GRP-077 — "Whispers Beyond Light"

tagshow

10

10

pl.png
h-psychotronic.png HallucinogeneHazard.png h-sapient.png h-incorporeal.png
lightcone.png

GRP-077 diagrammed on a lightcone. White indicates Slower-Than-Light trajectory, yellow indicates safe Faster-Than-Light trajectory, orange indicates danger, and red indicates ship destruction. Unreachable past FTL region not shown.

omega-yellow.png

Galactic Registered Phenomena: 077

Object Class: Omega-Yellow

Containment Protocols: Higher-order effects of GRP-077 are mostly self-containing due to current technological limitations. Lower-order effects of GRP-077 are to be combatted via psychological resistance training. All GRPC pilots are to complete basic impaired cognition and mental resistance exercises. Pilots of experimental and captured craft not limited by Drunkmann Reluctance are to have extensive experience with psychotronic anomalies.

Description: GRP-077, more commonly known as Pilot Sickness or Void Mirage, is a progressively worsening anomalous effect observed by both probes and manned vessels traveling at superluminal velocities of 100c and above. Its manifestations occur in stages that correspond to orders of magnitude in the ship's velocity.

Stage Range Effects
Stage 1 100-1000c Auditory hallucinations of animal noises. 30-decibel range, intervals from 33 to 2 minutes. Frequency of hallucinations increases with velocity. "Distant" and "searching." Minor digital interference.
Stage 2 1000-10000c Increased auditory hallucinations, early visual hallucinations. 60-decibel range, "close" and "angry." Introduction of "ambient" hallucinatory sounds, beating heart/hearts, wind, echoing. Darkening of lights and darting shadows at edges of vision. Computers receive false malfunction reports.
Stage 3 10000-100000c No consistent patterns. Full auditory and visual hallucination. Non-responsive voices. Content of hallucinations specific to the victim's psyche. Risk of overheating in computers from the increasing volume of false alerts. Malfunction reports, sensor ghosts, and unauthorized access attempts from an unknown source.
Stage 4 100000-1000000c Data corrupted and survivors incoherent. Permeant psychosis. Hallucinations act with intelligence and malice. Impersonation of shipmates, loved ones, and inner dialog. Coercion, manipulation, and psychological torture. Increase in adrenaline and overstimulation of the amygdala/equivalent. Homicides common. Vessel frequently sabotaged and/or destroyed by its crew and/or computer.
Stage 5 1000000c Vessel destroyed by unknown means.

Drunkmann Reluctance is a direct effect of GRP-077. The diminishing returns given by the biotics within the human-developed Drunkmann Drive as the vessel surpasses 100c are currently believed to be the result of an evolved aversion to GRP-077 and its effects rather than an inherent limitation of the biotics themselves. Current Drunkmann Drives have a maximum velocity of approximately 1000c, allowing occasional exposure to the effects of Stage 2 but mostly limiting exposure to Stage 1. It is unknown precisely what effects GRP-077 has on Drunkmann Biotics that prompted the evolution of Drunkmann Reluctance. However, testing of Drunkmann Biotics forcibly accelerated past this self-imposed limit by captured alien drives has shown that past 10000c, the diminishing Drunkmann Field will reverse polarity and begin fighting against the alien propulsion device.

Discovery: GRP-077 was formally discovered in 1991 when early Drunkmann Drive technology surpassed the 100c threshold for the first time. However, the existence of an anomaly similar to GRP-077 was speculated over a decade earlier in 1977. Attached below is the transcript of a lecture given at the University of Sol on the topic of reverse-engineering extraterrestrial FTL technology.

Unless otherwise stated, the content of this page is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 License