| Terms, Definitions, Weather, Political Structure, and Planetary Description of the Cyrarian Planetary System
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A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Y Z
Aborra: A private area where a person could keep their personal possessions and have some degree of privacy. It sometimes but not always included a sleeping cyll.
Acceleration Shell: A gel-filled inflatable shield that absorbs extreme accelerations incident to space travel which is similar to the effects of being submerged in a tank of water.
Advanced Life Support and Intervention Center (ALSIC): Similar to a modern Earth hospital but with more advanced technologies.
Aerogel: Extremely light substance used for insulation as well as a medium used in space experiments to capture cosmic dust or particles moving at an extremely high velocity.
Ahir Budhyana: A mythological god in Vedic tradition who’s associated with water and darkness and stands for the combination of consciousness with eternity. It can also represent wisdom in the form of a snake. This deity is honored on Earth as well in India where it is part of the Vedic tradition.
Algon, Algonian: Fictitious star-system located in the fourth quadrant of the Sagittarius Arm of the Hostii (Milky Way) galaxy and location of the planet, Verdaris.
Algorithm: A specific procedure for calculating a certain result either in math or computer programming.
Anachorda Corridor: Fictitious area of the galaxy between two blackholes and various other objects with a lot of gravity which compress space and time naturally, creating the same effect as a starship’s third harmonic warp drive which compresses distance by a ratio of a thousand to one. A very dangerous route for inexperienced spacers, however, due to inherent instabilities.
Angular Velocity: Speed typically measured in degrees of an object rotating around a central axis such as a planet.
Anoia: Fictitious sport on Mira III which has similarities to baseball, basketball and soccer.
Antimatter Annihilation: The process which occurs when matter and antimatter connect and destroy each other.
APU: See Auxiliary Power Unit
Aquifer: Water deposit or underground river contained within layers of rock.
Arcturian: Fictitious, highly intelligent being from the star-system, Arcturus that has the appearance of a human-sized ant. They communicate using telepathy and require everyone to agree (consensus) before taking action.
Asylum: Giving a person such as one accused of a crime a safe place to stay, such as someone leaving a hostile country and going to one where they will be treated fairly.
Asystolic: Medical condition when a person’s heart stops beating.
Automaton: Fictitious term for a robotic device designed for a specific task. Appearance is that of a machine as opposed to human.
Auxiliary Power Unit (APU): Unit similar to a battery used to generate electricity and thus power a space craft.
Avionics: Electronics related to the operation of aviation and space vehicles.
Ballome: Portable structures formed from inflatable epoxy that cures and hardens in the ultraviolet rays of the sun. Used for temporary outposts on primitive worlds. Most contain basic heating and cooling systems and gel insulation that protects from most climates as well as plumbing. Usually have a galley kitchen, living area and two bedrooms equipped with built-in sleeping cylls.
Benefics: The positive energy inherent in the Universe which can be manifested through good deeds and thoughts. In areas where it predominates it can provide metaphysical assistance to mankind.
Bezarna: Fictitious blackhole used as a galactic prison from which no one can escape.
Biometrics: Electronic recognition of an individual based on facial recognition technology.
Blackhole: What is left of a massive star’s core after its life ends. Relatively small yet extremely dense and heavy, their gravity is so strong that even light cannot escape.
Bnolar: A telepathic cave-dwelling species indigenous to Cyraria. They measure over two meters tall when fully erect, supported by two heavy back legs and a long, heavy tail for balance (similar to a kangaroo). They have six arms and scoop-like paws with three heavy claws which enable them to dig through dirt extremely fast. Multi-layered skin is iridescent so it reflects heat as well as detached from muscle tissue giving it a cloak-like in appearance. Their deep-set eyes are veiled by skin layers when exposed to sunlight but appear as silver orbs when inside their caverns.
Bondling: Legal mate or spouse bound to another person through a ceremony performed by the Ledorian Order.
Bowl Bush: Fictitious plant native to Cyraria with flowers which resemble a large bowl and a large, bulbous edible root.
