Cassava

**Cassava** was a Nomai from Brittle Hollow who worked at the Construction Yard as part of the Ash Twin Project. Daz was his husband, and Avens was his brother-in-law.

## Search for the Eye

Cassava grew up hearing the Nomai's story of their search for the Eye of the Universe. He and Filix built the Eye Signal Locator on the Attlerock. After repeated failed attempts at finding the Eye with this locator, he reached the conclusion that they needed a more sophisticated device to find the exact location. This device was built in the Southern Observatory, but was likewise unable to detect any trace of the Eye of the Universe's signal.

When the Nomai were discussing what they learned so far in their search and how their methods should change, Cassava responded pessimistically, supposing that perhaps the Eye does not want to be found. However, he did believe that Mallow's idea to use a probe was clever, but pointed out that the chance of launching a probe in the correct direction was virtually zero. Conoy told him to speak to Ramie and Pye about the negative time interval technology they were developing, which would solve that problem and become the basis for the Ash Twin Project.

## The Ash Twin Project

After the Nomai agreed on sending a probe to find the Eye of the Universe, Cassava proposed building the Orbital Probe Cannon around Giant's Deep, which was furthest from the sun and moonless. He started working on the Cannon at the Construction Yard on Giant's Deep together with Avens. To power the Ash Twin Project, an Advanced Warp Core was necessary. Cassava initially agreed with the solution to retrieve the warp core from the Vessel. However, since he believed that the Eye of the Universe might be impossible to find, he ended up agreeing with Idaea that crafting a new Advanced Warp Core was the safest option.

Cassava had many arguments with Poke, who was responsible for recreating warp travel and who worked on the Advanced Warp Core in the Black Hole Forge. This was due to Cassava's fear of never finding the Eye of the Universe. It even led to Cassava accusing Poke of purposefully forging the core of the warp tower between Ash Twin and Giant's Deep as the last core, which Poke denied. Due to their frequent arguments, Clary and Yarrow regularly had to act as mediators between them.

## Orbital Probe Cannon

When the Orbital Probe Cannon was finished, Cassava was overjoyed and grateful to everyone who worked on it, since he had given up hope of ever finding the Eye of the Universe. He truly believed that the Cannon would actually succeed in finding the Eye. He lifted the components of the Cannon into orbit for assembly together with Daz and Conoy. While using the cyclones on Giant's Deep to lift the components, one component sank down beneath the current. Cassava went to the Southern Observatory where Conoy and Spire explained to him that there is a secondary type of cyclone with an opposite rotation.

On Daz's recommendation, Cassava gave Avens and Mallow, who were responsible for the Orbital Probe Cannon's launch settings, a power setting for the Cannon that they were not allowed to go above. He also got into a discussion with Daz and Phlox about the memory statues. Cassava thought that sending memories back in time is the same thing as sending a being back in time, since the end result is identical.

When the Ash Twin Project was put on indefinite hold since the Sun Station could not trigger a Supernova, Cassava and Daz decided to remain at the Construction Yard. Avens and Mallow later joined them here. Cassava's and the others' corpses can be found here, where they died after the Ghost Matter from the Interloper spread throughout the solar system.

## Trivia

* The *cassava* is a type of woody shrub, from which tapioca is extracted.

