BY LETTER
Outer Volumes
The Orion's Arm and Proximity | |
 Image from Phil B | |
| An artistic interpretation of the Empires and other volumes within the Orion Arm and environs. Although the borders between the empires are displayed as discrete limits in this interpretation, in practice the various empires merge into one another and change over time as the various systems change allegiance. Note as well that this two-dimensional representation does not show the full extent of empires which overlay one another - the Red Star M'Pire overlays the much larger Solar Dominion, for instance, and the Mutual Progress Association and the Keter Dominion are similarly stacked one above the other | |
The Outer Volumes comprise that vast and ever changing, every expanding volume of colonised, inhabited and penetrated space beyond the stable regions and ancient empires of the innerward regions, and beyond even the partially consolidated hinteregions or middle regions. It is poorly (and often not at all) served by stargates, and for the most part the great powers only local jurisdictions or spheres of influence within its vastness.
It is mostly lightly settled space (with provincial capitals of greater population and/or technological density) extending outwards from the Middle Regions some 3000 to 6000 LY in every direction. It is divided into 16 sectors; each sufficient to be a vast volume of space in itself. The Outer Volumes area is thinnest above and below the plane of galactic disc, and most populated in the Cygexpa, Carina, Serpens and Perseus sectors.
Isolated by vast distances and its limited access to the industrial and knowledge base of the Core, and backward even in time due to relativistic effects, the Outer Volumes polities have always fought an uphill battle to gain economic stability and establish a technological level capable of competing with the Inner Sphere, and defending against incursions both by Core empires and by other Peripheral realms. Empires such as the powerful Laughter Hegemony and the Puppis Democracy currently seem very close to reaching technological parity with the very best of the Inner Sphere, while the Emple-Dokcetics have become a major power and actually have technological superiority in some areas of transapientech over the Inner Sphere empires. Other Outer Volume states also appear to be taking firmer steps toward finding permanent solutions to their economic and military problems.
Meanwhile, the true Outer Volumes and Periphery of penetrated and colonised space continue to expand outwards at relativistic speed; an advance guard of high transapients from many different factions is moving faster than the main exploration wave front. This advanced expansion wave is often known as the Light Speed Frontier, although it in facts moves only a few percent of the speed of light faster than the main wave front.
The Terragen Sphere as seen from Galactic North |
 Image from Steve Bowers |
Articles
- Adorate - Text by M. Alan Kazlev and Anders Sandberg
Sophic enclave in the Perseus Arm, fallen to the Amalgamation in 8761. - Ahreemi Meetpoint - Text by Todd Drashner
Asymptote civilization aligned loosely toward the NoCoZo. - Amboseli - Text by Steve Bowers
Provolved Ungulate colony - Anaximander (system) - Text by Quantum Jack
System containing the Kammerer xenosophont biome - Arkady 2 - Text by Jules H-G, additional notes by Anders Sandberg
The only Terragen-inhabited planet in the Toke system. Famous for its strange Terragen dwellers known as the Khira, who augment themselves with huge cybernetic enhancements. - Balance Wheel - Text by Stephen Inniss
A star system on the Metasoft periphery, colonized by a single vec named Mainspring and several billion of eir specialized subordinate scions. - Barzelona - Text by Steve Bowers
Architecturally obsessed posthuman world. - Basel 10 - Text by Steve Bowers
Open cluster near the apparent origin of the Amalgamation blight - Blackbody Cluster - Text by Anders Sandberg
Cluster of worlds centred around the Blackbody nebula, Perseus Rift. - Branton-II - Text by M. Alan Kazlev
Terraformed planet in the outer volumes Perseus Quadrant of the Outer Cassiopeia Sector, colonists captured by rogue AI to use as biotic matrix for the Xeon blight. - Carina Cycler Union - Text by Liam Jones
A development/exploration based beamrider polity in the Carina Rush, commonly described as a combination of the Deeper Covenant and Cygexpa. - Carina-Vela Outer Volumes - Text by M. Alan Kazlev
Large region of space in the outer volumes, not affiliated with any of the main empires. The Andian Mission today remains a highly regarded support organization here. - Cenote - Text by Steve Bowers
Postgaian world with a carbon-rich crust, extensive limestone karst landscapes and cave systems. - Crucis Corridor, The - Text by M. Alan Kazlev
Troublesome region of interstellar space in the Negentropy Alliance outer-middle volumes, adjacent to the NoCoZo, established in the wake of the Version War. Led to the development of the larger region known as the Disarchy. - Crystal Star Domain - Text by James Ramsey
