#the-helixverse

[the-helixverse]

Medusa-Class Battleship

Creator: Thai'Qul Length: 798 Meters Width: 378 Meters (Widest Point); 70 meters (Narrowest Point) Propulsion: Nuclear Pulse Drive; Five Fusion Drive Thrusters Crew Complement: 5,000-7,000 (Normal complement); 10,000 (Max. Capacity) Radiator Type: Solid-State/Droplet Armaments:

x8 40mm Point Defense Cannons (PDCs) (Aft)

x4 Cargo/Torpedo Bays (Aft)

x2000 5-kiloton driver warheads (Aft)

x4 Ultra-Relativistic Electron Beam (UREB) Cannons (Bow)

Interior

Because the Thai'Qul are an aquatic species, their ships are unique in being almost entirely filled with water. This pulls triple duty in protecting the occupants from intense G-forces, radiation and heat; providing resources for the fusion reactor and torpedoes, and in the event of a hull breach, lost water can be more easily retrieved than air. The consequence of this is that it increases the ship's overall mass, requiring more energy for any kind of acceleration or deceleration. This is also another reason for their ruthless pragmatism: the lack of air pockets outside the cargo sections prevents them from easily taking prisoners or taking larger ships aboard.

Creators

An average Thai'Qul male. Roughly 85% of the species is male, carrying out tasks for the rarely-seen matriarchs, who outsize them significantly. On ships such as the Medusa-class, prepubescent matriarchs- referred to colloquially as "Countesses"- serve the role of captains and admirals.

Strategic Overview

If there's any way to describe the Thai'Qul military doctrine, it would be ruthless pragmatism. Rather than engaging in widespread power projection, heavier ships are mostly concentrated within their own systems, while smaller vessels are the most commonly encountered. These represent the first line of defense, focused on patrolling defense perimeters.

Should a perimeter be broken and an enemy force infiltrate a Thai'Qul system, either by evading or destroying lighter vessels, this is when battleships such as the Medusa-class are deployed. This typically follows barrages of Thai'Qul frigates and corvettes, which will try to guide invaders into designated kill zones, where the Medusa-class will engage them at close range, such as near large asteroids, space stations or ring systems.

While these battleships lack high speed or fine maneuvering, they make up for it with powerful defenses and overwhelming firepower, particularly their UREBs. Once the invader's shields and other defenses have been exhausted, should they refuse to surrender, attacks from these beams will irradiate and effectively sterilize the target.

This is done because, rather than simply blowing up bellicose ships, the Thai'Qul will always try to salvage as much technology and information from them as possible, either to assess motivations or reverse-engineer whatever they discover. Of course, should a ship surrender instead, the Thai'Qul will gladly accept, taking the time to analyze captured ships just as thoroughly.

This doctrine has proven to be quite effective in multiple engagements and ensured invasions of their systems are rare.

Ship Diagram

The Bow Shield is a large dome entirely covered in ablative heat-resistant armor.

The nose of the craft houses the four UREB cannons, which cover a large hemispherical field. While the beams lose effectiveness over time or when fired at an angle, time dilation effects prevent them from completely dissipating over longer ranges. Maximum energy from the bremsstrahlung resulting from impact has been measured at over 5,000 Sieverts.

The UREBs are only possible via the battleship's length, where the linear accelerator (Linac) runs along the central axis of the ship.

The Medusa-Class doesn't have a designated bridge or command module, but instead 36 large windowless spheres, where most of the crew resides. Commands, controls and sensor readings are instead performed using holographic display interfaces that crew members can pull up at any moment. This ensures damage to one area of the ship will not compromise control, and that key staff can be moved into the interior.

The ship uses a combination of solid-state and droplet cooling with liquid lithium, firing the molten coolant into space, where it condenses into larger drops before being recaptured in a dish section for recirculation. Additional radiators vent excess heat to prevent the lithium from completely vaporizing. In times of duress, this coolant can be used as everything from makeshift flares to additional thrusters.

The aft section consists of a large octagonal cylinder, which houses bay sections designed to be drained of water so cargo, torpedoes and other craft can be sent into space. This is also where the ship's fusion reactor is housed.

The PDCs, nicknamed "Barnacles," allow the ship to fire at targets behind or beside the ship.

Contrary to popular belief, the piston supports are only painted blue and not transparent, though they are full of water to help cushion the impact following a pulse.

