversity in the future; the transcript follows]

[Lewis] There’s just no room, there won’t be food, not for every type of creature. We can freeze the-
[Asher] What? Just freeze them like popsicles and stuff them in a closet? These are living things.
[Lewis] If we can’t find a way to increase the rate of preservation we’ll have to prioritize whi-
[Asher] Oh so just pick and choose which to die or get put on ice? Thousands of species, favor to the pets?
[Shanlo] What I think he means, Asher, is that trying to keep a population that can still be large enough to stave off congenital defects would take resources and volume that is simply impossible to maintain in any realistic fashion. We could.. try to only take adolescents?
[Asher] I don’t see how adolescents solve that or the other pro-
[Lewis] Embryos.
[Asher] What?
[Lewis] We can.. preserve embryos.
[Asher] And how do you propose we do that, exactly? Already fragile enough without the deep freeze, no? Can we even extract embryos from the womb to freeze them?
[Lewis] Medicine advances every day. Eventually..
[Shanlo] But- until then we need to keep as many alive as possible. Until whatever solution is devised to save everything.
[Asher] Does that save the most vulnerable of our world now?
[Shanlo] No. But I think you know that Lewis is right, and that’s what makes you the most upset. We will, inevitably, have to choose what can be saved.

Corrected Date; Before Launch 69.4.20

[This entry is a copy of the text of the introduction to the Global Union Tenets, signed by delegates of nearly every nation on Elysria, officially ceding governmental authority to the GU that was formally adopted by the GU structure on the indicated date- for all intents and purposes, this organization merged the ASTU with a formal government for the purposes of escaping Elysria via spaceflight; the original document is on display in the Forever Archive Museum on the Dawn]

Let it be known and proclaimed that the entities undersigned, by merit of their agreement and signing of this document, do cede their authority to self-govern, and to engage in all matters of state and regulation, to codify and create the Global Union; established in accordance with these Tenets and composed of all members of the undersigned; to utilize fully all resources, industries, organizations, markets, utilities, infrastructure, technologies, doctrines, assets, and any non-listed functional and useable entity within Elysrian society for the purposes of defying the end of the globally united Elysrian people at the paws of stellar fate.

The Global Union shall, henceforth, exist to maintain and keep the lives of all Elysrian citizens in the highest regard, and not allow any economic, logistic, or industrial concern reduce or negatively impact the quality of life of the Elysrian peoples; and strive to direct and influence global efforts, as much as possible, to the goals of allowing Elysrian society and culture to survive and establish itself on a new home in the stars. To this effect, the Global Union shall take control of all public organizations and efforts already established, and adopt any private enterprise as needed for the purpose of becoming a multi-planet civilization.

In order to affect these changes with haste and simplicity, the undersigned nations cede all claims to historical and future territory, and immediately divulge control of their current claims to the Global Union in perpetuity, such that no border, physical or diplomatic, can separate the people of Elysria in their survival. These regions shall operate in complete synchronicity, for the good of all on Elysria. And such shall all do their utmost, defined in the Tenets, to ensure as many as possible, and as much of this world as possible, live on in the stars above.

Corrected Date; Before Launch 58.11.26

[This entry is a copy of a technical readout of communications provided by the Iratus Azalar observatory; a permanent observation platform placed at Elysria Lagrange-1 whose primary duty was to measure the expansion of the star, both physically and with emissions]

Sleep cycle end – Systems check… panels ok, thrusters ok, lens ok, sensors ok; systems responsive; Alignment check
Azimuth – Undefined, Deviation from Zenith – 0.13* //\\ Protocol override, RCS burst, 0.05 seconds, correction-
RCS Fired - RCS Stopped -Roll corrected - RCS Fired - RCS Stopped - Roll arrested
Deviation from Zenith – 0.02* //\\ Parameter corrected
Measurement started, lens cycling, 1ms bursts started
X-ray sequence, captured; ultraviolet sequence, captured; visual light sequence, error; infrared sequence, error
Calibration scale incorrect by 0.004 Standard Lum, protocol override- checking logs
Previous scale incorrect by 0.004 Standard Lum, previous scale incorrect by 0.004 Standard Lum, previous scale incorrect by 0.003 Standard Lum… Previous corrections replicated, scale corrected.
Visual and infrared data successfully applied to scale; radio sequence, captured
Analyzing visual light- radius increase by 0.02% from previous series, brightness increase by 0.001% from previous series
Transmission phase, emitter aligned- transmitting data;
Receipt confirmed
Sleep cycle set for 20 hours, sleep cycle started

