Journals of Dr. Alfors Sagosa, Project Democritus

[Frostglare]

Entry #1, January 5th, 2204
Alcatraz Subterranean Research And Testing Institution, A.S.R.A.T.I.

History's books remember the very beginning of this Age we live in... the Age of Godhood. It all started with the 3rd millennium. During the time around the late 1990s and 2000s, man had discovered anti-matter. The anti-matter experiment had been the focus of the 3rd millennium and had actually been what had ended the Age of Humanity. Humans had realized its destructive and creative potential and vied to control it. They competed economically, influentially, culturally, and violently. They erected anti-matter power plants, built anti-matter bombs... but it was all in vain. Eventually, one superpower rose, what was known as the United States, now a "shadow" of its former "democratic" self since the discovery of anti-matter (which many attributed to accurate proof that deities, including God, did not exist) and united the world as one under one belief: there is no God. There is only man. The Age of Godhood had begun.

Research in done in 2120-2164 during the "Age of Godhood" had discovered the way to separate atoms from molecules and ions without the need a catalyst or reactant to the source of matter. The process simply used previously-unknown particles of energy of a substance called "Astor" after the professor that discovered them, Jonathan P. Astor. For generation man thought that matter was held together by the electric nature of atomic structures but that was not so. That was simply what dictated their behavior of attraction/repulsion and chemical composition. Astor, on the other hand, was what made them exist. For a long time, scientists continued to believe that Astor was simply there, an insignificant and sub-atomic film of unknown, otherworldly energy flowing even in the vacuum of space.

In 2195, scientists under director Theolis Pasquali attempted to discover more about Astor. They tried to manipulate it and extract it from a block of matter. The result was catastrophic. In the absence of Astor, the matter collapsed in itself. Nuclei split apart and the subsequent explosion created a sphere of anti-matter that subsequently did what scientists had thought impossible. It destroyed atoms. It engulfed existence. Matter was destroyed, completely and utterly, with no way to return. Thankfully, this was done in an asteroid complex and not in Earth itself. Many minds saw it as catastrophic. Others found it intriguing. Still others saw it as the path to godhood. Further research was done. Anti-matter nullifies matter and causes it to be neutral when it reacts to its exact opposite (absolute neutrality, no charge even in protons and electrons) and causes it to react in a violent explosion if not. Astor, on the other hand, completely dissolves it. Not only that, but it can even destroy anti-matter as well (destruction of protons, electrons, neutrons, and quarks regardless of charge). It was a fearsome discovery... one we took to a great liking.

We are currently still in the Age of Godhood. In 2203, the government of the United States decided to fund project Democritus, named after the Greek philosopher who first theorized the potential existence of atoms. This particular facility, previously a prison during the Age of Manhood that lasted from the beginning of humanity to the beginning of the Age of Godhood in which people fought wars for belief like animals, has been long since turned into a much more human and civilized station for the betterment of humanity.

What is the purpose of Project Democritus? Rather simple. It is to achieve what humanity has since first begun to encounter since beginning of the A.G.

Godhood through the manipulation of Astor, of existence.

[Arlyan]

I like it. Got any more from? I'm hooked haha.

[WJChesek ((Evern))]

Sci-fi-y...

I like it.

[Frostglare]

Entry #2, February 20th, 2204
Alcatraz Subterranean Research And Testing Institution, A.S.R.A.T.I.

Tests on Astor began today. Knowledge of the properties of the "existence catalyst" are crucial and every member of this operation must have a deep knowledge on it. From our research we have learned that Astor has density and that it is equally dense in every single fragment of existence, even in the vacuum of space. Why where there is no matter there is Astor? The question is quite simply answered: because matter can exist even in the vacuum... ESPECIALLY in the vacuum, since matter takes up space in the vacuum. If a stone floated in space, it still exists even when not surrounded by matter. Thus, since it can exist, Astor takes up space in the void.

The second factor of Astor that is crucial is manipulation. Astor never moves from where it is. It is like an ocean, all-encompassing. The difference is that when one moves, Astor does not. It simply remains where it is. Atoms "switch hands" with the Astori that kept them existing did. I will not go in-depth with the mechanics, since this is my personal journal and not a scientific entry, but needless to say Astor is like men passing buckets to know another, with the buckets being matter and the Astor being the men. Matter moves. Astor simply stands in one place.

