ARTIFICIAL CONSCIENCE: #scifi The R’il’nai literally share in the emotions of others, which they referred to as empathy. Riyan society evolved with the assumption that everyone had this trait. The rare children lacking this ability were considered badly handicapped and treated while young to react as if they felt the pain of others. In severe cases, this could lead to a treated individual actually convulsing or collapsing if he or she caused pain to another, but this was considered better than having one individual disrupt the whole society.
Category: Homecoming Glossary
MONTH: #scifi A thirty-day period composed of six fivedays. In the Confederation, it has nothing to do with a moon. (Central doesn’t have one, anyway.)
ACCELERATED HEALING MODE: Under normal circumstances, the body reacts against rapidly dividing cells. A Healer can temporarily suppress this reaction, allowing healing to take place much faster than normal. However, this state is not normal and can lead to cancer if not reversed within a few days.
CALENDAR: #scifi The Confederation calendar has slightly more than 364 days a year, with 4 of those days and whatever leap years are needed being considered outside the twelve 30-day months. “Day” and “year” are based on Central’s orbit and rotation rate, so the Confederation calendar does not quite match that of any other member planet of the Confederation. Most member planets have their own calendars, though year and day lengths are close enough to Central’s (and Earth’s) that matching is possible over a few fivedays’ time. The Confederation calendar is used to synchronize time across the Confederation as well as being the usual calendar on Central.
FIVEDAY: #scifi Five days, and may be considered the Confederation equivalent of a week, though shorter. Six fivedays make up a month, which has nothing to do with a moon—Central, for instance, doesn’t have a moon.
AUTOMATED FOOD DISPENSER: #scifi An automatic feeder for an animal or a prisoner.
TACK-HEALING: #scifi In Healing broken bones, the growth of calcification tends to be much slower than aligning the bone fragments and forcing rapid growth of cartilage. The most common way of Healing such injuries is to use Healing to align bone fragments and accelerate cartilage growth, known as tack-healing because the bone, while “mended,” has only a fraction of normal strength. The patient is then instructed to avoid putting excessive stress on the damaged bone while calcification is occurring.
TELEPORTATION, MECHANICAL: #scifi A mechanical “jump” from one point to another. Mechanical teleports are generally carried out either in jump-gates or applied to a vehicle of some sort, such as a jump-van, as being teleported and realizing it is upsetting to most people not accustomed to the process.
ANCHOR: #scifi Long-distance teleportation requires a very precise set of coordinates and a great deal of work if one is going to a new location, and the range covered is limited. If a fellow telepath is located near the point aimed for, it is possible to arrange a “two-ended” teleport which greatly reduces the energy needed. The telepath at the destination is referred to as an anchor, and the process is called anchoring.
EMERALD: #scifi One of the younger tinerals on the isolation satellite, an emerald green male.
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