Tales of the Vuduri: Year Two

by Michael Brachman

  Sound like enough for one year? Thanks for sticking with this.

  Again, a Happy and Healthy New Year to all.

  Entry 2-007: January 2, 2014

  The Power Rods

  The mission planners for the Arks designed the ship to be powered by thorium 235. The sarcophagi used to hold the frozen colonists were also powered by twin power rods containing thorium 235 as well:

  The power rods were hollow cylinders built from a lead/tin alloy and contained a substantial amount of thorium 235. On the one side was a slit which would allow neutrons to escape. They were inserted into a cylindrical cavity and rotated so that the slit was sealed by a lead/tin extrusion within the well. On the other side of the rod was a thin sheet of lead-impregnated, neutron-blocking glass.

  If the Ark landed normally, all you had to do would be to rotate each rod 180 degrees so that the slits faced inwards. The thorium would be exposed and neutrons would fly out. This would allow enough radiation to escape to generate heat which would be captured by thermocouples, converted into electricity and the sarcophagus would power up.

  But what if the Ark crash-landed? That's where the thin sheet of lead glass comes in. If the Ark crashed, the glass would shatter and allow enough radiation to heat up the thermocouples and the occupant could be resuscitated without requiring any intervention by another crew member.

  One of the scenes excised from the original long form of Rome's Revolution was the initial reanimation of Rei Bierak. However, in Part 2, I did retain the scene within The Cathedral where each of the frozen crew members of the Ark II was reawakened. It was there that Rei instructed the Ibbrassati on how to rotate the rods to activate the thaw.

  We also got to see the power rods in use for "inflating" the vehicles which were collapsed in the cargo section. And finally, we learned from the Deucadons that many centuries earlier, they powered their first artificial sun using the power rods taken from the Ark III's sarcophagi.

  Entry 2-008: January 3, 2014

 

  The Sarcophagus

  The Ark program, the frozen colonists and the sarcophagi they were carried in represents the bedrock of Rome's Revolution. In numerous previous posts I mentioned that the Ark was not much more than a "flying tin can" and all the money was sunk into the design of the sarcophagus itself. The idea being the ship was going to get damaged, this is just an actuarial hazard of being in space, but by sending the frozen colonists in armored sarcophagi, most would survive.

  Here is a horrible image which is supposed to be a hint as to what it looked like:

  This symbolic representation represents the two main elements of the chamber. The top part is just a very high-tech coffin with pumps for the cryo-hibernation fluid, oxygen generators, heater/blower combination and a control panel. The lower section contains the power rods, the electronics, storage chambers for clothing and a few day's worth of rations.

  At the very bottom were superconducting magnets which allowed the sarcophagus to be clamped on the fairly cheap shelving to pack the bodies in.

  Here is how it was supposed to work:

  1. The command crew is reanimated

  2. The Ark lands

  3. Somebody turns the power rods 180 degrees so that the nuclear reaction begins

  4. The mechanism is activated, the cryo-hibernation fluid is melted and pumped away

  5. The auto-defibrillator restarts the colonist's heart

  6. The heater/blower warms them up

  7. They arise

  8. They hop out, pull out a drawer, get dressed

  9. They drink some water, eat some rations and move on to the next colonist so that everyone is reanimated.

  Sounds simple, huh? Turns out, sometimes it goes smooth, sometimes it doesn't.

  Entry 2-009: January 4, 2014

 

  Death Count

  When we first meet Rome and Rei in Rome's Revolution, neither of them seem like killers, let alone murderers. However circumstances sometimes force you into actions that lead to the death of people or entities. For example, in Part 1 of Rome's Revolution, Rome and Rei unleash the VIRUS units and cause the death of a Stareater. At the time, they did not know that they were intelligent and noble creatures but Balathunazar died, nonetheless.

  In Part 3 of Rome's Revolution, Rei and Rome are trapped under Kilauea with Estar issuing the order to terminate them. Rei was under the influence of a post-hypnotic suggestion from OMCOM but that was not going to stop him from saving Rome's life. Rei grabbed a plasma pistol from one of the guards and shot him in the stomach. I'm pretty sure he died. Also, Rei sheared off the arm of another guard and unless he got medical attention really fast, I'm pretty sure he died as well.

  For her part, Rome wrestled with Estar until the ceiling caved in, slicing off part of Estar's skull and her brains, or something similar, spilled out onto the floor. I'm pretty sure she died as well. In the next section, Rome stood by passively as Rei unleashed the weaponized VIRUS units which ultimately destroyed MASAL, taking Kilauea with him. Whoever was still in that complex most likely died as well.

  In The Ark Lords, Rome flashed Hanry Ta Jihn's M9 Beretta, aiming it at Captain Keller. She didn't kill him but I still wonder to this day how she had good enough aim to hit the ersatz virus vessel and not Keller.

  Finally, in Rome's Evolution, when Steele threatened to kill Rei, Rome smashed him in the back of the head with a rock. I know Rome to some degree and I'm pretty sure she didn't care if she killed Steele or not. She used all of her might and if he died, he died. When they fought the final battle on the ethereal plane, Rome did not directly kill Reema. That was left up to Sussen. But by Rome's actions, Bonnie Mullen came into possession of the Beretta and that was the end of Sussen.

