Filix

**Filix** was a high-ranking member of the Nomai who was a bridge officer together with Annona on Escall's Vessel. Privet was her apprentice.

## The Vessel

After receiving the signal from the Eye of the Universe, she noticed that the signal was older than the universe itself. When Escall ordered Annona to immediately warp the Vessel to the Eye's location, Filix suggested a delay so they could message the other wandering Nomai clans of their find and where they were going, but was overruled out of fear they might lose the signal if they delayed even for a moment. Before warping, she and Annona checked the Vessel's warp core and navigation systems and concluded that both were well.

Shortly after the catastrophic events of their arrival, Filix attempted to broadcast a distress call before fleeing the bridge and boarding Escape Pod 1.

## Life on Brittle Hollow

Upon arrival on Brittle Hollow, she heard the distress signals coming from other escape pods but was unable to contact them. When the temporary settlement on Brittle Hollow was built, she recorded everything she knew about the Eye's signal. After the temporary settlement proved to be unsuitable for long term use, Filix proposed using gravity crystals to create a path to a new settlement site near the north pole of the planet.

Filix was also involved in numerous discussions on the various quantum phenomena of the planet.

## Later life

Filix taught young Nomai in the Hanging City school about the history and culture of the Nomai. She ended up building the Eye Signal Locator on the Attlerock with Cassava after the Nomai who landed on Ember Twin and Brittle Hollow were reunited. She and her apprentice Privet calibrated the locator correctly, but Cassava believed that the locator was not sophisticated enough. Filix agreed with building a new locator on the southern glacier of Brittle Hollow.

When White Hole Station was built, Filix was excited to see the warp tower since it was a long time ago that she jumped through a black hole. It appears that she was not involved in the Ash Twin Project or that she was no longer alive by that time.

## Trivia

* Filix is Latin meaning "fern" and is used in the scientific names of some fern species.

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 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!
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 FILIX: I see! I most likely calibrated the locator incorrectly. Privet (my apprentice) and I will make adjustments and try again. FILIX: An update: Disappointingly, everything is correctly calibrated after all. 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.
3. ↑ FILIX: I’m recording now — I’ve never encountered anything like this! The signal the Vessel is receiving appears to be older than the universe itself!
4. ↑ ESCALL: This is our first contact with anything of this nature. Everyone, prepare to warp immediately! FILIX: Escall, wait, I need more time to send an outgoing message! Shouldn’t we tell another clan where we’re going? ESCALL: We can send the message upon our arrival. This extraordinary signal appeared suddenly; it may disappear just as quickly, and we can’t lose a discovery this incredible! Focus on preparing for the warp, instead.
5. ↑ FILIX: No, Annona and I checked before the warp, and the warp core and navigation systems were both well.
6. ↑ FILIX: This is Escall’s Vessel; something went badly wrong during our warp, and our Vessel is mortally wounded. We need help as quickly as possible!
7. ↑ THATCH: This is good news, at least. Have we heard from Escape Pod 2 or Escape Pod 3? FILIX: No, I... I’m unable to make contact. My equipment can hear the other two escape pods’ distress signals, however. If it’s any comfort, both pods must be structurally intact.
8. ↑ FILIX: The signal looked like an eye: round, with a circle at the center much like a pupil. (Suppose the signal was looking for something.) FILIX: The signal was older than the universe itself! This is the most significant detail.
9. ↑ PLUME: I believe we should migrate to the northern glacier. FILIX: What if we use gravity crystals to craft a stable path?
10. ↑ FILIX: That rock is unusual for another reason, too, Thatch: It possesses color and texture I’ve never seen elsewhere on this planet!
11. ↑ FILIX: Has anyone observed the phantom moon that sometimes greets us in the night sky? Your thoughts interest me.
12. ↑ FILIX: Don’t forget, festivals happen every ten years! LAMI: We can’t go because we’re stuck here. But Filix says we used to go, too.
13. ↑ PLUME: The southern glacier on Brittle Hollow has ample available space. I could construct a new building to house this proposed locator. FILIX: Yes, let’s build there! I imagine our young friend Conoy would enjoy that immensely. He’s always held a great interest in the Eye, especially for a child born so long after the crash.
14. ↑ 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! FILIX: This is wonderful news! I can’t wait to see the warp tower (although it’s been a long time since I’ve jumped through a black hole!).