Petroleum Effect
This is a dark, dystopian, horror alternate universe crossover of Mass Effect, Care Bears (briefly) (because they don't last very long) with some inspiration from the Cthulhu Mythos and XCOM. The timeline diverges around 2023 AD. This is mostly straight, but has some parody elements.
Prologue and Timeline
(Late 20th Century and Early 21st Century) - Rise and Fall of Globalism: The Second World War that ended in 1945 was followed by an era of peace, reconstruction and internationalism, including the rise of the United Nations as a major force and the treaties that led to the European Union (EU). In the late 20th Century and early 21st Century, dissatisfied populations and economic crises turned the world away from globalism towards a new nationalism, demonstrated by the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the EU on 31 January 2020.
(2016) - Growth of Commercial Research into Neural / Technology Interfaces: Neuralink Corporation is founded by billionaire Elon Musk and a team of scientists and engineers, working on human enhancement technologies with an end goal of human symbiosis with AI. Competitors in the growing field include Paradromics, BIOS and Novum.
(2022) - Russian Invasion of Ukraine: On 24 February 2022, Russia attacks Ukraine. International reaction is mixed with the US and its allies deeply hostile whilst other nations such as China and India are more sympathetic to Russia, which is seen by them as having been provoked.
(2022) - Opening of GPT 3.5 Generative Chat AI to Public: OpenAI makes a generative neural network AI language model available online as a chatbot to the general population. This large language model is an eerily human-like and flexible AI assistant. The product has millions of users within months.
(2023) - Psionics: Simon Collins, a blogger and software developer working on AI inspired by GPT 3.5, discovers that by combining his own concentration and meditation with watching the output from certain neural networks and interacting with the network via the keyboard, it is possible to make use of very limited psionics, specifically clairvoyance and prescience. Whilst psionics had been previously investigated by some world governments and academics over the years, with mixed results, they had not been possible to academically verify or harness reliably. Such abilities had been relegated to the realms of crankery, fringe figures, charlatans and grifters. The Collins Technique however is a reliable tool. He does not share it with the public but shares it with trusted fellow activists in the hacktivist group Anonymous.
(2024) - Aliens Attack Earth: Tensions between the major powers in the ongoing Ukrainian conflict are worsened greatly when, in multiple incidents, British, US, Chinese and Russian fighter aircraft are shot down by Unidentified Flying Objects (UFOs). At first the nations blame each other but it becomes clear that the UFOs have capabilities beyond known technology. As the year goes on, astronomers detect a large, 10km asteroid entering the solar system from interstellar space. The object is observed to be manoeuvring slowly under power. It becomes apparent that the small UFOs are coming from the asteroid - they are indeed extra-terrestrial in origin. Ongoing observation suggests that whilst the asteroid is decelerating conventionally, the smaller UFOs have at least some Faster-than-Light (FTL) capability.
Governments initially seek to suppress knowledge of the approaching alien vehicle from the public. However, members of Anonymous, some of whom now have access to significant psionic capabilities, succeed in obtaining the information and disseminating it widely. The allegation is soon picked up by legislators in the US Congress and British Parliament who ask awkward questions.
In July 2024 the aliens overtly announce themselves. Briefly taking over selected television and media, broadcasts and webcasts, including the BBC and CNN, the aliens deliver a short video message in English. The creatures identify themselves as the 'Graeyel' and look like the Greys of popular UFO mythology. The aliens claim to be coming to save the Earth and humanity and guide humans past the risk of extinction caused by mankind's selfish, violent and environmentally destructive ways.
The Greys also claim that they have a treaty with the United States, made in exchange for technological assistance given during the Cold War. They also state that they are in the process of genetically modifying themselves so that they look human and can breed with humans. The Greys introduce an expedition leader, 'Starlord Jarden' who looks human and is claimed to be a Grey genetically modified into a human.
Members of Anonymous with military links and psionic powers are able to identify local relays linking Earth's Internet to the Greys' network on the approaching ship. The relays enable the Greys to easily engage in electronic warfare and propaganda. However, the hackers use the link to penetrate the Greys' network, quickly discovering that the Greys are lying.