Brain, Left or Right: The brain is divided down the middle into two obvious sides which are referred to as the right and left hemispheres. The right hemisphere tends to be more creative and intuitive and the left hemisphere more logical. Most people use one side more than the other while some do well using both.
Brazoboro: Fictitious tree native to the planet, Verdaris with branches which have ring-like groupings of needle-like leaves similar to Earth’s pine trees.
Calmanac: Combination calendar, almanac and ephemeris used on Cyraria to track the seasons, temperature, dust and ultraviolet radiation levels, position of the dual suns, which are visible and for how long, and the probability of storms and ground quakes.
Capacitance: The amount of electrical charge stored in a device known as a capacitor.
Cavern: Underground cave formed either by rain dripping through limestone and dissolving it or an underground river.
=CC=: Cyrarian Credit used as money on Cyraria.
C-com: Common term for a fictitious device known formally as a Cerebral Companion. Similar to Earth’s “smart phones” in its ability to access information, it also can store a person’s thoughts and knowledge which is downloaded and accessed telepathically. An extension of a person’s brain to which it is linked through a cell-mate quantum link. Its advanced capabilities utilize artificial intelligence which greatly augments its user’s abilities.
Cellulated Botonics: Fictitious term for cloned wood fiber used for construction on worlds where trees are rare or don’t exist and there are no other suitable building materials.
Centripetal Force: A force from the center, such as that imposed by a string attached to a rotating ball. Note that this is different from centrifugal force, the pseudo-force which is a form of inertia such as that generated by a centrifuge. Another example is when you feel as if you’re pushed to the side opposite the direction in which a vehicle is turning as your body wants to continue moving the way it was going.
Chimera padre: Literally means the genes inherited from the father but also used to refer to one’s father. Usually shortened to ‘merapa, similar to the casual Earth term, dad.
Chron: Time measurement used when there is no visible sun or other means for observing the passage of time. Space term used to designate a day but consists of 26 Earth hours instead of the usual 24.
Chronometer: Time measurement device similar to a clock or watch.
Chronoviatic: Fictitious ability to facilitate time travel.
Code 60: Fictitious term used as a warning or to designate an extreme emergency.
Code Orange: Tenth level of the Miran Academic system which is identified by wearing an orange uniform. Each level has its own color for easy identification.
Comcenter: Communication center where messages can be sent or received.
Comcon: Communications console or terminal similar to a computer monitor except most project a holographic image into the air rather than being confined to a screen.
Concurrency Reviews: Cyrarian equivalent of news broadcasts or podcasts.
Countermeasures: Actions taken to prevent something adverse from occurring.
Cristobalite: Fictitious variety of crystal found in Cyrarian caverns. Their properties are unique, valuable and capable of transmitting thought (psi) waves and channeling information, i.e. cristoviatic properties.
Cristoviatic: Fictitious ability to facilitate psi communications.
Cruiser: Non-wheeled vehicle used for transportation. Uses an impeller enclosed on the underside for lift, similar to a helicopter.
Cryogenesis: Fictitious term for inducing stasis through the use of extreme cold such as with liquid nitrogen.
Cut Set: Level within a Fault Tree. The first cut set is something that can go wrong and cause a device to fail. The second cut set is something that can cause the first cut set to fail, the third cut set causes the second to fail and so forth, creating a chain reaction of failures.
Cyraria: Fictitious planet orbiting Xi star-system in the constellation Scorpio.
Cyll: Advanced version of an enclosed bed with automatic temperature and support control for comfort like a very advanced Earth mattress.
Cyrarian Space Facility (CSF): Massive space station in orbit around Cyrarian where incoming space vehicles dock and passengers obtain transportation to the surface.
Dark Matter: Invisible matter in the Universe that has mass and gravity but cannot be seen.
Dark Energy: Energy believed to be present in the Universe which can be converted into matter and thus form stars and planets.
Decarachnid: A ten-legged arachnid or spider.
Devenite: A form of cristobalite which not only facilitates the transmission of psi waves but has the ability to bend time based on input derived from the user’s emotional center. Violet in color, the crystal is an intercalation compound which allows it to have chronoviatic (time travel) ability.
