Reconstruction Bombardments

## Overview

Reconstruction Bombardments (RBs) refer to the application of various advanced technologies and AI treatments to a planet (or other galactic body) to obtain detailed information about its history and prehistory. RBs can be performed by an advanced society on behalf of a primitive species or by a species on itself once it has developed the necessary technology. RBs provide a wealth of data, usually with a high degree of accuracy, which is expressed in terms of probability. The near past (several centuries) typically has over 99% accuracy, which gradually decreases as the information goes further into the past.

## Technologies Used in Reconstruction Bombardments

Reconstruction Bombardments employ a wide array of technology, including:

1. Stealth surveillance satellites
2. Nanobot swarm probes
3. Remote sensing technology
4. Holographic reconstruction
5. Subterranean and underwater drones
6. Air and land drones
7. Advanced AI algorithms
8. Language decryption algorithms
9. DNA and molecular analysis
10. Gravitational wave telescopes
11. Quantum entanglement communication

## Ethics and Impact on Native Populations

RBs can sometimes be used to demoralize native populations by "disproving" their creation myths. While it is generally considered more ethical to wait until a species has the capability to perform a bombardment themselves, military leaders may turn to this extreme strategy in desperate situations. Reactions to RBs can be quite extreme, occasionally leading to increased rates of suicide and depression. However, it can be viewed as a better option when compared to continued warfare.

## Faith and Reconstruction Bombardments

It is understood by many in the galactic scene that faith can supersede the information obtained from RBs in some ways. This mindset allows individuals in advanced societies to accept both the scientific data from RBs and their own religious beliefs. For example, the RB for the Ledev D'sahn doesn't align very well with the Ledev Mysticism belief that the god Charis created them, but there is a mindset of, "Oh, this will all make sense and come together somehow in the future." It is not hard for some individuals in advanced societies to say, "Perhaps both of these versions of events is true in its own way," and to openly and happily apply both histories to the past and help guide them into the future.

For others, especially the nonreligious, the scientific nature of RBs takes precedence and the reliance on myth may seem foolish. However, it is generally considered "polite" not to use a species RB against them in terms of trying to shut down that person's religion.

## Usage by Various Factions

The Union has employed RBs in a few rare cases during proxy wars. The Red Mission famously never uses them in conflicts, instead letting species perform them for themselves when they feel ready. The Mission is the most likely government to employ RBs, but they have a complicated relationship with them due to the Soran Order's influence.

## The Soran Order and Reconstruction Bombardments

The Soran Order has a complicated relationship with the use of Reconstruction Bombardments. While acknowledging the scientific accuracy of the data obtained from RBs, the Order emphasizes the importance of maintaining the unique religious beliefs of each species and planet that its council chooses. So, in some cases, the Mission might employ RBs to challenge the authenticity of a population's creation myths, only to then have the Soran Order turn around and encourage them to embrace that very same religion. Mission leadership who are Created, including some Sora, can sometimes get frustrated by the Mission's reluctance to use RBs because of this issue with its compatibility with the Soran Order.

## Reactions of the Created

People who are Created tend to be more amenable to the information gleaned from RBs, as their belief in one God using natural processes to create and guide life aligns with typical evolutionary beliefs. The only creation "myth" in Created is that Creator had a hand in guiding the universe to produce life in the first place. If a Created has a concern about the use of RBs, that concern will mostly revolve around the potential unethical use and psychological harm caused to those unprepared for the implications.

## Special Cases

### Tel Adder

The life on Tel Adder and its moon, Tel 1, shares ancestral DNA but diverged about twenty million years ago. The method of life transfer between these celestial bodies remains a mystery, as—for unknown reasons—RBs can only provide information from the past three-hundred-thousand years. There is a "wall" in time there that has not yet been breached by reconstructionists. For many, this is seen as one of the most titillating mysteries in the galactic scene.

### Sorall

Sorall, the home planet of the Sora, has never employed the full use of an RB on itself. This decision has been widely criticized and lampooned in the galactic scene, even by many Sora, particularly those who are Created. A push for many decades to perform an RB on Sorall has been met with heavy resistance from Grand Ambassador Corteal, who claims it "simply isn't necessary." This is seen as an obvious attempt at bolstering the Revist faith and a desire not to face the high probability that aspects of that legend would be rebuffed by an RB.