The most dangerous property of Astor is actually the lack of it. As shown by the Pasquali Incident, the lack of Astor causes a chain reaction that results in the destruction of matter. Astor would fill the void but even the split second that it is gone is enough to cause the decomposition of atoms and the explosion that shook Earth. Once the chaos is finished (and this is only when there is no more matter to be chain-reacted with the Astor) then Astor fills the vacuum and returns to normal (assuming the Astor that was removed is restored to the universe and not contained). The Pasquali Incident was tragic but yielded fruitful information which Theolis sent us at last minute, feeding our computers with his saved research. What's more, we managed to see and test the results from a distance, garnering even more information previously unknown to us.

We humans have transcended the ideas and trivialities that had engulfed the Age of Humanity. God, Buddhism, communism, capitalism, all of those outdated and animal beliefs have been outdated and replaced by perfection of the mind. What we lack, however, is perfection of the body. We still contract diseases and pestilence. We still die. We still need to eat and drink. These are hindrances that gods do not have. The Age of Godhood is meant to bring an end to mortal problems, each and every one of them.

We tested the new method today to SAFELY extracting Astor. Surrounding a ball of matter with a vacuum we drained the Astor from that area. The result was a miniature version of the Pasquali Incident, with a small black ball of matter present where the Astor was. It was like staring into the pitch-dark iris of a monster, all-consuming, cold, and devoid of anything and everything, even hatred (for even hatred is something). However, the trick was storing the Astor. In and of itself it was an insubstantial matter, uniform and uncontainable. Years of even more research finally discovered how. Astor could be contained in neu-matter. Neu-matter, or "neutral matter" (matter that has been fused with its corresponding anti-matter equivalent). Neu-matter has no charge, no properties. It is a black substance whose only true difference is in external properties. It is non-conductive, non-reactive, and non-chemical in any way imaginable. It is simple a black bulk of substance that is either heavy, light, dense, or even gaseous or liquid. Neu-matter has been useful for the exploration of the interior of the sun and the core of the Earth. A man wearing a full-body suit of neu-matter (the element used is unimportant so long as it is light and solid) could tread into a supernova and not even feel it. It can be split, cut, broken, and molded however. It cannot be melted, electrocuted, or chemically react. Once neu-matter is formed it is neu-matter forever. Part of the hopes in the Democritus project is that it will teach us how to reform neu-matter into matter and anti-matter for more practical, traditional use. Neu-matter makes Astor act more like water than a ghost. Pro- and anti-matter cannot contain Astor. Neu-matter can.

I cannot emphasize the danger of this project but since human ideals have died it is all we have left. Humanity as a whole has lost everything save the struggle to become godlike and eternal. In a way, I somewhat wonder how the people of the Age of Humanity truly were, always frightened that the person next to them would kill them or that the other country would destroy them. The Cold War era especially intrigues me, as it is a perfect example of human rivalry between individuals and nations. However, that does not matter. The entire world is now one people. Of course, there's variation in races and skin color, but all have the same ideology: all that there is is matter and nothing more. No spirits, no morals, no doctrines, nothing of the sort. We simply exist and we exist in the agony of knowing that there is an end to us.

Astor will end that fear... the fear of no existence, of death and suffering caused by existence. I find it a noble goal, which is why I contribute to this project. Being the top scientific mind here is a challenge. What was it that people said during the Age of Humanity? "History will remember me." Foolish. History is simply another thing that does not exist. It is matter that is gone and done. The past is past. All there is is the present.

History won't need to "remember" me. Soon, everyone will exist for eternity.

[Arlyan]

In your paragraph regarding neu-matter, you said:

It can be split, cut, broken, and molded however. It cannot be melted, split, or any of the sort.

Slightly confused me, other than that, I'm still enjoying it immensely. Keep it up

[Frostglare]

Entry #3, February 29th, 2204

Alexander was shut down today in Central Africa. Technicians are attempting to bring back reaction, but until then a fifth of our collective planet now has no fusion energy to supply itself. This could only be the work of the Idealist rebels, still tethering on to the belief of God, Muhammed, Buddha, whatever have you. Nothing but chains to what humanity could accomplish if it truly dedicated itself to achieving Godhood. Even God is not a God... not until we all are. The rebels obviously are not aware of our operation here in Alcatraz. Otherwise, they would have brought down Xerxes here in the Western Hemisphere. We cannot lose fusion power at any time or it could be a devastation the likes of which would end any hopes of attaining our divine right.

Fortunately, the Ordinatio Mundus dispatched additional miles militis to each plant complex. Currently, 250 million, at least 100 million more soldiers than before, are in each location. They should be safe now. I will need to swallow my worries and get back to work.

