Difference between revisions of "Quarantine"

Revision as of 10:39, 4 August 2011

Both Sleeper and Talocan sites make reference to a large effort to quarantine objects. The logical conclusion is that both races were attacked by a highly deadly virus.

The Talocan show no signs of an infomorph society. Therefore there were either two really deadly viruses in the same area of space, or the Mirror's medical enclave refers to treating biological people.

Was the virus manufactured? A highly parasitic organism such as a virus doesn't usually evolve away from the host.All known races that have visited Anoikis have entered from New Eden, making it possible that it was an offshoot of a New Eden virus. That it evolved separate from the host is very low probability. However, it is within probability that the Sleepers had the ability to create such viruses.

For a digital virus to create itself it would require self-improving AI, potentially within the reaches of the Sleepers. There is no concrete evidence that they ever achieved sentient AI though. Both races would be able to create one without doubt, the question is whether they would be able to create one that ran on the other faction's hardware.

A third possibility is outright 'viral' warfare. This would allow the creation of even two separate viruses, one biological and one digital. However, given the intimacy of Sleeper/Talocan structures, as well as their ability to connect, ontop of the number of intact Talocan structures residing in 'Sleeper ruled' space, I think it unlikely that they fought any pitched battles.

In summary there are three high-probability cases: The two races engaged in viral warfare. If one virus was created, it was biological and it turned on the creator, the Sleepers were also biological. If two were created, then the Sleepers could be infomorphs and one virus was digital.

The virus was brought in and it attacked both races. It was biological in nature, the Sleepers were also biological.

Updated Information

Following on and diverging slightly, the topic of Sleeper/Talocan interaction:

Anoikis is in my opinion, the Sleeper Empire. The classification of the sites, the ferocity of defense, the type of sites point to a central hub with maximum presence all the way out to the borders (C6->C1 class systems).

Talocan Structures are found inside the 'Empire', up to C5 sites (camera-grabs/Site details need to be linked here). If there were a war that destroyed both Talocan and Sleeper civilisations, then why are there so many installations left standing and apparently in working order? Indeed, if there were a war, then we must consider the Sleepers the victors, why are there so many intact Talocan structures? Did they leave them to study? Possible, but you'd expect to find a site of an ancient battle now and again. A war that destroyed objects as large as the Talocan Polestar for example, would leave debris, is that what we're finding at Mag/Radar sites? Are they ancient battle-sites between the two powers?

Again, if a battle was fought, why did the Talocan not escape? They arrived and existed here in substantial numbers, did they co-exist well until something went wrong? Plenty of former Talocan stations exist, seemingly without damage, hardly consistent with a great war.

So what we have are two highly-advanced civilisations with all biological space-faring life eradicated, yet mechanical entities, living quarters etc still intact. A 'ghost empire' if you will. I suggest that the most appropriate explanation is that of plague. Mechanics exist unaffected, but everything biological is killed, leaving the empire more or less intact but without any inhabitants.

To move on to speculation, it would provide a reason why Anoikis was sealed off, the other races realised the dangers of the plague and so sealed Anoikis off from New Eden. We must also consider the possibility that both races didn't live in Anoikis at the same time, and that the virus/organism has a very high survivability/incubation. That's not to say that we should stop moving things between Anoikis and New Eden, that's just scare-mongering and there is no proof that it is still even in existence, but if a mysterious deadly plague happens to appear, Anoikis is worth investigation.