Corrected Date; Before Launch 51.4.3

[This entry is a transcript from a portion of a speech of Governor Prangel at the first complete power-up of the protective dome around New Novus City, whose climate systems could finally combat the average exterior temperature of 50*C]

Ah, fellow Elysrians, I can see the relief on your faces. Trust me when I say I have shared your apprehension over this prototype technology being tested on, and well above, our fair corner of the Union. It seemed an impossibility when the GU first pitched their dome idea to us, but truly, it is a wonder what we can actually do when we all work together. A project that seemed, frankly, fictitious in ambition and in practicality, but one that cannot be denied by the evidence of our eyes… and our comfort. No more shall the panting of some of our neighbors be the only sounds on the streets, or for those of us that could sweat, the scent of our excretions an affront to every nose in a block.

[scattered laughter]

With this city-wide dome, which not only shelters us from the harsh rays of Azal, but also forms a barrier between the carefully controlled air within- we may once again frequent the.. well, sort of outside spaces of our city. We can once again be confident in the growth of plants and trees that beautify our lives and remind us of what has been lost out in the scorched wilderness. It provides a place of coordination for our efforts to gather the bounty of the world outside, without fear of having to abandon storage or logistics to the fires or the flares.

But I do feel your concerns for the future as well. The dome, by its very nature, means that we cannot expand outward any further. That it does not solve the dwindling land available for farming. That we find ourselves with more and more paws in need and empty maws. As troubling as it is, I hope we can all remember that this is how our people will survive into the future. That our ingenuity, our unity, can overcome any challenge. And now that this dome is done, this technology and process can be refined and replicated the world over to keep all of Elysria safe. Remember in the past it was the ancient queen of old Novus that started our thrust into the united future. And though the old countries are gone, I am very proud to be part of our Global Union now to carry on that trend.

Corrected Date; Before Launch 39.8.23

[This entry is a copy of a dispatch from GUHQ, detailing the establishment of the Pathfinder Initiative and the Legacy Project, officially directing global efforts to find and reach a new planet for the Elysrian culture to live]

For immediate dispatch to all GU citizens; Pathfinder Initiative and Legacy Project are active. These may disrupt your normal tasks as necessary.

For the benefit of those not involved in these programs;

The planning phase is complete. All project managers and regional governors have enacted their assigned phase schedules and duty rosters. All observatories but for Iratus are re-tasked from Azal study to scanning the stars for exoplanets. Launch facilities around the world are now proceeding with delivering the payloads for the establishment of several temporary “spaceports” that will collectively construct our crowning space-dock, the Atlan. The danger of the work has been minimized with the newest advancements in materials and computerized automations.

The Pathfinder Initiative divisions assigned to finding a habitable exoplanet have been entitled to most of the world’s idle-time computing power to analyze telescope imagery and telemetry, as sensor resolution is not particularly high at distances past a couple of light-years. This is an issue we have no practical solution for, but research is always being performed on every avenue of means to explore the stars for a potential home. Rest assured, Azalar study is still being performed by a specialized task force with their own dedicated hardware.

Our needs for orbital infrastructure to provide the means to reach any new home is now in the hands of the Legacy Project, a collection of industrial initiatives using most of the world’s metallurgy and electronics manufacturing capabilities to create an orbital spacedock, Atlan, that can then construct and test all sorts of prototype vessels and technologies for space travel. This requires most launch capacity of the remaining launch sites to be in the hands of the Project, preventing private launch needs. This also means that large parts of the supply of usable metals, ores, and rare elements are earmarked for the Project and luxury uses may suffer from the low priority.

These inconveniences and shortfalls for the public or private sectors are made in the interest of Elysrian survival with these projects. May they carry the spirit of our unity and ingenuity to the very heavens.

Corrected Date; Before Launch 30.9.15

[This entry is a copy of a digital newspaper that reports on the Global Union, the Annotated Times of Elysria, detailing the end of any non-sanctioned outer dome work and the finishing of the Atlan]

ATE
Ashga 15

Dome Airlocks Closed to Non-GU Traffic / Legacy Project finishes frame of Spacedock Atlan

In a double announcement today, the Union has first decreed that due to safety concerns surrounding the increasing instability of the world climate that they are closing down dome airlocks globally to all non-Union traffic, with the lone exception of Elysrian citizens seeking to enter domes as new citizens. While very few people still travel outside the domes, there were some seeking emigration or explorations of their personal heritages in areas of the world now considered to be off-limits. This lockdown has been anxiously awaited for some time as increasing warnings have been made regarding that even the travel zones between domes have become purely hostile to life. Equipment and citizens have increasingly been lost to heat and dryness. Only highly specialized Union gear can now be guaranteed to survive trips into the Azal Wastes. The Union has declined to comment on the impending food supply shortages worldwide, as rationing continues to tighten in all domes.