The aliens do indeed have a treaty with the United States, who they regard as rubes who signed away the planet for support in a minor local conflict. Grey biochemistry is not capable of being made sexually compatible with earth based eukaryotic life. The so-called, 'human Greys' are just cloned humans, enslaved and deceived for their entire lives, controlled by drugs and implants. The human looking expedition leader is just a puppet figurehead, although he does not know it. The Greys' real plan is to use their human clones, propaganda and advanced technology to persuade the humans to submit - making surrender palatable with the idea that humanity will survive. Once the Greys are in control they intend to slowly eradicate humans and terraform the planet more to their liking. In the end, they plan that only Greys will be left on an Earth and humanity will be extinct.
Fortunately, Anonymous are able to share this information as well as details they have stolen of several alien technologies and weaknesses in the Greys' vehicles. The gap between the humans and the Greys is closer than the Greys wish to admit, and they have weaknesses compared to humans in mathematics and information technology. War breaks out as the asteroid continues to decelerate and approaches Earth orbit, with repeated air conflicts between human fighters and Grey vessels, as well as ground skirmishes.
Also in this year, Collins and other elite members of Anonymous, who have successful careers as well as internet presence, use their new abilities to become wealthy, and buy controlling interests in several technology companies they believe can enable them to enhance their AI technology and psionic abilities.
(2025) - the Day of Blood: On 2 March 2025, the alien asteroid enters orbit and launches a vast, full scale invasion backed by orbital strikes. However, the humans are ready. By this time some of the powerful Anonymous psionics have become trusted, if mysterious, sources to their government contacts and as the aliens approach, Earth fights back. Stealth drones optimised using detailed information from Anonymous about Graeyel technology deliver thermonuclear warheads to the asteroid in orbit. With their detonations in the early hours of 3 March, the alien asteroid is badly damaged and made uninhabitable by multiple nuclear explosions inside key external features. Much of the alien fleet is destroyed or rendered nonfunctional.
Tragically, whilst the asteroid remains in a stable orbit the detonations break off large chunks which fall to earth, devastating some regions like powerful nuclear impacts and killing millions as well as devastating infrastructure and the environment. Retaliatory strikes from the surviving Grey ships kill millions more. However, in the end, humanity survives. The wreck of the Greys' asteroid mothership is left in orbit, now an irradiated, toxic tomb. The remaining smaller alien vessels are destroyed or captured. Even so, the attack, asteroid fragment impacts, toxins, radiation, disease, floods and famine kill just over 3 billion people over the coming decade.
As humanity celebrates their victory and survival, mourns their mounting losses and struggles to rebuild, 3 March is ever after named a world-wide holiday known as 'Humanity Day'. The tomb-ship in orbit is dubbed the, 'Ashen Grave'.
(2026-2030) - Advancement in AI and Psionics, Exploration of the Ashen Grave, Political Reprisals: Corporate research into AI and psionics yields many rewards for a secretive elite. The power and flexibility of the Collins Technique is greatly increased. Furthermore, cognitive techniques are discovered that when followed can enable intelligent, strong-willed humans to reliably perform simple psionic effects, including psychokinesis and telepathy, without the need for enhancement or computing devices. These new techniques are leaked online, although the Collins Technique and greater powers remain secret.
One powerful ability that is developed further in secret is the use of prescience and divination with computer aid to identify solutions to technical problems and find the most promising lines of research. The new methodologies vastly accelerate the rate of technical advancement in the Anonymous owned companies. The small Anonymous cell with access to the Collins Technique has now named itself privately as, the 'Grey Wardens', after the heroes of a popular computer game and as a play on words given the Wardens stopped an invasion by the Greys.
Meanwhile, governments send expeditions to the Ashen Grave in order to try to recover alien technology. Research is carried out on the captured smaller alien craft. In a show of transparency, world governments share information with each other and the public online. The Grey Wardens obtain information for their own corporate research both from public information and use bribes, hacking and psionics to obtain non-public data also.