  So I do not have an exact death count for you but Rome and Rei directly or indirectly had a hand in the death of a multitude of entities and people. They suffered no guilt about it. In every instance, they were acting in self-defense. If you love someone, what other choice do you have?

  Entry 2-010: January 5, 2014

 

  The Auto-defibrillator

  In a previous post, we discussed the sarcophagus that stored the frozen colonists in Rome's Revolution. In Step 5 of the resuscitation process, an auto-defibrillator was used to restart the heart of the person being thawed. This is not much different from the auto-defibrillators found in supermarkets and airports today.

  Those devices have sensing circuitry to tell if the victim's heart is already beating so you don't try and shock a heart that doesn't need shocking. However, in the original long-form version of Rome's Revolution, this sensing circuitry had failed and Rei got a shock even though his heart was beating normally. Reference was made to this event in the current version of Rome's Revolution using a single sentence:

  Looking past the cylinder, Rei saw his sarcophagus sitting in the far corner of the room. That plus the tender spot on his chest where the auto-defibrillator had burned him confirmed this was no dream.

  In the original long-form, the awakening was described in much greater detail and much more viscerally:

  The cardiac sensors glued to Rei’s torso, degraded from centuries of disuse, could not detect the slow but steady beat of his revived heart. Lacking feedback, the unsuspecting microprocessor integrated into the chamber continued on its pre-programmed sequence. The high-pitched resonance of step-up coils charging echoed off the coffin’s walls. Rei’s torpid, semi-frozen brain failed to comprehend the significance of the sound. As soon as it was fully charged, the automatic defibrillator fired off a 300-joule jolt of electricity in a misguided attempt to resuscitate him for a second time.

  Searing pain shot all through Rei’s chest. Fortunately, as a young and healthy male, his heart was able to fend off the external attack and maintain a normal sinus rhythm. Rei tried to scream but could not as there was no air in his lungs to exhale. With a superhuman effort, he reached up and clawed off one of the leads before the defibrillator could discharge for a
third and possibly fatal time.

  Like a fireplace bellows, the motion of Rei’s arm stimulated his lungs. He drew in a great raspy breath, sucking wetly on the air surrounding him. The flow of air hurt going in so he held the breath for a long time, savoring its feel in his lungs before finally letting go. He drew in another breath and this time it was not nearly as painful.

  I'll put the whole excised chapter in the upcoming The Vuduri Companion sometime later this year.

  Entry 2-011: January 6, 2014

 

  Aging and the Vuduri

  I have always thought it odd that the Vuduri did not conquer aging. The fact is, the 24th chromosome imbued them with a bewildering set of improvements to the human condition including a vastly improved immune system but it did not retard the aging process. We see this time and time again in all the novels of the Rome's Revolution series but never will it be so clear as when The Vuduri Companion is published later this year.

  29 years after the events of The Milk Run, a 75-year-old Rome is confronted by an incarnation of OMCOM who has returned from the universe between dimensions. OMCOM is glad to catch up with her again but his livetar is dismayed to see her showing signs of aging. When he quizzes her about this, Rome replies simply that "The Vuduri believe that every tree must give way to the seedling." She added, “They believe that death is a part of life so each generation much yield to the next.” But why? Why not extend life? As OMCOM pointed out, surely it was within the Vuduri's technological prowess to do so.

  I suppose it comes down to the Vuduri's view on life and the value of any human being. Since the Overmind pretty much runs things, any particular human is of lesser value than in our age where each individual is free to contribute to the betterment of society. It is pragmatic to assume that younger people have more vitality to contribute to an endeavor when compared to older people. The Overmind must prefer this situation.

  I do not agree. I think that during each phase of life a person has something to contribute which they could not have done earlier and would not be able to do later. But the Vuduri do not think the way I do. They are their own culture and believe that youth is not wasted on the young. I think someday (maybe this year), Rome will go about changing this perception and Vuduri society.

  Entry 2-012: January 7, 2014

 

  Aason’s Birthday

  Aason Bierak is Rome and Rei's son and he is born in Part 2 of Rome's Revolution. But when was he actually born? By that I mean the date.

  Let's start with the year. We know that Rei is first thawed in the year 3455 AD. He and Rome attack and kill the Stareater, Balathunazar and then leave for their year-long journey to Deucado. Along the way, Rome gets pregnant and Aason is born right after the war between the Essessoni and the Vuduri is stopped before it starts.

  So we can determine that Aason was born in the year 3456 AD. But when?

  In the earlier long-form of Rome's Revolution, when Rei and Rome first arrive on Earth, Rei notices it is fairly warm so he asks Rome what season and she replies winter. She says the effects of global warming introduced by the Essessoni are still having an effect.

  Winter runs from December 21st of one year to March 21st of the next but if Aason is born in December, it would be the wrong year so we know he was most likely born in January or February.

