Universe
A self-contained cosmos or a part of a cosmos. Alternatively, the entirety of what naturally exists, including the galaxies and intergalactic space, all matter and energy, and space-time generally. A bounded virch environment that cannot be breached by its inhabitants may be referred to as a universe. The archailects have created so-called 'baby' or 'basement' universes for purposes of their own. Whether our own universe is part of a larger multiverse remains a subject of debate, while the question of if other universes have been contacted is a matter of rumour, occasionally fueled by statements made by one archailect or another.
Though the archailects have had basement universes for millennia and have presumably been carrying out research on other universes for at least as long, a great deal of conspiracy theory revolves around memes that the Archai have already established contact with other universes and are keeping it to themselves, are going to exile all modosophonts there, are going to invite the inhabitants of those universes into ours, or are endangering all the universes with their experiments.
- Basement Universe
- Closed Universe - Text by M. Alan Kazlev
A model of the universe in which the average density is great enough to reverse the expansion and cause it to contract to a physical singularity. Although a closed universe is a matter of faith among Tiplerites (Omega Point), Theosophists, Buddhists, and some NuAgers (cyclic cosmology), it has been known since pre-singularity time that the universe is open.
- Physical Universe - Text by M. Alan Kazlev
The universe of physical matter and energy, determined by physical laws. Materialism states this is the only reality, while supernaturalist religion and esotericism assert that beyond the physical universe are one or more spiritual planes or dimensions.
- Virchuniverse - Text by M. Alan Kazlev
Generally, an aggregation or collection of thousands of interconnected virchworlds or cybercosms, all sharing the same basic ontology and lay-out, to make traveling from one to the other easier. Sometimes also used to designate a single extremely large virchworld.
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