Outer Volumes region founded by and under the sole rule of the S5 archailect Crystal Star. Clades created by Crystal Star are predominantly biont, and music is an integral part of their cultures and languages. - Cygexpa Outer Volume - Text by Steve Bowers
Region to spinwards of the Cygnus Middle Regions, outwards of the Deneb Plexus. Also the region where the merchantile archailect Lohengrin is currently most active. Notable for the presence of xenosophonts such as the Muuh enclave around Muuhhome, the Meistersingers and the Wayfarers. - Cygnus OB2-12 - Text by Steve Bowers
Massive, brilliant young star in Cygnus - Cyrus - Text by Mike Miller
Outer Volumes colony, home of the Wind Cave of Cyrus - Disarchy - Text by Anders Sandberg
Influential polity in the Crucis Corridor, on the frontier between the Negentropy Alliance and the NoCoZo. - Doreen/Doreens - Text by Stephen Inniss, expanded and amended from original material by Anders Sandberg
Chlorine world, former home of the extinct Doreens. - Echir-{n} - Text by Anders Sandberg
A-life civilization in the Feinstein 1 cluster. - Empathic Frontier, The - Text by Thorbørn Steen with additions by Steve Bowers and David Jackson
The outermost Communion of Worlds Volumes, to rimward and Galactic South of the Terragen Sphere. - Enigma Cluster, The (NGC 6755) - Text by Steve Bowers
A former Keter cluster brain which has disappeared, leaving a mysterious network of wormholes behind. - Far Acton - Text by M. Alan Kazlev
Cygnus Sector, Outer Volumes, system, former Cygexpa outpost, attacked and destroyed by rogue bio-Autowars in aftermath of Keterist-Biovirate War, currently owned by Zenon Charter, offers the experience of feeding amat to only semi-tame rogue biowars. - First Exocore Bordered Corpus - Text by Liam Jones
Independent polity formed by the group of eccentric breakaway Menexenes "Association-With-Greater-Civilisation Guild" aided by the archailect Synergenesis. - Gayomart Protectorate, The - Text by James Ward
Stellarised Superjovian system in the Canis Major outer Volumes. - Gehenna Incident, The - Text by Revised by Dave 2019
Extremely ambitious megascale engineering project in the M50 cluster in Monoceros, attempted by the archailect Verifex in 8834. - Golden Mesa - Text by M. Alan Kazlev
YTS 2293-3800031 X - near-periphery Outer Volumes world, location of The Circle of Time artifact. - Hawking's Not Here - Text by Mike Miller
Miniature artificial planet with an Earth-like surface gravity. - Henon - Text by Steve Bowers
Outer Volumes planet with independently sentient cities - HIE-201-NPE (Batholithics) - Text by Steve Bowers
An extinct civilisation that took refuge in bunkers deep in their planet's crust" - Hiederia - Text by M. Alan Kazlev
A backwater system in the Perseus Rift, shared between the Solar Dominion and an Independant postneumann civilization. - Immanentization Crusaders - Text by Anders Sandberg
Keterist extremist group active in a number of regions throughout the Outer Volumes. Their stated goal is to ensure the continued growth and evolution of galactic culture towards the highest possible levels by forcing static and counter-progressive cultures to face the "creative destruction of evolution". They have not been averse to attacking any cultures, civilizations, and polities which they do not consider fit. - Ishtar's Necklace - Text by Liam Jones
Ancient xeno megastructure in the Carina Rush. - Jarre - Text by Extherian, from an original article by Tapio Erola
A former Lo-Tech colony at the edge of the Perseus Arm, disrupted by badly-managed contact with outsiders - Kapella - Text by James Ramsey
An important member-system in the Crystal Star Domain. - Laurel and Hardy - Text by Steve Bowers
Twin Planets in Scorpius. - Mensan Way, The - Text by Extherian
Minor polity with a population consisting only of high transapients - Mobile Frontier, The - Text by Thorbørn Steen
The moving edge of Terragen expansion. - Mollweide - Text by Steve Bowers
Fast-spinning highly oblate terrestrial world in the Cygnus outer volumes. - Muora - Text by Steve Bowers and Trolligi
WR 111 - A supernova event. - Ndiangu Mme Anwu System, The - Text by Radtech497
Carbon world with a natural ecosystem. - Niaanyo - Text by Steve Bowers
Hider world in deep space, occupied by vecs, rat provolves, and other clades - Oceanus Ultimata - Text by Todd Drashner, with some comments by M. Alan Kazlev and Anders Sandberg
Star in Carina Outer Volumes surrounded by an apparently artificial water ocean-ring. - Oh-F-Star-4 - Text by M. Alan Kazlev
The capital of the Carina rush. Contains a wormhole of alien origin spanning three thousand light years and connecting to a system in the direction of the Carina Nebula. - Oshiq - Text by Steve Bowers
Outer Volumes post-gaian world. - Pas Greenen - Text by M. Alan Kazlev
A minor colony world in Monoceros Outer Volume region, original home of the infamous Equalizer Civilization, now trying to forget its unhappy past. - Pelion and Ossa - Text by Steve Bowers, with suggestions from Radtech497 and l0b0_t0mmy