Digichronometer: Digital time keeper, i.e. digital clock.
Disinformation: Lies presented as if they are true in order to deceive and mislead others.
Dununda: Underground Cyrarian city in Sigma/Epsilon covered by a massive, transparent dome.
Eioatian: Fictitious massive intelligent space slug which can reach tens of meters in length, is devoid of emotion and has a natural distrust of humans.
Electroid: Similar to a robot. Usually shortened simply to ‘troid.
Electromagnetic radiation: The technical term for what we know as light including infrared, visible light, ultraviolet, radio waves, x-rays, gamma rays, etc.
Ellipse: An ellipse is similar to a circle except it appears to be stretched out into more of an egg shape. To drawn an ellipse you can place to pins or thumbtacks into a piece of paper on a suitable surface (other than your mother’s mahogany dining room table), tie a string to each one and then use the string to guide your path with a pencil. Each of the pins represents a focus (plural = foci). A circle is a special case where the two foci are in the same place or coincident.
Cyraria’s orbit around Zeta and Zinni is two ellipses connected in the middle between the two stars so that combined they look like a figure eight, which is also how the planet moves around them. A figure eight shape is known as a lemniscate. Some believe that such an orbit could not exist while others believe it could but it would be very unstable. The determining factor is the gravitational pull of each star. If one is much smaller and therefore likely to be weaker than the other, the other would be able to “steal” the planet and it would orbit one or the other in an elliptical orbit. It would also be possible to orbit them both in a single ellipse with each sun at a focus.
Encephalographic Signature: Fictitious group of brainwave patterns that many people share which tells something about their temperament. Based on the electro-magnetic characteristics of a person’s brain. Different than a mindprint which is another level of detail and different for everyone.
Encryption: Scrambling a signal or message into a form that disguises it so that no one else can read or understand it.
Entry Buffers: Spacecraft system that slows and protects the craft from burning up during atmospheric entry or landing on a planet with an atmosphere.
Ephemeris: A listing usually in table form of the positions of planets, moons, stars, the sun at a certain time as well as when events such as eclipses will occur.
Eppy: Slang term used for an Elite Political Prisoner (EPP).
Erebusite: Fictitious race of intelligent humanoids from the star-system Erebus. They possess a strong, stocky build, with scaled, mustard-colored, hairless skin. They have three fingers of equal length and a single eye protected by several, overlapping, horizontal eyelids which adjust like blinds to control light.
Esheron: Fictitious planet continually at war over mineral rights and other planetary assets. The majority of men are fighting the wars while the women run the businesses and much of the governmental functions.
Esheronian Contingency Law: Law on Esheron intended to provide for women whose husbands die in the wars. They can join another family, usually that of a relative, and become an additional wife with permission from the first. Instituted to make sure that war widows are cared for if they are unable to care for themselves.
Faster Than Light (FTL): Travel faster than the speed of light, usually achieved by warping space since nothing can travel faster than light which is 186,000 miles per second or 669,600,000 miles per hour.
Fault Tree: Used in engineering to map out everything that can go wrong and cause something to not operate so that something can be done to assure the device will still work.
Federal System: Political organization formed by agreement of its members who can still create most of their own laws while the central power provides such things as a common monetary system, law enforcement and/or various protective services or benefits.
Flashers: Fictitious Cyrarian insects that live in colonies and resemble Earth’s cockroaches.
Flauna: Species that combine the characteristics of both plants and animals.
Flora peda telepathis or flora pedis telepathis: A fictitious species of flauna with telepathic abilities. They can also ambulate (walk) on broad-based leaves similar in size and shape to a seal’s flippers. Some have judged their intelligence level to exceed that of humans.
Flowstone: Cave or cavern formations forms by water erosion and looking as if they have been melted.
Galactic Standard Year (GSY): Fictitious term for creating a standard time measurement. A year is usually defined by the time it takes a planet to make one revolution around its sun but since all planets do so at a different rate, a standard was set at 400 chrons, which is similar to a day but 26 hours long.
Galarium: Similar to a library on Earth but without books, which don’t exist anymore. All information is stored on computers in a variety of formats similar to multi-media devices.