The second announcement, on a lighter note, is that the framework for the long-planned (and delayed) Atlan spacedock has been completed this past few weeks. Following this important step in establishing the base for all Legacy Project production from here on out, the supporting construction platforms will be integrated into the frame and converted into various functional modules. Habitation, life support, and logistical bays will be developed in parallel to allow a workforce to be permanently habituated on the station. Union spokespeople exalted the capabilities of the dock in building any and all space vessels that Elysria could ever want or need, re-assuring a worried world about the hope of transitioning into a space faring collection of species. While no announcement has been made about its sister project, the Pathfinder Initiative, we’re certain that progress is being made.

Corrected Date; Before Launch 22.8.11

[This entry is a copy of a portion of the famous Traya Diaries, describing the initial fabrication of jump fuel by physicist Keyleigh Traya, the single most important result of the Legacy Project’s research division]

— and while the cost of these materials and the equipment to use them in was prohibitive to the extreme, I cannot understate my satisfaction with their performance. With the new capture matrix, we can recycle the decay products back into the reaction for additional catalysis, which appears to “shear” off transient muons, leaving only a framework of bottoms and tops that are arranged in a kind of jagged torus shape. The physical interactions with this “strangely” charged particle were very interesting, and the shape fluctuated under various conditions, so we think if we can stabilize the physical form to allow other particles to interact with the center ring, we might… learn something. We don’t know what, but it will certainly be something.

We’re fairly certain that the shape of this new particle is important. We have some theoretical proofs from some mathematician from Novus, a guy named Wheeler (which we may or may not have used to make the thing in the first place). If they hold up, there’s some interesting implications in the underlying interactions between this weird ring and many fundamental particles, but we also need to have quite a bit of kinetic energy to bring the formulas in line. The problem we’re having is achieving a stable form while also bombarding the structure with other reactants at a high enough energy. There are various changes the particle undergoes from many common manipulations, but they all interfere with each other. You fix one pipe as it were, and spring a leak in another bend.

So, we’re prototyping a chamber that can project a magnetic field strong enough to force the particle’s shape to be uniform while also allowing a proton accelerator shunt through the field at a perpendicular crossing- just to see what happens. The budget estimates are making the accountants grow gray fur, but the Project has made a dedication for almost unlimited resources at this point.. we have a veritable infinity playground for our inner children, therefore we’re just trying anything. I just hope we aren’t wasting material that other labs or even the citizenry could be making use of. But I suppose the whole point of the Union is deciding that so people like me can just work. Who knew the dream of limitless science would come with the end of the world.

Corrected Date; Before Launch 12.3.22

[This entry is a video of an interview made by Union engineer Espon about the very first test of the inflation drive, using jump fuel to reach the gas giant Karis, in the same system as Elysria, recorded for tabloid news a few days later; transcript follows]

And when the test ship vanished from control and we lost telemetry, it felt different than normal. Our outer planet probes and certain slingshots around some of the moons and maneuvers like that would always have a few minutes of lost signal, but it was always- it never felt like, apprehensive? We knew before that everything was probably just fine and we had to wait, and yeah sure some folk would be anxious, but with the inflation drive everyone had a million questions on our minds. Was the coordinate system robust enough? Did we do enough checks on the containment fields? Was the process going to cause a lot of structural damage? Would the physical act of doing this cause problems in the launch area or the exit zone? Like, we knew we had spent months and months thinking of every possibility we could, even completely insane things like tearing a hole into the flesh dimension or your typical Pawlywoo stuff like that. But even then it’s like, in those few minutes waiting for a signal to come from the test ship, everything was on edge, quiet… the fate of the world hung in the balance and we all felt it.

So when the little green light pops on and you start receiving the tight-beam uplink, you’d think we’d all feel jubilant but honestly I heard more sighs of relief than cheers, all those little anxieties piled up and were let go. We very quickly got all the data, the ship was right where we wanted it, the diagnostics were showing no damage to the structure, the jump drive’s systems were all still online, the guys over in theoretical physics had really locked in and succeeded. So the partying did start after a few minutes, we had some of the last bottles of genuine Novus wine from those old vineyards outside the dome. It didn’t taste as good as I expected.

