Technical Sciences Referent is 894. Both Life and Energy emerge from the Void. The interaction of the two elements brings forth matter. Both life and energy are abundant.
Mystic Sciences Referent is 345. Essence exists in large quantities. The zone is classified Enchanted Essence Linear where Essence creates Mana which creates Life.
The Q-dex for the zone is T 789.2322/894.807O M 676.3533/345.12.
Mystics of Golconda believe that is was Essence mystical forces which modified the cellular structure of the original settlers. Strong debate continues with scientists on the relative influence of the zones technological and mystical classifications during the Great Conversion.
Atis Drawde Aramo, officially classified as the least intelligent of his order, had for 120 years whiled away his time in the musty depths of the great library, content that life had not chosen him to make a significant contribution to galactic civilisation.
That was until E’toris Primula Nyri-Ior’s “Travellers’ Guide to Appreciating the Q-dex” crossed his desk. Of course he found it totally incomprehensible and correctly reasoned that other sentients might find it as difficult to understand. It struck him that his great mission lay before him, and thus he applied his inconsiderable intellect to developing a “Preliminary Layman’s Guide to the Q-dex”. And here are the results.
Working backwards from the example provided for Course 45A-Zed in the Core Systems: T 245.9426/434.799W M 740.3843/902.11 Don’t panic he thought break it down into smaller components for assimilation. First concentrate on the technology component: T 245.9426/434.799W, now assign a lower case letter to each item in the index T abc.defg/hij.klmW, now lets develop an analytical framework. For each item in the index readers will want 1) its name, 2) what it’s function is, 3) the range of value and their significance and 4) useful applications of the information conveyed by the value.
Atis Aramo acknowledges that more intelligent sentients (almost everyone) may disagree with this approach and he would appreciate their comments. Such input however must bear in mind the prime purpose of this Layman’s Guide, which is to keep it simple.
The numbers and what they mean.
T
This section of the index contains the Sciences Referents. They describe the physics relationships of Quantum Zones. It consists of many number and one letter. The relevance of the values are discussed separately below under each code letter. In the ‘T’ section we discuss Technological science. The letters ‘abc’ refer to science potentialities.
a
Name: First component of the Potentiality Descriptor - Handling Ratio
Function: Indicates how stable and usable the zones technology is.
Values: Range from one (1) to ten (0). A low value implies that technology is very resistant to breakdown. For a value of say 1 to 3, whatever technology there is would be fixed for all intents and purposes. For values of eight to ten, technology is very unstable and likely to let you down.
Application: Low values imply reliability but virtually unusable technologies. Middle values give reasonable technological reliability and usability. High values give good usability but low reliability.
b
Name: Second component of the Potentiality Descriptor - Advancement Ratio
Function: Indicates how difficult it is to improve the zone’s technology
Values: Range from one (1) to ten (0). A low value implies that technological advancement is slow , difficult and expensive, a high value indicates technological advancement would be rapid.
Application: As opposed to component ‘a’, there does not appear to be a negative trade-off for rapid advancement, so if that is what you want, put lots of CREPOs into this part of the index and have a 7-10 value. Smart people will think of lots of reasons to justify different values. For instance, the smartest sentients in the galaxy have a 2 rating here, but then they have been around for more than a billion years.
c
Name: Third component of the Potentiality Descriptor - Quantity Measure
Function: Quantifies the amount of matter and energy in the zone.
Values: Range from one (1) to ten (0). A low value implies very little matter or energy.
Application: Little comment is made in the ‘Traveller’s Guide’, but high numbers raise the possibilities and potential in a zone.
The Stability Indicator (SI)
After the decimal point are four numbers which comprise the Stability Indicator, designated ‘defg’ in this ‘Layman’s Guide’. Unlike other sections of the index, low values here can be looked on as ‘good’, so if you have to pay CREPOs for the numerical values, invert the costs for values in the other components of the Q-dex (Correct me if I am wrong, mighty ones). The SI describes the effects and occurrence of quantum weather phenomena in a zone.
d
Name: First component of the Stability Indicator
Function: Quantifies the strength of any variances in violence of quantum weather.
Values: Range from one (1) to ten (0). A low value implies very weak disturbances, a high number means disturbance are very violent.
Application: The four components of the SI cannot be taken in isolation and empire builders should develop these four measures as a whole. For instance a violent, once in a hundred year storm may be less inconvenient than say regular lower magnitude deluges of quantum weather. Some life forms may actually like violent conditions.
e
Name: Second component of the Stability Indicator
Function: Quantifies the frequency of any variances in frequency of quantum weather.
Values: Range from one (1) to ten (0). A low value implies rare disturbances, a high number means disturbances are frequent.
Application: Since the effects of quantum weather are uncertain, values in the four SI categories are largely determined by your risk aversion. If you don’t like to gamble pick low numbers, if you have a ‘full speed ahead and damn the torpedoes’ attitude, try four nines (maybe there are some less intelligent than Atis Aramo).
f
Name: Third component of the Stability Indicator
Function: Quantifies the duration of any variances in duration of quantum weather.
Values: Range from one (1) to ten (0). A low value implies very short quantum weather storms, a high number means disturbance last a long time.