Genour: Generic Nourishment. Dry cakes or bars made from stale grain as food when nothing else is available. Similar to Earth’s granola bars but not as tasty.
Glyph: A symbol that stands for something specific and is often obvious enough for people to understand, even if they can’t read.
Gravitational Assist: Using a planet’s gravity to give a spacecraft a boost of energy and thus velocity.
Gravitational Vortex: A place where the gravity from a blackhole, several planets or stars combines in such a way as to create a gravitational whirlpool that could suck in and trap a spacecraft.
Graviton: Tiny theoretical particle presumed to convey the force of gravity.
Heat Exchanger: Basic component of an air conditioner which uses a liquid to remove heat from the air. A fluid absorbs the heat until it evaporates, then the steam is taken to another area where it is cooled and condenses back to a liquid, releasing the heat. Then it starts the cycle over again.
Headlock: An enclosed area at the entrance to a building that keeps extreme heat or cold weather outside from coming in.
Holocube: A data storage device based on holographic layers visible at different angles. Its function is similar to Earth’s ebook reading devices.
Holodendril: Fictitious tree on Verdaris with round, crystal-like leaves that reflect light and make a sound like wind chimes.
Holographix: Fictitious patterns and sounds specifically designed to relieve stress and keep a person calm. In private areas they are coded for the individual.
Holoprism: A fictitious device similar in appearance to a crystal which contains thousands of pages controlled by a small wheel on the side.
Holoviewer: Similar to a television except it projects the image into space in 3D.
Hostii Intergalactic Organization (HIO): Fictitious galactic organization whose primary purpose is to maintain peace between the various star-systems.
Hoverisms: Fictitious anti-gravity component used in various ground and space vehicles.
Humanoid: Creature shaped approximately like a human that has two legs, two arms, a single head and walks upright. Intelligence level varies as well as communication ability.
Hyperbolic Orbit: An orbit that isn’t closed like those of the Moon, Sun or Earth. Used for a gravitational assist where a spacecraft uses the gravity of a planet or other space object to give it more speed and change direction.
Ideology: A belief system usually associated with a specific group.
Inclination: Measurement usually in degrees above the horizon of a star, planet, spacecraft, spacestation, etc.
Infirmary: A place to care for those who are sick or injured but usually lacking less equipment than a hospital.
Interdimensional Excursion: Fictitious term for slipping from one dimension into another, typically through the effects of gravity or relativity.
Jendak: A marginally intelligent species shorter than most humans at about a meter and a half tall with purple skin, a rotund body and thin, rodent-like tail. Their face is somewhat flat accented by articulating pointed ears. They do well with simple, repetitive tasks that humans find boring such as assembly work. Many have strong intuitive and psychic abilities as well as excellent mechanical dexterity. Their hands similar to humans with an opposing thumb.
Karma: The concept that how you act toward others will eventually come back to you. If you treat others nicely, they will treat you nicely but if you’re mean, eventually someone will do the same thing to you.
Keesha: Small animal similar to a rabbit sometimes used for food or fur.
Kepler’s Laws of Planetary Motion: Three fundamental physical laws identified by Johann Kepler in the end of the 16th century that describe the motion of any heavenly body orbiting another. The 1st law states that the orbits of planets are elliptical, not circular as originally believed, with the Sun or central body at one of the foci of the ellipse. (See “ellipse.”) The second law was that an orbiting body will sweep out equal areas in equal time. What this means is if you were to measure the area between the Earth and the Sun for a specific time period, it will always be the same. The implications of this law are that a planet does not always move at the same velocity but moves faster when closer to the Sun than when it’s farther away. Thus, for Cyraria, it would move through the area between the two stars faster than when it’s on the far side of one or the other. The third law states that the period of time a planet takes to orbit the Sun is proportional to the distance from it, linking the two together. The implications of this law are that it doesn’t matter what the mass is of an object in orbit. It depends only on the mass of the central body, such as the Sun, and the satellite’s distance, meaning that a small satellite or the Moon would move at the same rate if in the same orbit.
Kolkhoz: Self-sustaining communal farm.