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 AVENS: Cassava tells me he and the Construction Yard crew have determined a power setting we are not, under any circumstances, to go above.
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 CASSAVA: Suppose the Eye doesn’t wish to be found. PLUME: Cassava, how can you suggest that? The Eye’s signal called out to summon us to this star system! CASSAVA: I’m aware; I grew up hearing the Eye’s story. Yet we’re no closer to finding it than you were when you first arrived here.
3. ↑ CASSAVA: This is it: We’ve finished building the final Orbital Probe Cannon module and are ready to send it into orbit around Giant’s Deep for assembly! CASSAVA: To all my friends here at the Construction Yard, my gratitude for your tireless work. I had given up hope, but I truly believe this cannon may actually succeed where many other attempts have not.
4. ↑ DAZ: If I know my brother, Avens (and his spouse) will want to launch the probe with as much power as possible. I’m worried the cannon would break under the strain.
5. ↑ CASSAVA: Tell Privet and Mallow they should return from the cannon. My spouse and I will remain at the Construction Yard, for now.
6. ↑ DAZ: Are you going gelatinous on us, love? I’m delighted by your words, but they’re atypical for you! CASSAVA: If I’m ever half as gooey as Mallow and Avens behave together, Daz, you may launch me from the Orbital Probe Cannon.
7. ↑ CASSAVA: We’re nearly ready! Filix and I have finished construction, and she says calibrating the device won’t take long. FILIX: Fortunately, the Attlerock’s lack of atmosphere will make calibration simple. After all this time, I’m thrilled to finally resume our search!
8. ↑ CASSAVA: It saddens me to posit this, my friends, but I believe we need to build a more sophisticated device if we want to find the exact location of the Eye of the universe.
9. ↑ PRIVET: The locator we built on the Attlerock and the new, more sensitive locator we built here were both unable to detect any trace of the Eye’s signal.
10. ↑ CONOY: What have we learned thus far in our search for the Eye of the universe? CASSAVA: Suppose the Eye doesn’t wish to be found.
11. ↑ CASSAVA: Mallow’s idea is clever, but we have no idea where the Eye is in relation to here. The probability of launching a probe in the correct direction would be absurdly small.
12. ↑ CONOY: I believe I have a solution for that problem! Have you spoken with Ramie and Pye about the technology they’re developing?
13. ↑ CASSAVA: Giant’s Deep would be a good choice. It’s furthest from the sun, so it would provide the best angles for launch. And it’s moonless (except when the Quantum Moon is visiting).
14. ↑ YARROW: Poke just sent the warp core for the final tower to us from the Black Hole Forge. Now Ash Twin can be connected with Giant’s Deep, where Cassava is working with Avens to craft the Orbital Probe Cannon, and where Phlox is sculpting the memory statues.
15. ↑ The Ash Twin Project requires a powerful, highly advanced warp core. How should we obtain it?
16. ↑ CASSAVA: Even if it no longer functions, the old core could be a valuable blueprint, provided we’re able to transport it back here.
17. ↑ Solution 2: We could craft a new advanced warp core inspired by the Vessel’s warp core. IDAEA: This is the safest path for our clan. AVENS: Is the safest path the best one? Our goal is worth the risk. CASSAVA: Is it, though? We’ve tried for so long to find something that I (and others) now believe might be impossible to find. If the search for the Eye is a futile one, we should choose the option with the least potential for harm.
18. ↑ CASSAVA: I imagine I’ve been hard on Poke, again. This in turn means I’ve made things difficult for her sister (Clary). CASSAVA: If Poke and I are oil and water, Clary is our emulsifier. She certainly makes us a better team than would mixing through shaking (although sometimes I would like to shake Poke!).
19. ↑ POKE: I believe I can be of use here! The Vessel’s warp core was created before my time, but Annona explained many of his designs to me.
20. ↑ CLARY: To our friends on Brittle Hollow: I just warped here from the White Hole Station (on the other side of Brittle Hollow’s black hole)! Our design worked; we’ve successfully recreated warp travel!
21. ↑ POKE: Still, all I can give is my best. And as Annona would say, should my best prove insufficient, then we will find another way to achieve what’s needed. I have Clary and Root in the forge, and I have my clan. I am not alone!
22. ↑ CASSAVA: Jokes aside, suppose my own fear of never finding the Eye prompted my argument with Poke. That would be immature of me.
23. ↑ 23.0 23.1 CASSAVA: Hypothesis: It was not by accident the core of our warp tower was the last to be forged. POKE: Hypothesis: The cores could have been forged faster if Cassava had interrupted my work less frequently to ask for updates. YARROW: The important point is we are all connected through Ash Twin now, and also that I’m no longer needed for mediating your disagreements.
24. ↑ CASSAVA: If Poke and I are oil and water, Clary is our emulsifier. She certainly makes us a better team than would mixing through shaking (although sometimes I would like to shake Poke!).
25. ↑ CASSAVA: To all my friends here at the Construction Yard, my gratitude for your tireless work. I had given up hope, but I truly believe this cannon may actually succeed where many other attempts have not.
26. ↑ CASSAVA: Conoy, Daz and I were lifting Orbital Probe Cannon components into orbit for assembly, and one somehow sank down down(sic) beneath the current.
27. ↑ CONOY: Cassava’s Construction Yard has been using the cyclones on Giant’s Deep to lift Orbital Probe Cannon parts into orbit, but one component was pushed down past the current that usually prevents anything from sinking.
28. ↑ CASSAVA: Conoy, I’m unable to grasp the answer by looking through the projection pool. If I visit the observatory, would you kindly explain?
29. ↑ CASSAVA: My gratitude, Spire. Conoy is showing me your handiwork, and I’m intrigued by this secondary type of cyclone. But was it really necessary to build a model to tell me that?
30. ↑ DAZ: I propose we give Avens and Mallow a slightly lower maximum power setting than the absolute maximum possible to create room for their enthusiasm.
31. ↑ PHLOX: As an example, if we were to send my memories back in time, is that the same as sending “me” back in time (not my physical body, but my essence)? DAZ: I imagine they’re two different actions. CASSAVA: Wouldn’t both actions be effectively the same? DAZ: Suppose that time was being rewritten. I believe this is different than receiving memories from what is effectively the future. CASSAVA: But isn’t the end result identical in either case?
32. ↑ CASSAVA: I have bad news, Avens. Yarrow says there was a problem with the proposed power source, so the Orbital Probe Cannon won’t be asked to fire. AVENS: I hope you’re pulling my locomotive limb here, Cassava. CASSAVA: I wish I were, my friend, but no. They aren’t certain they can fix the problem, so the Orbital Probe Cannon is on indefinite hiatus. CASSAVA: Tell Privet and Mallow they should return from the cannon. My spouse and I will remain at the Construction Yard, for now.
33. ↑ AVENS: An update: Mallow and I will join you and Daz.