Star Trails Compendium Read online

Companion Volume to the Star Trails Tetralogy

  The Star Trails Compendium

  Terms, Definitions, Weather, Political Structure, and Planetary Description of the Cyrarian Planetary System

  Compiled by

  Marcha Fox

  This is a work of fiction created to accompany the novels in the Star Trails Tetralogy series. While some of the information contained herein such as scientific terminology is accurate, much of it is fictitious and only intended to clarify places, technologies and situations referred to in the stories. Many are products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales or entities living or dead is entirely coincidental.

  Kalliope Rising Press

  P.O. Box 23

  Burnet, Texas 78611

  2nd Edition

  Copyright © 2015 by Marcha Fox

  All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. For information contact the publisher through the above address or via email to [email protected].

  Visit https://www.StarTrailsSaga.com for additional information

  Cover design, interior design and illustrations by the author

  ISBN 978-13-10209376

  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be resold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to your favorite ebook retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  Star Trails Tetralogy

  by Marcha Fox

  Beyond the Hidden Sky

  A Dark of Endless Days

  A Psilent Place Below

  Refractions of Frozen Time

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  Star Trails Terms and Definitions

  A

  B

  C

  D

  E

  F

  G

  H

  I

  J

  K

  L

  M

  N

  O

  P

  Q

  R

  S

  T

  U

  V

  W

  Y

  Z

  Star System Facts

  Cyrarian Weather

  Calmanac

  Political Structure

  Indigenous Population

  Star Trails Tetralogy Book Descriptions

  About the Author

  Discussion and Lesson Plan Suggestions

  Beyond the Hidden Sky Discussion

  A Dark of Endless Days

  A Psilent Place Below

  Refractions of Frozen Time

  STAR TRAILS TERMS AND DEFINITIONS

  A

  Aborra: A private area where a person could keep their personal possessions and have some degree of privacy. It sometimes but not always included a sleeping cyll.

  Acceleration Shell: A gel-filled inflatable shield that absorbs extreme accelerations incident to space travel which is similar to the effects of being submerged in a tank of water.

  Advanced Life Support and Intervention Center (ALSIC): Similar to a modern Earth hospital but with more advanced technologies.

  Aerogel: Extremely light substance used for insulation as well as a medium used in space experiments to capture cosmic dust or particles moving at an extremely high velocity.

  Ahir Budhyana: A mythological god associated with water and darkness and stands for the combination of consciousness with eternity. It can also represent wisdom in the form of a snake. This deity is honored on Earth as well in India where it is part of the Vedic tradition.

  Algon, Algonian: Fictitious star-system located in the fourth quadrant of the Sagittarius Arm of the Hostii (Milky Way) galaxy and location of the planet, Verdaris.

  Algorithm: A specific procedure for calculating a certain result either in math or computer programming.

  Anachorda Corridor: Fictitious area of the galaxy between two blackholes and various other objects with a lot of gravity which compress space and time naturally, creating the same effect as a starship’s third harmonic warp drive which compresses distance by a ratio of a thousand to one. A very dangerous route for inexperienced spacers, however, due to inherent instabilities.

  Angular Velocity: Speed typically measured in degrees of an object rotating around a central axis such as a planet.

  Anoia: Fictitious sport on Mira III which has similarities to baseball, basketball and soccer.

  Antimatter Annihilation: The process which occurs when matter and antimatter connect and destroy each other.

  APU: See Auxiliary Power Unit

  Aquifer: Water deposit or underground river contained within layers of rock.

  Arcturian: Fictitious, highly intelligent being from the star-system, Arcturus that has the appearance of a human-sized ant. They communicate using telepathy and require everyone to agree (consensus) before taking action.

  Asylum: Giving a person such as one accused of a crime a safe place to stay, such as someone leaving a hostile country and going to one where they will be treated fairly.

  Asystolic: Medical condition when a person’s heart stops beating, i.e. cardiac arrest.

  Automaton: Fictitious term for a robotic device designed for a specific task. Appearance is that of a machine as opposed to human.

  Auxiliary Power Unit (APU): Unit similar to a battery used to generate electricity and thus power a space craft.

  Avionics: Electronics related to the operation of aviation and space vehicles.

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  B

  Ballome: Portable structures formed from inflatable epoxy that cures and hardens in the ultraviolet rays of the sun. Used for temporary outposts on primitive worlds. Most contain basic heating and cooling systems and gel insulation that protects from most climates as well as plumbing. Usually have a galley kitchen, living area and two bedrooms equipped with built-in sleeping cylls.

  Benefics: The positive energy inherent in the Universe which can be manifested through good deeds and thoughts. In areas where it predominates it can provide metaphysical assistance to mankind.

  Bezarna: Fictitious blackhole used as a galactic prison from which no one can escape.

  Biometrics: Electronic recognition of an individual based on facial recognition technology.