Lasocular: Fictitious term for laser-directed nuclear energy typically used in weapons.
Lasomag: Fictitious high-powered laser weapon that has an electro-magnetic power source.
The Laws: Common term for the laws on Mira III which directed all aspects of life.
Learning Curve: The time it takes to fully understand a given skill or concept.
Ledorian Order: A religious order based on Esheron that believes in an intelligent creator and the need to maintain positive energy in the Universe to keep it from collapsing.
Lemitini: Herbal substance similar to chocolate with strong healing powers and extremely pleasant flavor.
Lemniscate: A shape like a figure eight. (See “ellipse.”)
Local Time: The prevailing time vector on a specific inertial reference frame.
Logarithm: Mathematical term for organizing numbers based on how many times it is multiplied by itself (exponent). For example, logarithms based on 10 would include 10, 100, 1000, etc. while a logarithm based on 2 would be 2, 4, 16, etc.
Luma: Fictitious plant natural to Cyraria which has phosphorescent properties, in other words it glows in the dark and can provide lighting.
Luminal Velocities: The speed of light.
Magnavon: Single passenger vehicle similar to a motorcycle but without wheels so it uses magnetic levitation to lift it from the surface.
Magnetic Resonance Device (MRD): Equipment used to scan the interior of an object using the interaction of magnetic fields. Similar to Magnetic Resonance Imagine or MRI used in Earth medical applications.
Magnetometer: Instrument that measures the strength of magnetic fields.
Martial Law: Rule enforced by military action.
Mediveke: Veke used as a combination ambulance and treatment suite. (See veke)
‘Merama: Common term for chimera madre which is the Mira III term for mother or mom.
‘Merapa: Common term for chimera padre which is the Mira III term for father or dad.
Mindprint: A person’s unique signature based on their brain’s psi waves which are different from everyone else’s and more specific than their encephalographic signature which is based on electro-magnetic waves.
Mira III: Fictitious planet in the Mira system which is always foggy, blocking any view of the sun or stars. Its advanced technologies provide various comforts as well as a high level of control by the government which restricts personal freedoms.
MRD: See Magnetic Resonance Device.
Mula: In Vedic tradition a part of the sky known as a lunar mansion which represents a soul’s mission to escape the cycle of life and death. It is ruled by the deity, Nittriti, goddess of death and destruction. Mula brings pain which changes a person as they let go of material things and seeks for spiritual knowledge.
Mutogueronian: Sign language developed on Esheron to avoid being heard by audio surveillance devices.
Nanobots: Microscopic robots incorporated into everything from fabric to human beings and programmed to perform a specific task, some good to provide comfort and others to induce pain and suffering or some other unpleasant function.
Nanosensors: Microscopic sensors incorporated into fabric and furniture to sense a person’s tension level and then provide an appropriate level of comfort.
Naterra: Galactic term for a person’s planet of birth.
Navilator: Spacecraft navigation device which contains information about stars, gravity, interstellar storms and so forth.
Negative Energy Spikes: Energy related to or generated by antimatter.
Nifeir: Cyraria’s single moon named for its high content of the minerals nickel, iron and iridium.
Noncompliance Report (NCR): Notices issued to students in the Mira III educational system when they break any of the rules, including asking too many questions as well as getting an answer wrong. Offenders were listed on an electronic board to further embarrass those who couldn’t follow the rules.
Norfed: Confused.
Ocular Refractors: Electronic binoculars.
Oppsuit: Similar to a spacesuit but designed to keep a person at a comfortable temperature during Cyraria’s extreme weather, both hot and cold.
Orbital Dynamics: Movement of an object in orbit including its speed and the size of the orbit around a central point such as a planet or star. Also see “Kepler’s Laws.”
Orbital Mechanics: Mathematical methods used for calculating orbits based on such factors as the mass of both bodies and radial distance. Can be used to predict location at any given time once the cycle parameters are known.
Orthostatic Intolerance: The inability to stand up. Astronauts exercise regularly while in zero gravity for extended missions to prevent this condition. Without the need to bear weight in a gravity field the bones and muscles weaken and atrophe.