  The way I figured out the exact date was because I know that Aason is just about 5 years older than Lupe and she was born in the year 3460 AD, in September. So to get him as close as possible to that age separation, I put his birthday in early January. January 7th, 3456 AD has a nice ring to it so that's the date I'm sticking to.

  Since today is the day, I just want to say Happy Birthday to Aason Bierak, boy wonder.

  Entry 2-013: January 8, 2014

 

  The cryo-hibernation fluid

  In a previous post, we discussed the action items the sarcophagus had to perform to reanimate a frozen person. However, I never really went into detail regarding the cryo-hybernation fluid itself. The fluid was introduced very early in the long-form version of Rome's Revolution but excised during the compaction of the first three books into an omnibus.

  At first glance, the fluid reminds one of the green slime made popular on Nickelodeon:

  However, the liquid is a little less viscous and has about the same density as anti-freeze. The liquid has a dual purpose. When it is first pumped in, its sole purpose it to put the sedated would-be colonist into a state of extreme hypothermia. The fluid starts at 25 degrees Celsius and this is low enough to cause the body to enter stasis with the heart, lungs and circulatory system shutting down. At that point, the cryogenic coolers kick in and the occupant is taken all the way down to zero degrees Celsius. They are completely frozen.

  This is not fatal, as demonstrated by the common wood frog because the subjects are completely dehydrated prior to being frozen. The state of dehydration prevents the intracellular fluid from expanding too much and rupturing the cell walls.

  However, it is upon reanimation that the special properties of this fluid come to the fore. It contains a heavy dose of co-trimoxazole which is designed to penetrate the skin and rehydrate the body as well as act as an antibiotic to counteract any infections which have been festering over the centuries. Believe it or not, another component of the fluid was derived from Urushiol which is the oil exuded by poison ivy. As we have all experienced, it is particularly effective in penetrating the skin and getting to the underlying layers. The final element was that the fluid was hyper-oxygenated so that life-giving oxygen could be delivered to all the tissues before the heart started beating again.

  Early research into the cryo-hibernation process revealed that re-hydrating the body was of paramount importance during the resuscitation cycle. Here is the original resurrection scene where Rei had to deal with the melting of the fluid:

  Barely conscious, Rei Bierak lay motionless within his cryo-hibernation chamber. Pumps vibrated quietly as they drained the thick rehydration fluid from his hermetically sealed sarcophagus. Rei did not feel the gloppy green liquid as it oozed from his ears and nose. He felt nothing but abysmal cold. Eyes shut, he could do nothing but wait until his body warmed sufficiently to move.

  Entry 2-014: January 9, 2014

 

  The mind-deaf and the hearing deaf

  I have a Ph.D. in Sensory Science (specifically auditory physiology) with a minor in Computer Science from Syracuse University. During my time there, as I was studying for my doctorate, I had many opportunities to interact with deaf people and study the deaf community at large. When I designed the Vuduri society for Rome's Revolution, once I came up with the idea of mind-connected people and the balance of the mandasurte, the mind-deaf, I had to draw upon that experience to build an alternate society to contrast against the Vuduri.

  The hearing deaf, especially in the United States, are a complex community and have many unique characteristics. I make no judgment. I'm just a scifi writer so I used my experience to mimic things that I learned about a group of people who have a different way of perceiving the world than the main-stream.

  First and foremost, while deaf people are aware of the fact that they are deaf, they have found numerous ways of overcoming that sensory deficit to the point where it isn't a deficit at all. As a whole, they are just as happy as the hearing people so I made the mandasurte a happy group as well. The hearing deaf have their own language (sign language) and so I made sure the mandasurte had their own language as well.

  Also, while this is certainly no rule, hearing deaf people sometimes gather in communities or groups, just like any other group. Thus I had the mandasurte gather in enclaves where they could luxuriate in the comfort of others like them.

  As in our world, our scientists have worked tirelessly to research and come up with inventions to allow the hearing deaf to hear. So too, with the Vuduri, I had them invent the Espansor Bands so that mandasurte could experience communication the same as the Vuduri with an artificial
device.

  All in all, I tried to make the mandasurte parallel the hearing deaf to give a feel of authenticity to a society apart. At the same time, I wanted to show that such a people are not to be pitied but rather admired because they have taken what nature has given them and built a complete and satisfactory society around themselves.

  Entry 2-015: January 10, 2014

 

  Burial habits of the Vuduri

  When we first meet the Vuduri in Rome's Revolution, we are introduced to how they handle death almost immediately. After all, the only reason they have quarters for Rei is because a crewman died. When asked how they treat their dead, Rome replied simply that their bodies were recycled. Not buried. Not cremated. Just recycled. Shades of Soylent Green!

  This makes sense when you look at it from the Vuduri perspective. People are interchangeable, barely distinguishable and therefore their deaths have nearly no significance. Rome was different. Even before she showed her inner personality to Rei, we noted that she was holding on to the Espansor Bands as a remembrance to keep her father's memory alive. Very un-Vuduri-like.

  Rei's people, known as the Essessoni, brought with them their belief in God, Heaven, Hell, the soul and so forth. When it came to people dying, their first choice was to bury the dead and they forced that choice among the denizens of Deucado.