Author's Note: Since this is his private journal, Sagosa tends to... derail a bit on what's most in his mind. That said, it won't always be research.

[Frostglare]

Entry #4, March 10th, 2204

Stocks of carbon for testing are getting scarce. I'll need to file a request for them to hurry their import from Mars. I don't want to get desperate and turn to Venus instead. The planet is closer, but mining and extraction is painfully slow.

I'll need to deal with my lesser colleagues. Apparently, the first test subject has come in, one claiming to be loyal to the cause of Godhood. It is late. Tomorrow, we will begin testing.

[Frostglare]

Entry #5, March 11th, 2204

First actual procedure for infusing Astor began today. The test subject was a willing pioneer from Upper Plane, as requested. Ah, such a great sacrifice in the name of Godhood. A shame we did not get it the first time. When we folded and "condensed" the Astor over the space occupied his body, his entire self imploded. We wondered why and, after thorough search, it was revealed that the Astor does indeed grant an area over which it is concentrated "super-existence". What we didn't realize, however, is that without a base - an anchor, if you will - the additional Astor will cause an organic creature found within its "border" to dematerialize and enter a different dimension. While the ability of trans-dimension travel has long been wanted to be explored upon, this isn't what this project is about. We need to master our reality before mastering the rest.

<Beneath this is a rough sketch of a machine, a human silhouette in it. An arrow points to its right, where a replica of the same drawing is there, save that the person is now shaded to represent Astor consentration. The next picture shows that the person is gone, leaving no trace. In its place is a brightly shaded mist that stands for the consentrated Astor, which remained on the spot after the event.>

Still, this doesn't mean we can't send some of our findings to the heads of research. It is always good to be a slight step ahead and prepared for the future... and trans-dimentional exploration and conquest will be the future, the far future at least... but let's consentrate on the near-future, yes?

It is interesting to note that once Astor was released back into the area around it, it did not refill the void. It is assumed that for this to happen, one must replace the Astor back into the area from which it was taken. It is also theorized that touching the area that holds the consentrated Astor will cause something similar to happen to whoever touches it... most likely losing a finger or an arm. It is definitely lethal, though, and unseen to boot. Astor weapons development could begin soon after this.

Ah, well. No resources truly lost. We'll have to try finding an "anchor", though. After all, we have more than 29,000 brilliant minds - mine among them - working on it.

[Frostglare]

Entry #6, March 16th, 2204

Unbelievable.

<There are angry scratches and smudges under to the word.>

How low this has fallen. Some idiot in the Ionic Balance department leaked information to the volunteers about the results of the last experiment. Each ran off, risking exposing this secret project. Each was terminated.

Afterward, we resorted to finding street rats for subjects. This is extremely dangerous! We do not know WHOM we are empowering!

But the alternative... it's infinitely worse... this project must continue. It must be done!

I'm going to have that scatterbrain killed. As a matter of fact, the order was already given. Maybe I'll do it myself... I have the authority.

[Frostglare]

Entry #7, May 12th, 2204

Matter.

How could we not have seen it before? Matter... that's the anchor. After weeks of failed research, the first successful experiment was performed.

It works wonderfully. By binding one of the base elements of the world, we've found a way to bind an organic, sentient person to the world with a consentration of Astor infused in the space it takes up. It very near made it transmutate into the matter as well or, worse, warp into another dimension, but by maintaining another anchor - carbon - to compensate for organic imbalance, we finally managed to not only get a live subject to survive the ordeal, but to actually maintain the Astor in the area taken by its body.

We'll need to observe it 24/7. We need to run tests, tests, tests, more tests! I want to know what it can do! Can it control creation, the very fabric of existence? Ah, I cannot wait... I cannot. I'll run physical exams within the hour, as a matter of fact! I cannot sleep! I must wake the complex!

[o ding]

Am I the only one who thinks this would be greatly improved if the writer had a german accent and typed with it too?

[Frostglare]

Jul 7, 2009 14:20:31 GMT -5 o ding said:

Am I the only one who thinks this would be greatly improved if the writer had a german accent and typed with it too?

((Actually... having an accent - any kind of cultural or religious distinction - in this world is a crime. Everyone operates on a "Global nationality" and a "Global culture". I'll detail more on it on a separate work, but... not on the journals.))