PEPIR: See Piloting Extrapolation Projection of Input Results.
Perihelion: The bottom of an elliptical orbit or its point closest to the object it’s orbiting.
Phase Change: When a substances changes from a solid, liquid or gas to one of the other states or phases. Energy is used or released between stages which can be used in such systems as heat exchangers.
Photoreceptors: Visual sensors on an electroid.
Photosynthesis: The process by which a plant generates energy using light.
Phynques: A carnivorous species of flauna similar to cactus that moves about on hundreds of feet-like roots so it can find food such as insects or other plants.
Physical Assistance and Remediation (PAR): Similar to a doctor’s office on Earth but with higher technology, including the ability to treat patients who are not present.
Piloting Extrapolation Projection of Input Results (PEPIR): Computer simulation to determine results of directions given to a spacecraft.
Planetary Law Enforcement Database (PLED): Fictitious computer database where Cyrarian residents’ records including school grades or breaking the law are kept.
Pneumatoplasmic: Fictitious term for the properties of dark matter.
Portalume: Device similar in function to a flashlight.
Pressure Vortex (PV): Strongly circulating air such as in a tornado. On Cyraria, massive storms which occur when one part of the planet is much colder than another creating convection currents that become twisted by the planet’s rotation and result in dangerous tornados much larger than those on Earth.
Promises: Vows taken during Ledorian ceremonies.
Protoplasm: The most basic form of living matter for both plants and animals.
Psaid: Term used when communicating using psi. Similar to the word “said” for when a person talks in the usual way.
Psetora: Fictitious insectoid similar in appearance to a cockroach. They communicate telepathically which allows them to hunt their prey as a group. Their antennae flash orange when all have focused on the same target and are ready to strike.
Psi: The consciousness level of brainwaves which travels faster than light and is how telepathy and other psychic abilities operate.
Psi Link: Telepathic connection between two people communicating using psi waves.
Pubescent Crawler (p-crawler): Creeping plant native to Cyraria that has small, delicate leaves filled with sap which give it insulation properties. However, if broken open, the sap has a very offensive odor.
Pyxisite: Another humanoid species with limited intellect which they compensate for by being sneaky and untrustworthy. Their skin is dark with a greenish cast like tarnished copper, their eyes are deepset, round, amber in color and feline-like with what little hair they have dark and wispy. They hail from the starsystem, Pyxis, which was evacuated as a series of recurrent novas increased in strength until they threatened to annihilate its two habitable planets.
Quadrumvirate: An organization ruled by four rulers or groups.
Quantum Entanglement: Experiments indicate that when a photon is split contact is maintained between them due to the fact that if the spin of one changes the other portion instantaneously changes as well, indicating some form of communication exists between them. Thus, when a particle such as a photon, electron or even a molecule is “entangled” with another, any influence on one will affect the other instantaneously. This indicates communication between them that occurs faster than the speed of light which implies its timeless and could possibly be related to psi phenomena.
Quantum Paralysis Device (QPD): A device similar in function to a refrigerator which inhibits chemical reactions and therefore prevents food spoilage.
Radio Frequency (RF): Radio waves or how radios work.
Rakii: Erubesite term for wife.
Refraction: Changing the direction of a wavefront such as light by passing it through a different medium such as a crystal which changes its transmission velocity and direction.
Regional Governor (RG): Top leader for a Cyrarian region which is part of a Territory.
Regionists: Those who live in a specific region.
Regions: Each Cyrarian Territory is divided into 24 regions, each with their own government.
Relativity: Theory developed by Albert Einstein that states that time and space are not constant but can change when something is moving close to the speed of light.
Replicon: A fictitious robot designed to look and act like a specific person, in other words a replica often used as instructors in the Miran Academies.
Rhetoric: How an idea is expressed using a certain style so that it may sound better than it really is.
Rollapeds: Caster-like wheels often used on ‘troids and automatons.
S3: A network of satellites orbiting Cyraria used to gather information such as weather conditions but also used by some to spy on people’s activities.
Sanicube: Bathroom or toilet facilities.