  Blackhole: What is left of a massive star’s core after its life ends. Relatively small yet extremely dense and heavy, their gravity is so strong that even light cannot escape.

  Bnolar: A cave-dwelling species indigenous to Cyraria. They measure over two meters tall when fully erect, supported by two heavy back legs and a long, heavy tail for balance (similar to a kangaroo). They have six arms and scooplike paws with three heavy claws which enable them to dig through dirt extremely fast. Multi-layered skin is irridescent so it reflects heat as well as detached from muscle tissue giving it a cloak-like in appearance. Their deepset eyes are veiled by skin layers when exposed to sunlight but appear as silver orbs when inside their caverns.

  Bondling: Legal mate or spouse bound to another person through a ceremony performed by the Ledorian Order.

  Bowl Bush: Fictitious plant native to Cyraria with flowers which resemble a large bowl and a large, bulbous edible root.

  Brain, Left or Right: The brain is divided down the middle in
to two obvious sides which are referred to as the right and left hemispheres. The right hemisphere tends to be more creative and intuitive and the left hemisphere more logical. Most people use one side more than the other while some do well using both.

  Brazoboro: Fictitious tree native to the planet, Verdaris with branches which have ring-like groupings of needle-like leaves similar to Earth’s pine trees.

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  C

  Calmanac: Combination calendar, almanac and ephemeris used on Cyraria to track the seasons, temperature, dust and ultraviolet radiation levels, position of the dual suns, which are visible and for how long, and the probability of storms and ground quakes.

  Capacitance: The amount of electrical charge stored in a device known as a capacitor.

  Cavern: Underground cave formed either by rain dripping through limestone and dissolving it or an underground river.

  =CC=: Cyrarian Credit used as money on Cyraria.

  C-com: Common term for a fictitious device known formally as a Cerebral Companion. Similar to Earth’s “smart phones” in its ability to access information, it also can store a person’s thoughts and knowledge which is downloaded and accessed telepathically. An extension of a person's brain to which it is linked through a cell-mate quantum link. Its advanced capabilities utilize artificial intelligence which greatly augments its user's abilities.

  Cellulated Botonics: Fictitious term for cloned wood fiber used for construction on worlds where trees are rare or don't exist and there are no other suitable building materials.

  Centripetal Force: A force from the center, such as that imposed by a string attached to a rotating ball. Note that this is different from centrifugal force, the pseudo-force which is a form of inertia such as that generated by a centrifuge. Another example is when you feel as if you're pushed to the side opposite the direction in which a vehicle is turning as your body wants to continue moving the way it was going.

  Chimera padre: Literally means the genes inherited from the father but also used to refer to one’s father. Usually shortened to ‘merapa, similar to the casual Earth term, dad.

  Christoviatic: Fictitious properties capable of supporting teleportation or telepathy.

  Chron: Time measurement used when there is no visible sun or other means for observing the passage of time. Space term used to designate a day but consists of 26 Earth hours instead of the usual 24.

  Chronometer: Time measurement device similar to a clock or watch.

  Chronoviatic: Fictitious ability to facilitate time travel.

  Code 60: Fictitious term used as a warning or to designate an extreme emergency.

  Code Orange: Tenth level of the Miran Academic system which is identified by wearing an orange uniform. Each level has its own color for easy identification.

  Comcenter: Communication center where messages can be sent or received.

  Comcon: Communications console or terminal similar to a computer monitor except most project a holographic image into the air rather than being confined to a screen.

  Concurrency Reviews: Cyrarian equivalent of news broadcasts.

  Countermeasures: Actions taken to prevent something adverse from occurring.

  Cristobalite: Fictitious variety of crystal found in Cyrarian caverns. Their properties are unique, valuable and capable of transmitting thought (psi) waves and channeling information, i.e. cristoviatic properties.

  Cruiser: Non-wheeled vehicle used for transportation. Uses an impeller enclosed on the underside for lift, similar to a helicopter.

  Cryogenesis: Inducing stasis through the use of extreme cold such as with liquid nitrogen.

  Cut Set: Level within a Fault Tree. The first cut set is something that can go wrong and cause a device to fail. The second cut set is something that can cause the first cut set to fail, the third cut set causes the second to fail and so forth, creating a chain reaction of failures.

  Cyraria: Fictitious planet orbiting Xi star-system in the constellation Scorpio.

  Cyll: Advanced version of an enclosed bed with automatic temperature and support control for comfort like a very advanced Earth mattress.

  Cyrarian Space Facility (CSF): Massive spacestation in orbit around Cyrarian where incoming space vehicles dock and passengers obtain transportation to the surface.

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  D

  Dark Matter: Invisible matter in the Universe that has mass and gravity but cannot be seen.

  Dark Energy: Energy believed to be present in the Universe which can be converted into matter and thus form stars and planets.

  Decarachnid: A ten-legged arachnid or spider.