[Frostglare]

Entry #8, May 30th, 2204

The base we used for the first successful project was hydrogen, the simplest atom in existance. We've dubbed those that are altered into limited godhood "Divinus Fortuna", or "divine fate", for eventually it is fated that we shall all not only reach this state, but go beyond it. To the more simpleminded members of this crew, they've demeaned it to shorter reference, most popular of which are "divinus", "the lucky one", and, disgustingly the most popular one among the majority of the imbecilic populants, "divie". The full term is rather unfinished, but it has been observed that the subject is not fully in control of creation. Not yet.

The base element used has a great effect on the subject's traits. The 'prototype' has shown, rather delightfully, what we were hoping for: control over matter. More specifically, control over its anchor element, which is hydrogen. At first, it found difficulty controlling it, especially when he was so bold as to refuse to even try, crying that he wanted to go home. Nevertheless, after some persuasion, we managed to force it into - at least trying to - increase the diffusion rate between a canister of hydrogen and another of nitrogen. Diffusion speeds were compared and we found, to our astonishment, that he'd almost completely diffused the entire 5 liters of hydrogen into 5 liters of nitrogen in 10 seconds fewer than the compared, uncontrolled set. Rather weak, though, when you consider what we had in mind, but still a bounding leap.

Next, we tested on something a bit more difficult: molecular manipulation, as opposed to atomic manipulation. Water, having two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen, was used. It found it almost just as easy to manipulate it. It was interesting, seeing the water float in midair as if invisible arms were cupping it, then splash to the ground. We attempted to test it further, this time bringing a small vat of hydrochloric acid. After much strain, it managed to draw a circle in the floor with the liquid without touching it. Interesting... more complex molecules seem to make it much harder to control it, if even at all. The abundance of a molecule in an atom determines not only the potency of the control, but also the reach. At maximum range, we determined he could control water at 60 yards maximum, but as the distance increased his potency decreased. He is most effective at 30 yards with decent control.

Fascinating... at close range, I theorize, it could manipulate body fluids in a person. Possibly... puppeteering them at will... how delicious.

After tests, we turned to a new subject, since "Hydros", as it had been nicknamed, became exhausted after a week or so of trials. We attempted to bind another subject with helium, but after further research it was noted that fusion with noble gases is impossible. In fact, it killed him. How frustrating, but no matter. We'll reach that step in the research later.

New street rats coming in today. I am still seething at the blunder. However, progress has made me far too cheerful to care. So what if they are not absolute believers in human godhood? We will still gain the knowledge to become gods ourselves and then we subdue any who resist.

We'll have existence at our fingertips.

[Frostglare]

Entry #9, July 5th, 2204

Updates: It appears that Divinus Fortuna cannot control matter that is encased in neu-matter. Interesting... it's long been known by us that neu-matter is, perhaps, the only material capable of existing in an area void of Astor. Indeed, it's actually been thought that there is no "space" in between atoms of neu-matter. Astor takes the vast, empty area inside the “electron clouds” of matter as well as any void area not taken by sub-atomic particles. Neu-matter does not have – indeed, does not NEED Astor to exist, especially since only the surface atoms of its composition touch Astor. The rest is “supersaturated space”.

The leading hypothesis, which was proven today, was that the Divinus Fortuna manipulated atoms by manipulating the Astor around them. Like electricity through a cable, they used Astor in the surrounding area as their link to that which they controlled. By insulating the matter within neu-matter, the user was shown to be helpless to control it. Similarly, they cannot control neu-matter of their same element. When Godhood is reached, we must eliminate the neu-matter immediately... but how?

That has been the focus of our research the last two weeks or so. We used to think that neu-matter was, once formed, unable by any means possible to return to being pro- and anti-matter again. We came with a solution. I am proud to say that the procedure was named after myself. Fitting, since I discovered it.

The Sagosa Effect is caused when Astor is forced into the space taken up by neu-matter. Just as theorized, the Astor, which could not truly exist in an area taken up by neu-matter, caused the material to split and break apart the bonds that neutralized the charges of both types of matter (pro and anti) comparably like a magnet repelling opposite forces. Of course, we had to do this in a neu-matter safety room to keep the anti-matter from reacting with pro-matter and cause a negatron blast from ensuing. Amateur mistakes… fortunately, we are not amateurs and we won’t pay with our lives.

Also, Divinus Fortuna can be harmed like any other human. They can die like one, too. A single bullet to the chest eliminated one of the subjects. Well, even “God” was “killed” by man, so what will happen when there is no more man and there are only gods?

[Frostglare]

((Made a slight few alterations to Entry #1 and #2 to make up for changes done. #1 includes the event that started the A.G. and #2 changed the "matter that can hold Astor" from anti-matter to neu-matter, as appropriate.