The pistons and their shock absorbers are attached to a set of electric motors, which extract a small, but not insubstantial amount of power from every pulse.

The Drive Cone is fitted with flexible rings and is even colored bright white to take advantage of as much radiation pressure as possible. Usage of this drive is why the battleship can't be used in a planetary orbit, as the risk of creating radiation belts poses a threat to orbital infrastructure.

[a-student-out-of-time]

is it me or does that ship/cannon/whatever it is have a lot of balls?

//Yep! And there's a good reason for that

//I explain it in detail here ^^

[outpost51]

hi ily let's do some emoji asks [cracks knuckles] marius and the ex-wives, rosie and faith, bantia and septilea, and sawyer for (yes i grabbed some at random no issue if you have to skip--)

👻 GHOST - do they believe in ghosts? what are their "ghostly experiences", if any?

🥞 PANCAKE - what is their comfort breakfast?

🙈 SEE-NO-EVIL - whats a side of your oc that they don't want to show other people?

🎁 PRESENT - what types of presents would they be most happy to receive? are they good at gift giving?

🌟 GLOWING STAR - what do they think about when they look at the night sky? is there someone they want to star gaze with?

💙 BLUE HEART - do they miss their s/o easily? how do they act when their s/o isn't around?

OC Emoji Asks

oh BOY here we go under a cut!!

👻 GHOST - do they believe in ghosts? what are their "ghostly experiences", if any?

not going into the second part, but:

marius -- oh yeah

avicia -- no, but she humors her family

calveria -- unsure, there's shit she can't explain but she doesn't put too much stock in it

rosie and faith -- big ol yes

bantia -- no, but her wife and daughter do, so she goes along with it

septilea -- absolutely, goes on ghost hunts with her daughter, has a chuckle when bantia gets jumpy

🥞 PANCAKE - what is their comfort breakfast?

marius -- the biggest plate of bacon possible, and two eggs over easy

avicia -- smoked fish on a slice of artisan toast with capers and a light, creamy spread

calveria -- shrimp and grits, but like... their equivalent of it obvs

rosie and faith -- waffles!! their mom's recipe, to be specific

bantia -- if you wake her up before noon, you'll be breakfast

septilea -- anything she doesn't have to cook or pay for!

🙈 SEE-NO-EVIL - whats a side of your oc that they don't want to show other people?

marius -- the soft, tender side only his family gets to see

avicia -- the side only calveria gets to see, because she's the only one that needs to be reminded where she falls in the food chain

calveria -- that what avicia says actually does hurt, but she bottles it up so good--

rosie and faith -- i don't think they have one?? i mean, they've got their special twin bond when it's just them but there's really not much difference

bantia -- the one that likes to be little and safe in her wife's arms

septilea -- SECRET NERD

🎁 PRESENT - what types of presents would they be most happy to receive? are they good at gift giving?

marius -- more grandkids lmao; he's... average, he'd rather get a list, pick a few things, and have literally anybody else wrap it

avicia -- nice, soft lounge clothes; terrifyingly great at it, how does she Know so much

calveria -- anything her sons make, even if they're adults now; also great at it, you're getting something soft and warm and knitted

rosie and faith -- just happy to be here!! also great at gift-giving, blame the hyperempathy and having two brains to conspire

bantia -- cookware and recipe books (or even just cards, if they're personal)!! she loves cooking and baking in her downtime, their kitchen is loaded with gadgets; she's good if she's got her wife or daughter with her, it's the decision paralysis that trips her up

septilea -- secret nerd shit for her secret nerd cave; god tier, even the silly ones are perf

🌟 GLOWING STAR - what do they think about when they look at the night sky? is there someone they want to star gaze with?

marius -- [lies down, tries not to cry, fails miserably] the family he's lost, the ones he throws flowers into the lake for every holiday; he's just happy for the company

avicia -- it's a night sky; it's cold, there are bugs, she wants to go inside

calveria -- she likes to make up constellations; once a week (weather permitting), she goes and has stargazing time with her sons

rosie and faith -- what's Out There, are we alone in the universe, etc etc; obvs each other, but the whole friend group too!

bantia and septilea -- smushing them together for this one, but they think about all the places they've been stationed, just general old lady reminiscing; after elysium, they spend a lot of time having night picnics with their daughter

💙 BLUE HEART - do they miss their s/o easily? how do they act when their s/o isn't around?

marius, avicia, calveria -- they say they don't, but the second there's a chance to, they end up cuddled up to each other, even if it's just avicia and calveria sometimes

rosie and faith -- n/a

bantia and septilea -- so much. they miss each other so fucking much. they're both just a little less Themselves when they're not around each other

[millllenniawrites]

millllennia’s frequently asked questions

Last Update: November 19 2021

Who the heck are you?