Sapphirans: Sub-human race of humanoids with low intelligence. They believe that plants are better than animals and therefore only eat meat, including people, which makes them cannibals.
Serendipity: Discovering something fortunate unexpectedly; a lucky break.
Shravana: In Vedic tradition a section of the sky known as a lunar mansion. Its message is to listen to the sounds of silence through self-discipline and pursuing the path of truth which allows a person to know whether or not something is real.
Singularra: Miran term for being alone, a concept that does not have cultural approval. Someone who preferred to be alone was considered to be crazy, thus the word was often used in that way as well.
Situational awareness: Paying attention to what is going on around you.
SMC: See Surveillance and Monitoring Capability
Smutch: Fictitious remnant of a blown-out star made of carbon with a diamond core that was eventually captured by another star system and thus considered a planet. In turn it captured one of the system’s asteroids which was engineering to be habitable and often used by intragalactic smugglers and other criminals as a rendezvous site.
Snurk: A stupid person.
Snurkles: Expression of surprise or disbelief.
Spatial Plane: A dimension that is defined by a flat surface such as a table.
Speed of Light: 186,000 miles per second or 1,000,000,000 meters per second. According to Einstein’s relativity theory nothing other than light can travel at this speed.
Spickle Tree: Cactus-like plant native to Cyraria that defends itself from predators by hurling spikes when disturbed.
Stalagmite: A column coming up from ground level that results from water dripping through limestone such as in a cavern.
Stalactite: A column coming down from the ceiling from water dripping through limestone such as in a cavern.
Stalii: Grain-like seed that develops in the stalk which ruptures when the seeds are ripe. The stalks are somewhat larger than corn stalks on Earth and the seeds about the size of tennis balls.
Stasis: Suspended animation or chemically induced sleep which slows down bodily processes enough that they can stay alive for long periods of time such as that required for space travel that takes longer than a person’s lifetime.
Stungun: Fictitious weapon used to stun people or prey using an electric charge.
Subterre: An underground residence or office where the ground is the primary insulation from heat or cold as well as weather disturbances.
Supply Depot (SD): Government run store where regionists can obtain the supplies they need to build homes or other projects.
Surveillance and Monitoring Capability (SMC): Use of electronic devices to spy on a person as well as measure their reaction by their heartrate, breathing, etc.
Sweeper: Hawk-like bird with a rotating tail that teases its prey prior to eating it in one bite.
Synchronous Orbit: An orbit that is synchronized with the rotational rate of the central body. For example, geosynchronous communication satellites orbiting the Earth take 24 hours to complete one orbit, the same amount of time it takes for the Earth to make a single rotation, thus keeping them in the same location overhead.
Tachyonic Transmission: Fictitious means for sending a message faster than the speed of light.
Telepathy: Method for communicating with another person through thought.
Telerobic Surrogates: Robots that duplicate the motion of a human or programmed to perform tasks usually done by humans. Can be used remotely across vast distances for tasks such as surgery.
Terra: Planet located in the Orion Bridge which connects the Perseus and Sagittarius arms of the Hostii (Milky Way) Galaxy. Known commonly as Earth.
Territorial General (TG): Head of a territory with some level of authority over its 24 regions.
Territories: Geographic divisions on Cyraria that divide it into 6 sectors.
Time Adjustment Station (TAS): Outposts in space that adjust the time for space travelers which gets distorted due to travel near the speed of light. The Theory of Relativity explains how when something is moving close to the speed of light that time goes more slowly. For example, 10 days on a spacecraft could pass while 100 years passes on a planet. To assure that travelers arrive in the same timeframe, the TAS uses gravity waves to place them in the proper time.
Timebump: Being sent forward or backward in time by a spacecraft malfunction or encounter with a strong gravity field.
Time Dilation: The principle included in Einstein’s theory of relativity that time passes slower for objects moving near the speed of light.
Time Dilation Modulator (TDM): Spacecraft component to adjust for differences in time. If the TDM’s operate properly there is no need for a TAS.
Trajectory: The path of a moving object such as a thrown ball.
