Voidship

A voidship is a Veltherian spacecraft designed to travel instantaneously from one point to another.

Voidships are named not for the void of space, but for the unique method of travel that they employ, based on the magical principles behind translocation. The thaumatics which allow a voidship to operate are also realised in other vehicles: void chariots are small vehicles for up to eight people, often used for land travel in unsafe conditions such as on the surface of Mars; and void drones, which are remotely-piloted minioncraft designed for the defence of the A'vel System.

History
Several of the Old Tales provide accounts of mystics translocating (disappearing from one place and appearing instantaneously in another), however it is not the nature of these stories to be verifiable. Even so, they so pervaded the popular imagination that when humanity discovered Cáwi, the Keystone of Continuum, many began to ask if translocation could become a reality.

After a considerable amount of study it was discovered that space and time were not expansive places in which objects existed, but in fact the properties of objects which caused them to be extended from one another in the first place. This meant that one’s position in space and moment in time could be directly manipulated. Early attempts to put this principle into practice proved unsuccessful until reference was made to tomes written by the ancient mystic Merlin, whose hitherto disregarded texts gave a method for stabilising living beings undergoing the process. Not long after that, the first successful human translocation occurred.

The challenge of translocating off-planet, to follow signs that one of the Keystones was upon the surface of the Moon, meant that translocation had to be performed en masse, affecting multiple persons stably and simultaneously. Not only that, but since thaumatics had yet to be invented and the first eidolon was centuries away, the calculations would have to be performed painstakingly by scholars.

The Institute for Planetary Research and Expedition built Selene, a vessel specifically created to be teleported, and which was given airtight chambers to allow exploration of the moon’s surface. The mission was successful, and Ylias was recovered, allowing the creation of materials that would make future expeditions far easier. Though not a true voidship, Selene remains enshrined in the Academy of Void Exploration’s colossal museum outside Paris, seen as the forerunner of void travel.

The first true Voidship was Mixcoatl [mish-KO-atl], which famously arrived some way above the surface of Mars in AH 251. The translocation was not only successful, but replicable (with enough time given to the necessary calculations), and so the new generation of explorers, cosmonauts, arrived in full view of the popular imagination.

Later on, void travel became necessary when AVE determined to visit other planes of existence, and to greatly expand its exploration of other stars. There are now hundreds of voidships, and tens of thousands of remotely-guided probes, mapping the cosmos.

The Void Shell
The void shell is the least visible component of void travel, yet it is the very aspect which gives the process its name. A void shell is a field thrown around a vessel by the Infinium (see below), which effectively severs the vessel from the surrounding universe. The outer surface of the void shell and the inner surface can then be manipulated by the Infinium, resulting in translocation.

Veltheria lacks physicists who can make sense of the nature of void shells, except that they are known to be infinitesimally thin membranes composed of ‘astral void’, the timeless, spaceless, energyless nothing into which, conceptually at least, the universe expands. During a given translocation, the void shell exists only for a fraction of a second; a thicker shell or one held for too long risks collapsing in on itself, potentially erasing everything within from existence.

In short, the outer surface of the voidshell is given a different set of locational properties than the inner contents, meaning that for a fraction of a second the contents exist in two locations simultaneously, before being forced to resolve according to the location of the outer shell. Meanwhile the shell itself allows the contents, no matter how complex or numerous, to be treated as one single object, obviating the need for the more complex calculations needed for traditional translocation.

The Infinium
The Infinium is the thaumatic device which generates and maintains the void shell, and which can manipulate the locational properties of the outer surface. Though this purpose can be summarised in a sentence, it is an intricate piece of technology. If a few hundred people have some knowledge of the maintenance and operation of an Infinium, perhaps a dozen understand the mechanical, material and thaumic principles behind building one.

While the technology has certainly been improved upon since the earliest Infinia were built, they have not varied much in appearance. An Infinium has the appearance of an orb of frosted glass, filled with wavering rings of scintillating iridescent light, floating in various directions, almost resembling smoke rings. In their inner core is an orb of yliaster-infused diamond, which stores some of the most dense clusters of highly ordered auriaster found outside of an eidolon.

Like all thaumatic devices, the Infinium is fuelled by glimmerstones (translucent lodestones filled with highly disordered auriaster). Yet the Infinium is one of the most energy-taxing thaumatic devices, for its size, ever constructed. A voidship generally stores only a few glimmerstones of sufficient complexity, since they are difficult to manufacture and the auriaster within is liable to degenerate if improperly handled. Infinia are extraordinarily hardy, however. Even were a voidship to be utterly destroyed, the Infinium would be expected to be found intact.

Other capabilities
Voidships generally possess methods of propulsion besides the Infinium, of course. A series of powerful aether-jets allows for flight at around 8 kilometers per second (in newer-built voidships, assuming full power and ideal conditions). Cruising speed for a voidship using the aether-jets is generally around 3 kilometers per second. Excessive speed maintained for an excessive period will generally risk degeneration of the lodestones which produce the aetheric jets.

Voidships are not usually outfitted with weapons, save for a few that operate at the heart of the Void Fleet. Even then, preference is given to defensive countermeasures. Besides the fact that most voidships’ outer hulls are made from high-grade mithril, impervious to all but the most severe damage, a voidship can expect to be outfitted with a thaumic shield, which is usually not activated until needed.

Most voidships are given an eidolon to regulate internal systems, and to allow a smooth interface for the crew. Most recently, sufficiently powerful eidolons have been created to make all necessary calculations for using the Infinium.

Voidships feature an array of sensors, though Veltheria’s lack of a modern physics discipline means that the ships’ sensors are primarily focused on magical and visual detection.

Thaumic power for the ship and its various systems is provided by a central lodespire, which draws static thaumic energy directly from the aether. A few of the ship’s components (such as the Infinium) require auriaster to function correctly, and are often fuelled by glimmerstones brought onboard for that purpose.

Crew and facilities
Voidships are built to be comfortable for crew, particularly for missions expected to be longer than a few days. Most modern voidships require a crew of around a dozen, since the eidolon (coupled with a few minions) can maintain and operate most onboard systems. Spare accommodation is available on most voidships for specialists and seekers.

Voidships maintain a breathable atmosphere at an adjustable temperature and humidity, and rationed food-packs are usually provided in tandem with a domestic grade alteration crucible to transform the packs into palatable meals. Potable water can be trivially produced, and none needs to be stored.

Some voidships are outfitted with diplomatic quarters for receiving foreign guests, though this is reserved for missions with diplomatic outreach explicitly in the brief.

Voidships typically feature an observatory, with holographic replication of the voidship’s surroundings. Many offer the capability to augment this view with filters and other sensory data.