I’m Mack (though there’s a couple people on here that have called me Milli which I thought was adorable and that is also a perfectly fine thing to call me) I’m a full-time uni student from Canada that’s been writing on here since 2016. I use she/her pronouns usually but like really what is a gender. I used to be fanfiction-trashpile (which is still my user on ao3). 

Can I translate your work? 

Short answer: no. 

Long answer: still no, but it’s more complicated than that. No one has permission to repost or translate my work. Even if you message me and offer to give me credit, I will say no. If you want to create for fandom, you should do it yourself and I will stand by that. 

I welcome fanart, podfic, and fanfic of my fics, and I’d love if y’all would message me/send it to me/tag me in it so that I can hype you up! 

If you decide to write with my original characters (the Helix universe or Dear Love of Mine) I will ask that you give me credit for the characters, but I don’t mine anyone else writing them. The only canon content created for the Helix universe belongs to myself and vampy ( @vampirewithbedsidemanners) but even we write alternate universes of the Helixverse, so it’s totally okay for other people to do that too.

Why are you so darn specific about the style you write in? 

Okay so there are a few things about this that I’m really picky about: 

I never use y/n or any other derivatives of the term (y/e/c or the like). For me, it’s much harder to avoid using those kinds of stand-ins for terms, so I like to challenge myself by never ever using them. If the fic calls for the reader’s name to be directly said, I’ll just give the reader a last name (like in dear love of mine where the reader’s last name is Dean) 

(NOTE: this is not to say that people that use y/n are taking the easy road or whatever. it’s entirely a personal decision and writers that use it are still good. it’s just not for me)

All my sfw fics are completely body/gender neutral unless otherwise specified

All my nsfw fics are with an afab reader (because I only know my own biology and I’d hate to try to write something for another biology type and end up getting it wrong and just alienating everyone)

I’m specific about these things because I do not look like the skinny/blonde/straight-haired/blue-eyed/wattpad version of a reader in RI fanfic. It alienated me back when I read on that platform and I’d hate to make anyone feel like that. I’m still learning, and I’m not perfect, but I really want people who read my content to feel like they can actually be immersed in the story, no matter what they look like. 

That being said, I do not write readers from specific backgrounds/with specific features because I am whiter than white and that’s not my place (though I have reblogged some stuff that has specific readers so there definitely is some on my page! check out the recommended tag) 

My own personal tastes obviously affect my writing (because everyone writes from their own experiences) so there is often dancing/hair touching in my fics because I like that stuff. There will be warnings for basically anything that could alienate the reader including but not limited to: hair mentions, the reader getting picked up, the reader’s clothing being mentioned, and abnormal physical activity (dancing, swimming, etc). If you

Are requests open?

Requests for moments, headcanons, one-shots and drabbles are open! please send me headcanons i love hearing what y’all are thinking! with that being said, i reserve the right to not write or respond to requests that i don’t want to do because at the end of the day, this is my space and my writing makes me happy. 

What fandoms do you write for?

I am currently writing for:

Star Wars (literally any character including rebels/CW) 

James Bond (Craig era) 

Dune (I love the books and the film so I write based on both!) 

Marvel (including all movies and the Punisher)

But I will generally write for any content I have consumed in the last 2 years (so I'd be super down to write for mortal instruments/shadowhunters, for example, it might just take longer). If you request something I am not currently writing for, I will keep your request until I recirculate that fandom/character/concept because I am basically a garbage disposal for fandom. 

Do I need to give you plot details in my requests?

Requests can be as simple as “Fluff with Poe Dameron!!” but can be as complex as you would like. Some formats include:

dialogue prompts (ie. “I missed you” with Jace)

type of fic (ie. I would love some Billy Russo angst)

relationships with canon characters (ie. can you write some reader x kylo ren where the reader is Rey’s sister?)

any amount of plot details (ie. thanksgiving at the Weasley’s where you and Percy get stuck hand washing dishes)

Moments Collection prompt (ie. I read your Poe “The moment they first saw you” fic. Can you write one with Dani from Prodigal son?)

