A-238: Spanial

Yarg Paper

The paper’s authors are listed as Roy-Hinkley, J (H)., Thurston-Thurston-Thurston, B (F). and Wentworth, S (F).  As the first listed, and being found in his cabin, it seems that John Roy-Hinkley wrote most of it.  The paper itself has various notes through the text where all three of the authors have commented on various bits and each others’ comments.  In essence it seems to be a meta analysis of numerous other research work, attempting to find substantiation or refutation for the thesis that the Yarg’s biology is much more electrically based than human biology, and functions that in humans would operate at the chemical level, actually take place through the interaction of electric fields in the Yarg.  In particular, the paper asserts that the commonly held theory that the Yarg would be slow to react to stimuli and slow to evolve because of the reduced speed of chemical reactions at the temperatures in which they usually live is flawed, and the Yarg may be very quick to react in practice.

Roy-Hinkley further laments the lack of solid experimentation in the area and hesitates to even call this a hypothesis.  Thurston-Thurston-Thurston thinks the idea has merit but criticises much of the body and style of the paper.  Wentworth is cautiously supportive, but says many of the conclusions the paper is trying to draw are unsupportable, saying there are too many alternative explanations for observed phenomena, but concedes that the assertions are difficult to disprove with available evidence and thus provide a basis for further research.  She also notes a practical matter that given so much of the source material is classified, they are never going to be able to publish or even show anyone else the document.

The reference list seems to be only partially constructed, but seems to draw on several classified contact reports from both Legion and civilian sources and other classified research work from the Legion and the Vizierate.

  

Half-Egg

  

Reference:  Silvery metal half-egg shape, in carry case (Cabin 7.1 – Lia)

… a metal box, when Lia opens it, it is padded inside, containing a metal half-egg shape, like half a smashed easter egg but made of a silvery metal. 

It’s actually difficult to tell whether the egg is constructed or organic – if it is organic it’s like no organic thing with which Lia is familiar; if it’s constructed, its construction method is not clear.  

Close inspection shows that the egg’s structure is build up of a series of concentric, but non-parallel, rings, and looks to have fractured cleanly along one of those rings; the guess is that this is a fragment of a larger original object. [The egg is]  About 10cm in diameter and about the same amount high. 

[The carry case is unmarked and…] …has a carry handle and a hasp for a padlock, but none is fitted.  The interior seems to have been purposefully moulded to fit the egg safely and snugly.

  

Analysis

Lia’s initial tests show that what ever it’s precisely made of, there seems to be a lot of calcium, with significant amounts of beryllium and magnesium.  The structure is somewhat robust, and doesn’t flake off or come apart in her hands, but there’s a sense it wouldn’t take much force to bend or break it.  

  

Spanial

Karmen says they’ll put the ship under power late in Red Shift.  Lia’s not required in Control but is welcome if she wishes to wake up early.