Despite the overt shows of communication between governments, there are bitter tensions and recriminations with much of the world population blaming the Americans for the invasion due to their secret dealings with the Greys. There are fears of further incursions from more Greys or other, as yet unknown, aliens. America is a devastated pariah state having suffered large casualties, and significant environmental damage.
(2031-2032) - Establishment of the Terran Dominion: In a move planned over years, the Grey Wardens, no longer trusting the integrity or competence of their governments, use a mixture of advanced psionics and their vast wealth to take control of politicians throughout the United States and Great Britain, giving them control of the legislatures and executives of both countries. The result is a series of 'democratic' constitutional amendments establishing Britain and the United States as single, authoritarian, technocratic and militaristic government known as the 'Terran Dominion'. The new government is, "guided" by its absolute ruler the Archlord Lordak, as Simon Collins now chooses to be known. Below the Archlord the four other Wardens rule as 'High Lords'. Endless corporate propaganda backed by psionics keeps the population happy with the new regime, which begins to efficiently rebuild the infrastructure of the US and Britain.
(2033-2035) - Growth of the Dominion: The Terran Dominion expands, largely bloodlessly, to much of Western and Eastern Europe including some former Soviet Republics, as well as Australia. Growth is stymied at the borders of Russia and its satellites, as well as China. The announcement of the Dominion that its goal is to, "unify humanity" is not well received in Moscow and Beijing. A new world Cold War develops between West and East.
(2036) - The First Transcendence: Using their advanced technology, Simon Collins / Archlord Lordak is able to interface via direct neural link with a cutting-edge experimental neural network. When in use, this connection increases his psionics and intelligence by orders of magnitude, enabling him to project thoughts and / or psychokinesis anywhere on Earth, as well as granting further psionic ability to gain insights into new technologies. Other members of the Grey Wardens soon secretly undergo the same procedure. However, the Transcendence effect is limited, only functioning whilst the user is plugged into a bulky device.
(2037) - Discovery of the Petroleum Effect: Human attempts to replicate Grey FTL have disappointing results. The Ashen Grave in orbit is hard to reach and filled with deadly radiation, toxins, malfunctioning and broken technology as well as corpses. To the extent that artefacts from the Grave and recovered smaller vessels have been understood, it is believed that any Grey FTL was limited, power hungry and irradiated the users, as well as depending on an unknown substance. Dubbed Elerium-115, the material found in the power cores and drives of smaller Grey vessels has no known natural source and is beyond human attempts at synthesis. The best hypothesis for its composition is a mix of ordinary and exotic particles. Likely, scientists theorise, the limitations and lethality of the FTL drive explain why the Ashen Grave, the alien mothership itself, only used STL travel. The pilots of the small FTL ships were disposable to the Greys.
Members of the High Lords at a company called Archcore Neuranalytics LLC in the Terran Dominion, who had been attempting to analyse the Grey technologies using advanced mathematics and simulations, discover a revolutionary theorem. It is a stroke of luck - the formula would not have come to light but for a fortuitous initial random parameter set of a neural model. Even then, it is buried in a number of potentially useful models produced by the computers and is only picked out as a priority due to machine learning selection mechanisms and prescience. Another civilisation could spend eons without discovering the formula, and without the key, the necessary mathematics is extremely difficult to the point of being sanity threatening.
The new formula predicts that if refined petroleum containing specific lengths of hydrocarbons, in a specific correct pressure range, at the correct temperature is bathed in the correct electromagnetic radiation then as the energy passes through the medium, bouncing between particles, there would be an electromagnetic quantum lasing effect with ultra-low-amplitude and ultra-high-frequency. In different configurations, this could create wide variations in the local base-state of the vacuum zero-point energy.