Two small terrestrial worlds which collided in 9526 AT. - Pentagon Moons, The - Text by Mike Miller
Highly modified system in the Metasoft Outer Volumes. Location of an oddly arranged set of baseline reserves that have a tragic history. - Perseus Rift, The - Text by Anders Sandberg
Colloquial term for the volume between the Orion and Perseus arms; a vast and ill-defined volume rimwards of the Solar Dominion and Metasoft. - Pluton - Text by Steve Bowers
Capital of the Pluton Volume, Perseus Prefecture Solar Dominion / Muuh Border. Depleted former ice giant - now an ice core world. Home to many cold adapted clades and xenosophonts. - Remagar - Text by Todd Drashner
Garden World currently in the midst of an Ice Age. - Restored Ambi Limis - Text by Extherian
A number of worlds in the Perseus Rift, centered around Khan, that once were part of Ambi Limis and are trying to reclaim their former glory. Politically they are too far away and too economically weak to be interesting, and instead act as a kind of buffer state between the Dominion and Metasoft. - Rosette Nebula - Text by Steve Bowers
Nebula in Monoceros. - Rosmion - Text by Steve Bowers
Icy world heated by an artificial ring of mirror particles. - Sagan Prime - Text by Steve Bowers
A hab in orbit around one of the worlds of YTS 808-551-97 (one of several stars called Sagan). The inhabitants are known for their extensive use of aivisers. Some of them are currently engaged in terraformation of the the cytherian planet Sagan XXI. - Savannah - Text by Mike Miller
Populous Middle-tech system in the Outer Volumes. - Seattle - Text by Mike Miller
SuperGaian, natural garden planet. - Shimmerers, The - Text by Liam Jones
Neogen/Neumann clade in the Serpens outer volumes. - Shona - Text by Radtech497
Outer Volumes moon with an unusual indigenous biosphere orbiting a resonant MesoJovian world - Skeblu - Text by Steve Bowers
Outer Volumes planet with neon-rich atmosphere and spectacular auroras - Socrates 471 system, The - Text by Quantum Jack
Triple system containing the Menexenes' home world - Steelcliff - Text by Tony Jones
The first alien BGC system, discovered in 7852. - Strakaysa - Text by Liam Jones
Bok Swarm in the Disarchy volume - Sun Kurp - Text by M. Alan Kazlev
Outer Volumes Sagittarius Transcultural Cooperation orbital swarm. In 8222 the aioid artist Tourist Outer Enrastered Link Connection underwent voluntary deactivation here, leaving behind a small number of poems and art memes behind, the Tourist Cache. - Tabridgen - Text by M. Alan Kazlev
Nominally Orion Federation, variously affiliated, outer volumes trading center. - Tananana - Text by M. Alan Kazlev
A resource poor STC system. Tananana makes money through tourism, mediacorps, biotech templates, tantric ashrams, and erototech hedonics (some of the old erotocracy Dionysians ended up there). Well-served by wormholes to Cocac, Gilboa Reach, and a number of other prosperous nearby systems. - Transcend Seven - Text by Marcel Lossi
Transcend system in the Transcendent Heart Cluster. - Tribe Luxia - Text by Ryan B
A minor ultratech polity located in the Outer Volumes (originally Periphery) 5,000 light years spin/coreward in between the Orion and Sagittarius arms. Occupying 43 star systems in a roughly oval volume 30 light years long along its major axis, Tribe Luxia is a very diverse group mind society. - Tunh Xenohole, The - Text by Anders Sandberg, with comments by Steve Bowers.
System with an alien Wormhole. - Turon - Text by M. Alan Kazlev
Solar system in the outer Crucis Corridor. The Lexxian Turon Sapient's Republic was established by the autowar On The Wings of ZPE during the period of post-Version War chaos, and remains a small but flourishing institution. - Unikorn III - Text by Steve Bowers
Orion Federation world, suffered extensive damage as a result of the Verifex event that caused the local wormhole gate to detonate. Much of the system has been extensively rebuilt since - Uyuni - Text by Steve Bowers
Salt-covered post-gaian world with relic xenobiota. - Valkuya - Text by Liam Jones
A heavily populated Preserver system, host to a significant part of the Great Ecologist's processing substrate - Varnerkaspi - Text by M. Alan Kazlev
Outer Crucis Corridor/Centaurus Sector Outer Volumes world formerly inhabited by the Neutral Way clade Durrel Inheritors - Verity - Text by M. Alan Kazlev
Outer Volumes system. Nominal Negentropist system, near the MPA border. In fact the locals don't have much affection for either empire. Lately Keterist missionaries have been making some ground. - Whisper - Text by Todd Drashner
Planet covered in a sophont grassland xenoecology, perhaps of artificial origin. - Wind Cave of Cyrus, The - Text by Mike Miller
—Wind Cave— is one of the better known Caverns of Maha, a moon in the Cyrus system. - Yanqiu - Text by Steve Bowers
Superterrestrial 'eyeball' world with indigenous xenoecology - Zerzavec Commune - Text by Liam Jones
A dual Biaioid/Aioid polity in the Carina Rush.
Related Topics
Development Notes
Text by M. Alan Kazlev
Initially published on 25 July 2000.
Initially published on 25 July 2000.
Additional Information
