NOVA Array

NOVA 0134 in orbit of Zeah c.221 BGR

## Members

NOVA 0134
NOVA 0147
Potentially millions more

The **NOVA Array,** commonly referred to as the **Precursor Array** by the people of the 23rdcentury, were a series of orbital arrays created by the Precursors to effectively police their once galactic-wide empire. Initially constructed as an effort to control populations, the arrays were later repurposed into last-line defenses against The Geist in the Great War. The arrays, when activated, would fire a temporal displacement wave, which would then make contact with a civilization, causing them to regress to a pre-stone age state. NOVA Arrays also served additional purposes, such as the storage of genetic material for re-seeding, and information in the Precursor Matrix.

## Background

The NOVA Arrays are a series of orbital arrays. designed by the Precursors to destroy sentient life and artificial contructs within 3 light years. The Arrays were deployed as a way to effectively police their galactic-wide empire, as although the Precursors were benevolent in nature at first, they would not permit rebellion. As with most Precursor devices, the Arrays would draw power from nearby stars, although they were also equipped with anti-matter reactors in the event of an emergency. As the arrays were designed to police star systems, this was therefore an effective power generation method. The Arrays were equipped with shielding (as were many precursor structures) and prototype temporal shielding, allowing the array to resist temporal displacement waves.

Precursor Matrix records on the exact usage of the NOVA Arrays are sporadic. Records seem to indicate that a total of 26 successful firings have occurred since ther deployment, but over 1,000,000,000 successful test-firings have occured over all deployed arrays. The Arrays, like most Precursor technology, are DNA locked to ensure that enemy species cannot use the weapons against them without having a Precursor there. However, Human and Unified individuals also fit this DNA lock, and therefore are able to utilise the Arrays too. No Arrays have been fired in the centuries that followed Galactic re-seeding and the disappearence of the Precursors.

The Precursor High Council are believed to have ordered the construction of the Arrays after the Zultan Defiance of 209 BGR. One of the principle designers of the Array was Scientist Azaria, a Precursor temporal scientist famous for the creation of the Precursor Temporal Core, which enabled them to travel in time. Azaria's knowledge in temporal theory from his work on the Temporal Core was one reason he was brought on to design the Arrays. Nuhll was the co-creator of these arrays, providing military science to turn Azaria's temporal technology into a weapon. Azaria however, believed they would be used as a deterrent, and was horrified to see them actually fired.

## History

The NOVA Arrays had been designed and constructed following the Zultan Defiance of 209 BGR, they were in active deployment almost 10 years later in 210 BCR. Construction was completed by a Human contingent of engineers under the direction of Precursor Lifeworkers. Unified completed the technical construction of the Arrays. The Arrays were designed to be operational indefinitely, with little need for a physical crew, as the Arrays were more efficiently ran by AI. They were in active operation for almost 300 years. With 20 total firings within this time, which resulted in the successful genocide of 35 different species, which were subsequently re-seeded.

During the Great War with The Geist, the Precursor High Council ordered 6 additional firings of the Arrays, as they believed this may regress the Geist before it got too close to the Core worlds. Although the Arrays were effective repellents for a time, the Geist was beginning to adapt. The resulting firings led to the regression of 10 different species. Running out of options and time, the High Council became desperate. The High Council had decided to plan The Final Solution, a plan that would result in all active Arrays being fired at once, resulting in a galactic-wide temporal displacement wave which would tear a hole in the fabric of reality, which they believed would destroy the Geist, they could then simply re-seed all species that had been wiped out after repairing the tear. However, they were stopped at some point.

## Design

### Operation

The NOVA Arrays were designed to be operated with a minimal crew of individuals, as there were potentially millions of these arrays deployed over Convergence A and B. Thus, each array would be staffed by four individuals: a commander, two engineers and one weaponmaster. Day-to-day running of the array was left to the Artifical Intelligence, usually type 3 AI. These AI would be given the designation of Overseer, a title normally reserved for Precursors whom governed planets. One such AI Overseer was Abject Nominus, whom oversaw NOVA 0134. Nominus survived the collision of the two galaxies and the subsequent destruction of the Precursor technological network. He therefore remained alone for over 2.9 million years, whereby he decended into madness. Despite his madness however, he could never break his own core programming. Thus he was not able to leave his position without the express authority of a Precursor.

The Arrays were also equipped with AI workers that would patrol the station and complete any needed repairs.

### Technology

The NOVA Arrays weren't just orbital weapons, they served several functions. Thus they were equipped with a wide variety of Precursor technology.

#### Precursor Matrix

As with many Precursor installations, the NOVA Arrays were equipped with a Precursor Matrix, which was a massive data storage devices that contained information on almost everything the Precursors had developed and researched over their 10 million year history. The Matrix, like many Precursor constructs, was DNA locked to Precursor, Human and Unified individuals. Observations of Precursor Matrices are rare. The Matrix on NOVA 0134 was used by early Humanity to rapidly advance their species, and is a secret that is protected by the Naval Special Operations. However, the Matrix on NOVA 0134 was very damaged and thus the knowledge it contained was mostly lost, and the Humans had difficulty understanding the data that was left intact anyway.

#### Composer

All NOVA Arrays were equipped with a Composer, which was used to turn organic specimens into data, which allowed the re-seeding process to be possible. Any individual composed would be destroyed and digitised, with their DNA being stored for later usage. The Re-seeding process saw the Composed DNA loaded into Re-Seed pods, which would be fired at the nearby planet, then after a certain amount of time the DNA would be released and combined with artificial Amino Acids to form the basis for new life. The re-seed pods were able to resist the cataclysm, thus allowing for complete galactic re-seeding following the Galactic Purge.

#### Temporal core

This was the heart of the NOVA Arrays. The temporal core allowed for limited time travel, however on a NOVA Array, it's main purpose was to generate a Temporal Displacement Wave. The Temporal Core could be used to create temporal appetures to allow for time travel, which in conjunction with the station's engines, would allow the array to move through time.

#### Slipspace Drive

By being equipped with a Slipspace Drive, being the SOLESTIAL mk11 drive, the Arrays were able to be deployed over the galaxy over the span of a decade. This also allows them to be moved from their location with relative ease.

### Lifespan

The Arrays were designed in such a way that they could effectively operate indefinitely. As long as there was solar energy from nearby stars, or anti-matter to fuel their internal reactors, they could fullfill this design requirement.

Even after the cataclysm left NOVA 0134 heavily damaged and subsequently de-orbited, and buried beneath Zeah's ocean, it still remained semi-operational, with it's Matrix, Composer, and statis bays still active by 2206 AGR. This was a true testament to it's creation.