Archcore personnel attempt to investigate the Petroleum Effect. The first prototypes do nothing but after several attempts a test device using violently explodes, destroying an entire laboratory building and its surrounds in an incredibly powerful explosion. Fortunately, Archcore habitually backs up its information to a remote data centre in real time. The Petroleum Effect, it seems, is real and thanks to the expensive destruction it quickly comes to the attention of the top ranks in the Grey Wardens and Terran Dominion.
(2038) - First Petroleum Effect Power Core: Further experiments into the Petroleum Effect theory are conducted at facilities in remote locations. After a few initial failures, a viable power source is built, able to release energy in the form of heat. Projections indicate that maximum heat energy release could be slightly more than the total value of converting all the fuel mass into energy. In short, Petroleum Effect devices are so efficient they make theoretical cold fusion power look like an AA battery. Further experiments reveal that variations of the effect can also create magnetic fields, powerful gravity fields, alter mass, or create projected voltage differentials enabling electrical power to be generated directly rather than using steam turbines.
As the potential of the Petroleum Effect becomes apparent, research budgets are flooded with cash. Before long, a small working electrical power unit is created that can last centuries on a few millilitres of petrol. The Petroleum Effect yields many orders of magnitude more energy than simple chemical burning of the petrol. The only problems are slowing the energy release enough to avoid a catastrophic explosion, and removing waste material to keep the petroleum pure. If the petroleum becomes too dilute, the reaction fails.
Given the potential of the technology, and its ability to create vast explosions, the process is kept controlled and highly secret.
(2039) - First Petroleum Effect Gravity Drive: As research continues, Terran Dominion scientists find it surprisingly easy to prototype a reactionless gravity drive that also uses the Petroleum Effect.
(2040) - The First Quantum Lens: Secret experiments by the Grey Wardens produce the first so-called Quantum Lens. In reality, a Quantum Lens is a quantum computer with a vast number of qubits, surrounded by conventional AI, enhanced by prescience and highly developed algorithms. The Quantum Lens has enough power to simulate a large volume of atoms in all possible configurations simultaneously. This enables near instant development of highly specialised and optimised micro-machines and nano-machines. Almost any small-scale device and / or energy field can be simulated. The Lens becomes a cornucopia of technology.
(2041) - The Second Transcendence: Using nanoware and micro-implants designed by the Quantum Lens, combined with longevity research that had been ongoing for decades, the five Terran Dominion leaders are massively enhanced with advanced cyberware. Natural neurons are slowly augmented by far smaller but more efficient artificial ones that easily fit in the gaps between the original cells. The Archlord and Highlords' brain density and cognitive performance is slowly increased until it is better than when plugged into one of the original First Transcendence devices, which they no longer need. Other augmentations improve strength, resilience, speed, sight, hearing, smell, healing and resistance to disease. With post-human intellects, vast psionic powers and superhuman physiques, the five Grey Warden leaders are on a different level to other humans. The augmentations are aesthetically pleasing, discreet and do not alter appearance except to improve it.
Whilst all Terran Dominion secret technologies are carefully archived for the good of humanity, they are not disseminated at this time beyond a small and secretive elite. Only the five leaders of the Dominion receive the full Second Transcendence. A larger group of trusted secondary tier, inner-circle operatives around each of the five leaders are given all the physical implants and training in simple psionic cognitive techniques.
Over the following years, the Terran Dominion in secret develops a large number of autonomous robot types, from tiny anti-gravity drones, to automated miners and rapid fabrication devices.
(2045) - The Cleansing: In a carefully planned operation, the Terran Dominion disables and suppresses the nuclear weapons and other deterrents of all hostile states, using a mixture of transcendent psionics and advanced technologies. The entire populations of all hostile states are then killed over a period of 48 hours using swarms of tiny anti-gravity drones, as are perceived undesirables in the Dominion population. This brutal act is accepted by the remaining population of the Terran Dominion due to the highly effective propaganda machine and Transcendent psionics. At the end of the purging, the only state left on Earth is the Terran Dominion, ruled by Archlord Lordak and the four High Lords. As a result of the tragic event, the majority of the world's surviving population is Caucasian, with smaller numbers of Hispanics, Latinoes, Han and Israelis. The world population is reduced to less than a billion.