It took a few minutes before some analyst was yapping about some error in the log, and we basically had to be annoyed to go check it out, he had noticed the temporal displacement thing first. It was microseconds, barely noticeable, but our computers were basically top of the line at the time so they had flagged it immediately, we just had to… notice. And it only took a few basic troubleshooting steps to acknowledge there was no equipment problem, it must be real. We remote’d the ship to a few more spots for experiment integrity and it was present in every jump so we had that sinking feeling come back. What kind of future would a ship or fleet of refugees show up to? It was a minor setback in an otherwise, literally, total savior moment of our project.

Corrected Date; Before Launch 5.4.3

[This entry is a video of Global Union President Namarall making a crowning speech for the official completion of the Nascent Dawn, the very vessel this archive is carried by, in its naming day; the transcript follows]

Raise your eyes to the skies and marvel, hope, and observe! That giant twinkle of star directly above is the future of our people. Today our fate has been averted in defiance of the very cosmos. Even now, the final coat of paint is being applied to the great ship that shall carry our legacy to another star. While we may not yet know what star that is, we are prepared to take that leap as soon as our brave Pathfinders point the way. In accordance with our global poll and the input of some of our beloved committees [muffled laughter] this marvel of a vessel shall be henceforth known as the Nascent Dawn! [clearer sounds of cheering, glass breaking]

Our not-distant ancestors struggled with the idea of a world beset by a strange dearth of stability, an oddity of death that crept in from the outskirts of knowledge and mind. Instead of fearing it, and each other, as they would have in the old cultures, they banded together to face their troubling reality head on. And today, we are the results of those decisions. Each and every one of us, Elysrians all, remain defiant in the face of a tragedy that could have splintered us to our doom. Thus is the name of this vessel emblazoned in the heavens above us, for we reach not to our graves, but to a New Horizon, and to the sight of a sunrise not originally our own. [sounds of more cheering]

But I would be remiss to not take a darker moment to remember that for as much as we have gained and stayed together, there was just as much lost. Our world is barren, scarred, the surface seared away. Animals and fish and even surface water are a thing of the past, reconciled to the archives of memory and computers. There are many interred in the quiet sides of empty mountains turned tombs from our own inability to feed them. There are now children alive who have never had the wonder of discovering a babbling brook or the purple ambiance of a forest grove. It is for these that our hearts bleed, and why we strike out from our hellscape of a home, to give our children, our people a future. Many of us… myself included- will not be able to step aboard the Dawn. [the cheers die down for a quiet]

But I am not saddened by this. I ask of you to not be saddened by your own trappings here either, as we have not cast the lots, but ensured the maximum probability of our pioneers and survivors to succeed. And succeed they must, for hundreds of years of effort, unity, discourse, diplomacy, government, and struggle has led to this day. The day we know for sure, we can survive. We all contributed to this, every last soul that lives or has lived on this world. It should not be understated how important every one of you have been and will continue to be until the day that baby star [the speaker points above] is floating above a new world. Until then as always, we remain globally united, together in this task, as Elysrians. For the future.

Corrected Date; Before Launch 0.3.14

[This entry is a copy of an audio-only security recording from Pathfinder Initiative headquarters immediately following the return of the Nirad, exploration skiff captained by Zeke Shawson, a few months before launch day; the transcript is below]

Zeke: Listen Shaps, we found it.. the place. A gem. It has everything, water, plant life, animals, a bit of a messy atmo composition, but it’s the place!
Shaps: Look, we need to the run the data to be sure, just a few pretty pictures from your camera-
Zeke: Are you kidding me? We haven’t found a single world that fits any sort of habitable definition before now and you want to stop and check what, fault lines? We need to start Launch, now.
Shaps: I understand that you are excited by this prospect but we do have some Prime Directives to compare the-
Zeke: I’ll make this easy for you. Here’s an order from [unintelligible for the next few words, file corrupted].
[pause]
Shaps: Well then. Fine, Shawson. You win. I’ll announce to the Union we found it, the new world. I’m still going to direct the analysts to take a look at all that data.
Zeke: Yeah, that’s totally fine, we just need to get started right away.
Shaps: Why so insistent on this rush?
Zeke: Our planet is burning hotter every day and you want to argue for dragging our paws? Should I find a second, million-in-one world first to satisfy you?
Shaps: It’s just.. unusual for you to be so.. jumpy. And especially with this letter…
Zeke: I want to start a family. I have never had the chance knowing that there may never be a future for my children, or grandchildren, or their families. We have the best chance we are ever going to get. Let’s -take- it.
[pause]
Shaps: I hope you realize you’ll be the one attributed with this discovery. For all time.
Zeke: I know.