  Devenite: A form of cristobalite which not only facilitates the transmission of psi waves but has the ability to bend time based on input derived from the user's emotional center. Violet in color, the crystal is an intercalation compound which allows it to have chronoviatic (time travel) ability.

  Digichronometer: Digital time keeper, i.e. digital clock.

  Disinformation: Lies presented as if they are true in order to deceive and mislead others.

  Dununda: Underground Cyrarian city in Sigma/Epsilon covered by a massive, transparent dome.

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  E

  Eioatian: Fictitious massive intelligent space slug which can reach tens of meters in length, is devoid of emotion and has a natural distrust of humans.

  Electroid: Similar to a robot. Usually shortened simply to ‘troid.

  Electromagnetic radiation: The technical term for what we know as light.

  Ellipse: An ellipse is similar to a circle except it appears to be stretched out into more of an egg shape. To drawn an ellipse you can place to pins or thumbtacks into a piece of paper on a suitable surface (other than your mother's mahogany dining room table), tie a string to each one and then use the string to guide your path with a pencil. Each of the pins represents a focus (plural = foci). A circle is a special case where the two foci are in the same place or coincident.

  Cyraria's orbit around Zeta and Zinni is two ellipses connected in the middle between the two stars so that combined they look like a figure eight, which is also how the planet moves around them. A figure eight shape is known as a lemniscate. Some believe that such an orbit could not exist while others believe it could but it would be very unstable. The determining factor is the gravitational pull of each star. If one is much smaller and therefore likely to be weaker than the other, the other would be able to "steal" the planet and it would orbit one or the other in an elliptical orbit. It would also be possible to orbit them both in a single ellipse with each sun at a focus.

  Encephalographic Signature: Fictitious group of brainwave patterns that many people share which tells something about their temperament. Based on the electro-magnetic characteristics of a person’s brain. Different than a mindprint which is another level of detail and different for everyone.

  Encryption: Scrambling a signal or message into a form that disguises it so that no one else can read or understand it.

  Entry Buffers: Spacecraft system that slows and protects the craft from burning up during atmospheric entry or landing on a planet with an atmosphere.

  Ephemeris: A listing usually in table form of the positions of planets, moons, stars, the sun at a certain time as well as when events such as eclipses will occur.

  Eppy: Slang term used for an Elite Political Prisoner (EPP).

  Erebusite: Fictitious race of intelligent humanoids from the star-system Erebus. They possess a strong, stocky build, with scaled, mustard-colored, hairless skin. They have three fingers of equal length and a single eye protected by several, overlapping, horizontal eyelids which adjust like blinds to control light.

  Esheron: Fictitious planet continually at war over mineral rights and other planetary assets. The majority of men are fighting the wars while the women run the businesses and much of the governmental functions.

  Esheronian Contingency Law
: Law on Esheron intended to provide for women whose husbands die in the wars. They can join another family, usually that of a relative, and become an additional wife with permission from the first. Instituted to make sure that war widows are cared for if they are unable to care for themselves.

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  F

  Faster Than Light (FTL): Travel faster than the speed of light, usually achieved by warping space since nothing can travel faster than light which is 186,000 miles per second or 669,600,000 miles per hour.

  Fault Tree: Used in engineering to map out everything that can go wrong and cause something to not operate so that something can be done to assure the device will still work.

  Federal System: Political organization formed by agreement of its members who can still create most of their own laws while the central power provides such things as a common monetary system, law enforcement and/or various protective services or benefits.

  Flashers: Fictitious Cyrarian insects that live in colonies and resemble Earth’s cockroaches.

  Flauna: Species that combine the characteristics of both plants and animals.

  Flora peda telepathis or flora pedis telepathis: A fictitious species of flauna with telepathic abilities. They can also ambulate (walk) on broad-based leaves similar in size and shape to a seal's flippers. Some have judged their intelligence level to exceed that of humans.

  Flowstone: Cave or cavern formations forms by water erosion and looking as if they have been melted.

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  G

  Galactic Standard Year (GSY): Fictitious term for creating a standard time measurement. A year is usually defined by the time it takes a planet to make one revolution around its sun but since all planets do so at a different rate, a standard was set at 400 chrons, which is similar to a day but 26 hours long.

  Galarium: Similar to a library on Earth but without books, which don’t exist anymore. All information is stored on computers in a variety of formats similar to multi-media devices.

  Genour: Generic Nourishment. Dry cakes or bars made from stale grain as food when nothing else is available. Similar to Earth’s granola bars but not as tasty.

  Glyph: A symbol that stands for something specific and is often obvious enough for people to understand, even if they can’t read.

  Gravitational Assist: Using a planet’s gravity to give a spacecraft a boost of energy and thus velocity.

  Gravitational Vortex: A place where the gravity from a blackhole, several planets or stars combines in such a way as to create a gravitational whirlpool that could suck in and trap a spacecraft.