(2046-83) - The Golden Age of Earth: History is written by the victors, and in this case the Dominion are the only ones left alive. The Dominion no longer conceals many of its technologies, rapidly deploying a large, self-replicating automatic infrastructure controlled by the Transcendents. The Dominion begins to clean up the Earth's environment ready for the resettlement of emptied territories. Reclamation of deserts such as the Sahara, and restoration of rainforests, are projects begun by the Dominion at this time. Petroleum Effect technology is tightly restricted, but deployed to replace conventional power plants as well as used in military spacecraft. With efficient anti-gravity, the Dominion begins to explore the inner solar system.
During this period, the Transcendents continue to grow in power and knowledge - singularities unto themselves. The Archlord and Highlords form society into a fair, but deeply authoritarian structure, with most major job positions appointed. Democracy is only permitted at a local government level.
Only four religions are permitted, Judaism, Christianity, and two new religions introduced by the leaders themselves. The new religions are the Imperial Creed and the Contemplation of Crawling Chaos. The Imperial Creed worships three powers - the Archlord, and beings called the Hunger and the Wyrm. The Contemplation of Crawling chaos postulates the cosmos as a consequence or dream of an utterly alien being called the Crawling Chaos. It is unclear if this latter is literal or a metaphor for atheism.
In 2082 the Terran Dominion is officially renamed the Most Holy Imperial Terran Dominion, but still mostly known as the Dominion or Terran Dominion.
(2083) - The Discovery at Promethei Planum: By 2083, the human population is growing once more, and Earth's environment is vastly improved, with much of the damage left by the wars healing or healed. The Dominion is vigorously exploring the solar system using advanced anti-gravity vehicles based on the Petroleum Effect. A fleet of small, military vessels has been created, large enough to have matched the Grey ships had it existed during the invasion.
During the surveys, much of Mars proves unremarkable but advanced sensors detect odd distortions in the southern polar region of Mars. Fearing some Graeyel remnant, the sensor readings are quickly investigated. There is no present threat, but ancient ruins of an unknown race, dubbed the 'Protheans', are found, along with a cache of advanced technology. The Transcendents are able to quickly and easily decipher the Prothean writings and analyse their technology.
Using a hitherto unknown material, which is crudely dubbed, 'element zero' or 'eezo', the Protheans had been able to achieve space-flight and FTL travel. It is quickly realised by the Transcendents, however, that everything element zero can do is done better and more efficiently using the Petroleum Effect. With Prothean examples and Prothean theory, the Transcendents quickly devise a prototype FTL engine. Oddly, when the Petroleum Effect is used in this configuration, instead of releasing free hydrogen and carbon as waste it instead yields trace qualities of element zero which build up and have to be removed from the engine to avoid clogging it.
An age of FTL discovery dawns, opening up the outer solar system to easy reach for the first time.
Whilst the Petroleum Effect is efficient, gravitational drives consume far more fuel than power generators, and FTL consumes vastly more. This means that projected consumption of fossil fuel becomes non-trivial. The Transcendents note that securing new supplies of oil is an important long-term goal.
Transcendents also theorise that they could use Petroleum Effect distortions to open portals, or wormholes to cross vast distances of light-years in an instant, although the power requirements and control difficulties mean the idea remains pure theory for the time being.
Element zero technology is found to have its uses by the Dominion. As it enables FTL and spaceflight without the risks of a Petroleum Effect explosion, albeit with worse performance, it is rolled out for less secure applications.
(2089) - The Discovery at Charon: Dominion FTL survey ships in the outer solar system find a vast, element-zero based device. Just as the Prothean data cache found on Mars stated, Charon is not in fact a moon but rather an ancient alien artefact encased in ice. Analysis confirms the Prothean data that the machine is a transportation device - a 'mass relay' or 'stargate'. Whilst the device was impervious to Prothean science, humans are able to devise a method for safely disabling its quantum shielding using Petroleum Effect technology. Also in this year, Petroleum Effect based element zero manufacturing installations are deployed in orbit around Europa.