Transcription Errors: Failure of a person’s body to come together properly after being dissolved by a transporter beam or traveling near the speed of light.
Transcrypters: A device used to communicate secretly. Voices are scrambled or encrypted as one person speaks then translated back for the other person to understand but anyone listening would only hear garbled noise.
Transponder: An electronic device that sends a signal, often from a vehicle, so that others can tell where it is.
Triumvirate: An organization ruled by three separate groups.
‘Troid: Common term for an electroid or robot.
Tsesepia: Fictitious planet with a toxic atmosphere used for insecticide.
Turbidity: The amount of particles or sediment in air or water. Relates to the amount of dust in the Cyrarian atmosphere from its dry surface.
Tysa: Fictitious holographic game the object of which is to assemble a variety of different shapes into a single block or shape.
Undissipated Charge Differential: Electric charge buildup that can result in an electrical shock.
Universal Time: The prevailing time vector on a specific inertial reference frame.
Uttara Bhadra: In Vedic tradition a section of the sky known as a lunar mansion and ruled by Ahir Budhyana, ruler of water and darkness. It represents trouble that is finally solved.
Vacushield: Windshield of a spacecraft protecting it from the vacuum of space.
Vapora: Fictitious pools of hydrocarbons deposited in the atmosphere by a comet. When they combine with oxygen they become a fire storm.
V-disk: Vector disk used on spacecraft to provide lift and direction.
Vegemal: A creature that combines characteristics of both a plant and an animal. Some have high intelligence, such as Thyron.
Veke: Common term for “vacuum certified vehicle” or VCV. Disk-shaped craft similar to the typical shape of a UFO which can travel on or off a planet, but with limited range. For example, one could be used to travel to a planet’s moon but not another planet.
Verdaris: Planet in the Algonian system used primarily for growing food. The system has several comets which hit the planet often making it too dangerous for permanent settlements.
Veridical Dream: A prophetic dream that provides insights and truth that are critical to the receiver’s life path.
Videra: An Erubesite’s visual sensor or eye.
Warp Gully or Warp Run: Naturally occurring route through space that contracts space and expands time due to gravity from various nearby stars or blackholes.
Warp Harmonics: Fictitious spacecraft system designed to fold space gravitationally and virtually shrink distances. Each harmonic level is an order of magnitude or ten times stronger than the one before it.
Wiitiins: Fictitious creatures native to Cyraria which live in hot springs. Similar in size, taste and texture to shrimp.
Wormhole: A tunnel between parts of space that greatly shortens the distance through relativistic effects.
Wrist Wrings: Similar to handcuffs but with the ability to temporarily numb the prisoner’s hands and arms so they can’t use them.
Yraglian Lizard: Colorful hooded Cyrarian lizard that defends itself by emitting a cloud of gas with an odor that can knock out its prey or enemies.
Zinaanian: This species hails from a starsystem in the constellation known on Earth as Scorpio but is invisible due to the high nebulosity surrounding it. Its natives are highly intelligent with facial features which in some respects resemble a dinosaur. They walk upright on somewhat short but powerful legs, have broad, bull-like shoulders with relatively short but well-muscled arms, hands with three fingers of unequal length and scaled skin which is bronze-colored. Their head is broader at the top with spherical eyes of a reddish hue on either side which rotate independently and thus can attain a three-hundred-sixty degree view while their body remains still. Other facial features include angular, protruding cheeks separated by a thin, bony nose and a relatively wide lipless mouth above a powerful, pointed jaw.
Zodiac: A system of star patterns or constellations which surround a star-system and can be used to mark time based on the view from the planet and where its sun or suns happen to be. Similar to Earth, the Cyrarian zodiac has 12 signs including the Conquerer, Sower, Scholar, Judge, Rock, Destroyer, Healer, Reaper, Accuser, Psychic/Seer, River and Builder. Each has a meaning related to its name which astrologers interpret and predict future events.
Zones: Scheduling system that determines what time something should occur such as waking up, eating, attending school or work, going to sleep, etc.
Zygodactyl: Having two toes or fingers facing forward and one back such as found in certain birds or Erebusites.
The Star Trails Tetralogy 