Application: Avoid zones with big numbers, unless perhaps the ‘d’ and ‘e’ values are low. You don’t want to be caught in the quantum weather equivalent of Jupiter’s red spot.
g
Name: Fourth component of the Stability Indicator
Function: Quantifies the area of a quantum weather storm.
Values: Range from one (1) to ten (0). A low value implies very small storm, a high number means a huge storm.
Application: Again, avoid zones with big numbers, unless perhaps the ‘d’ and ‘e’ values are low. Do you feel lucky, if so have a zone, or sail through a zone with a high ‘g’ factor
After the backslash (/) comes the third group of numbers in the Q-dex designator code. These numbers refer to the Technological Sciences Referent (TSR). This seems to cause the greatest confusion for those trying to interpret the meaning of a particular index, mainly because it supersedes a two digit number which was formerly placed at the start of the q-dex code. As well, some common terminologies have been abandoned.
h
Name: First component of the Technological Sciences Referent (TSR).
Function: Designates the type of physics present in the zone.
Values: Range from one (0) to ten (9). A slight variation on the (1) to (0) scale used in the previous sections. A low value implies unstable or unclassifiable zones, given currently available information.
Zones designated (0) are termed Aberrant, zones designated (9) are termed Life/Matter. Please read the relevant section of the ‘Traveller’s Guide’ for fuller information.
Application: The mighty ones may disagree with my humble assessment, but there is a distinct hierarchical, some might even say logical progression as one advances from 0 to 9 on the TSR scale.
This humble Atis contends that the effect is to improve chances for survival and development, if you occupy zones with a ‘Life’ factor for the ‘h’ component of the index. The Life TSR residents are particularly resistant to the effects of quantum weather and those experienced when entering zones other than their native zone. Below are the zones and the lifeform durability index that this humble Atis has assigned to them (perhaps this will be my claim to fame).
The zones are
| Value | Designation | Durability Index |
|---|---|---|
| 0-- | Aberrant | |
| 1-- | Energy Linear | |
| 2-- | Energy Bipolar | |
| 3-- | Matter Linear | |
| 4-- | Matter Bipolar | |
| 5-- | Life Linear | |
| 6-- | Life Bipolar | |
| 7-- | Matter/Energy | |
| 8-- | Life/Energy | |
| 9-- | Life/Matter |
i and j
Name: Second and Third components of the Technological Sciences Referent (TSR).
Function: Designates way in which the Energy/Matter/Life components described in ‘h’ lead to the creation of life/ matter/ energy.
Values: Range from zero (00) to ninety-nine (99). These allow for greater diversity between zone classifications.
Application: The purpose of these two digits is to define how the ‘h’ component of the TSR gives rise to Life or Matter or Energy as appropriate. It also describes the sequence in which these physics are generated. For instance in the lower 5 deciles of an Energy or Matter or Life zone, the less stable physic will emerge, they being Matter Energy and Energy respectively; whilst in the upper 5 deciles the development would be Life, Life and Matter.
Whilst the significance of these percentiles is not readily evident, higher values in the ‘i’ and ‘j’ values infer stability and tenacity of life forms which belong to such q-dexes.
For instance a zone with ‘hij’ value 699 would have extremely resilient life forms, and a physics which gives rise to both matter and energy with huge possibilities and potentialities (In this humble Atis’s opinion).
The coding in this section is believed to derive from the work of S’toris Librae Piotr Levaler who examined the stability of objects and life forms as they passed through quantum fronts.
After the second decimal point in the T section are three components ‘klm’ with are called Relations Measures. As a group these are important in evaluating the attitude of the sentients therein (if any).
k
Name: First component of the Relations Measure
Function: Indicates how friendly the native sentients are.
Values: Range from one (1) to ten (0). A low value implies hostility a high value friendliness.
Application: Use this knowledge as appropriate to your philosophy.
l
Name: Second component of the Relations Measure
Function: Indicates how content the native sentients are.
Values: Range from one (1) to ten (0). A low value implies anarchy a high value implies stability.
Application: Use this knowledge as appropriate to your philosophy.
m
Name: Third component of the Relations Measure
Function: Indicates the pervasiveness of Omnet influence with this zone’s culture
Values: Range from one (1) to ten (0). A low value implies minimal influence.
Application: Use this knowledge as appropriate to your philosophy.
E’toris Primula has placed the Deviation Label, now known as the Life-forms Guide at the end of the Magic section of the index.
The final code in the T section is an uppercase W
This alpha code is ‘a warning code or general statement of affairs to travellers’. Currently this Atis knows three code designations. Please feel free to respond with others you know of so that they may be added to the list. The limit of my knowledge is:
A - a newly discovered empire
O - nothing unusual to report
W - orderly transition of power
The M section of the q-dex code follows from the logic of the T section and has not been expanded on. Subsequent revisions to this ‘Layman’s Guide’ may incorporate them.
This work has been completed by Atis Drawde Aramo on behalf of and for the benefit of the lesser intelligences of the universe. That is at least 50% of the population, but probably excludes all rulers of empires.
Atis Drawde Aramo