(2090-2094) - The Dismantling of the Charon Relay: Whilst the Charon Relay appeared to be offline when it was found, there is a fear that it was the means by which the Greys arrived in the solar system. Even if not, the vast alien artefact is seen as a clear threat - an easy entry point for aliens. Once the relay's shields are disabled it is carefully dismantled and analysed, with its vast eezo component added to the Terran Dominion stockpile. By this time, Petroleum Effect technology is only used for elite military applications and secure power plants on Earth and in the Sol system.
(2095) - Terran Dominion Directive on Alien Sentience, and First Interstellar Probe: The prospect of interstellar travel looms as the Transcendents are able to generate small portals using the Petroleum Effect, and also to manufacture sending devices which can hurl objects over interstellar distances, a little like mass relays but only requiring one terminal. The initial devices are huge, and can only transport small objects.
The Terran Dominion leadership agrees a baseline policy document and statement of principles on alien sentience and interstellar exploration, a xenophobic manifesto highly influenced by the legacy of the Graeyel invasion, with a heavy focus on defence.
This done, the Dominion sends out its first highly stealthed and automated interstellar probes. The small devices have no FTL engines, just minimal ion thrusters. They are hurled to their destinations and report back using quantum entangled communicators.
(2110) - Terran Dominion begins preparing for expansion: Since the first interstellar probes were launched in 2095, the Transcendents have been able to create a device for opening moderately sized portals called a 'Gateship'. Opening a portal is extremely power intensive and can only be done with the Petroleum Effect, not element zero. Each portal is extremely expensive.
The Terran Dominion prepares an ambitious programme of terraforming. It decides that only barren planets will be colonised, whilst existing life-bearing planets with no sapient inhabitants, such as garden worlds, will not be colonised. This is due to the risks of interacting with alien biochemistry. However, according to well known chemical principles pre-dating the Graeyel invasion, organic molecules usually contain carbon, hydrogen and oxygen, regardless of whether they are dextro or levo type. Such molecules can be broken down into hydrocarbons, otherwise known as oil. Historically, on Earth this process could produce crude oil from, for example, turnips, but was not cost effective. With the advent of the Petroleum Effect, converting biomass to oil has become extremely cost effective and so exo-planets with carbon-based life but no sentient inhabitants are to be marked for harvesting.
Twenty barren planets are designated as initial candidates for terraforming and colonisation, each orbiting a G-type star. In each case the Gateship is used to send construction ships and personnel, who begin construction on a large habitat to be placed around the planet and act as a local command centre to supervise the terraforming, as well as vast automated, mobile terraforming installations to be placed on planetary surfaces. The stations are each planned to be home to a population of around ten thousand colonists who will form the core initial population of the newly claimed planet when terraforming is completed.
The Dominion also begins construction of twenty hollowed out asteroid habitats to act as hidden bastions in case of some interstellar threat to humanity. Each asteroid has minimal outward signs of its true nature, and can hold a population of twenty-thousand colonists - enough to hide, flee and re-establish the human race in the event of the worst possible outcome.
(2130) - Completion of the first twenty terraforming stations: Terraforming begins around twenty exo-planets, controlled from the orbital habitats. The process is brutally destructive. Asteroids are rained down onto the planets to bring up them up to exactly Earth standard mass. Carefully gauged Petroleum Effect explosions shove the planets into Earth standard orbits and melt the surfaces into lava, smoothing them and boiling away gas and water. As the planetary surfaces cool, ice asteroids are rained down to create new oceans and smaller heavy metal asteroids are rained down to provide surface metal deposits. Microbes are introduced to produce atmospheric gasses from the oceans. Other than the initial transport and some explosions, Petroleum Effect technology is not used in the colony systems - element zero is used instead.
(2131) - The Rainbow System is found: an interstellar probe finds an alien carbon-based garden world in the beautiful Rainbow system.