Headcanon prompt (ie. how do you think Poe finding out you’re alive after thinking he had lost you would go?) 

Or any combination!! I like writing what you guys want to see and challenging myself with your ideas. 

What “out of the box” ideas are you willing to write?

Many writers will not write the following, so I wanted to be clear that anything on this list can be requested and will be written without being altered (assuming it’s in my lane). If any of these things are used in a work, they will be listed in the Warnings category at the top of the post.

graphic descriptions of violence (including but not limited to: injury, torture, emergency surgery)

death (major characters and reader included. I just won’t write drowning for my own personal safety) 

homophobia 

nightmares/night terrors/forced dream sequence/drug trips/things like in spiderman: far from home before peter gets hit by a train 

lemon/smut/that kind of thing (but I’m very new to this so take it easy on me folks)

panic attacks

dubcon/noncon/dark fic 

I will also write the following things that are not “warning” related but not all writers will dabble in: 

alternate universe (though I usually prefer canon-compliant work) 

crossover content 

polyamorous relationships 

What don't you write?

I absolutely will not write: 

suggestive content with underaged characters (I’ll age them up)

the act of self-harm (I will write post-getting clean or talking about self-harm vaguely, but won’t write the action or witnessing the action for my own safety)

drowning/water boarding/violence involving water (I know, very specific, but I don’t write this for my own safety)

readers that deal with transphobia/racism (I am blessed to not have experienced either of these things and it’s absolutely not my place to think I can write about these struggles. I will however reblog content I find and enjoy because it is so important to talk about these things and bring awareness to these communities)

mental illness other than anxiety/depression/ptsd (outside of canon determined elements)

specific pronoun requests. all of my sfw work is gender neutral. the reader insert/imagine space has been historically very heteronormative and I want everyone to be able to enjoy my writing, no matter how they identify and which pronouns they use. if a fic is requested with pronouns, I will still write the request. it will just be gender neutral

real life people. non-negotiable. this makes me feel icky. no judgement to those that do it. I just won’t

abo!AUs. not my jam. 

magic AUs.

I hope this clears some stuff up! I’m looking forward to hearing from you guys! my inbox is always open so feel free to come chat! 

[all-devouring-history-hub]

If you're interested, I finally posted some more lore on my Helixverse blog. It's quite a departure from our own history : P

https://the-helixverse.tumblr.com/post/721949074055643136/helixverse-lore-neocytes

-Mod Bubbles

Ok, I will check it out when I have the time. I'm busy.

Edit: I checked it out. It's really good :)

[the-helixverse]

A brief glimpse into more social media in the Helixverse (Circa June 2017)

[the-helixverse]

ART DUMP

//Hey everyone! Sorry it's been a while, but here's some art I've made. Some of it is recent, some is from a few months ago and I don't think I ever shared it here

//Hope you enjoy!

[the-helixverse]

Villain Profile: Iron Lung

The emergence of posthumans in 1951 brought with it a new revolution in biotechnology. Many prominent scientists, psychologists, biologists, physicians and others sought to use these to their fullest potential. One of them was Dr. Julius Leichtenberg.

Born in Hesse in 1937 and later immigrating to the UK, Leichtenberg was an aspiring neurosurgeon who attended the University of Oxford. His biggest influences were American neurosurgeon Robert White and Soviet organ donation pioneer Vladimir Demikhov.

Leichtenberg was fascinated by the idea of head and brain transplants, and believed it was possible to utilize this technology to save lives, whether it was preserving the brain or attaching it to a new body, either natural or artificial. The procedure had yet to be performed on a human and Liechtenberg and others were looking for willing subjects.

However, it was during this search that Leichtenberg, along with several other bystanders, were gravely injured in a fight between a posthuman criminal and police in the streets. The collateral damage left him so badly injured that being rendered quadriplegic was the best case scenario. It was more likely he would not survive.

Already a rather bitter man after facing criticism for his support of brain transplants, Liechtenberg's embitterment turned to spite and he decided to volunteer for his own work. With the help of thoroughly detailed notes and several assistants, he had his brain removed and preserved in solution and attached to a set of artificial sensory relays.

It would've been easy enough for Liechtenberg to simply find a donor body or have one grown for him and move on from there. But, after spending days, weeks and months fixating on his resentment- as well as possible unexpected psychological effects of being an isolated brain- he opted instead to pursue revenge.

The full details of what happened afterward is unclear, but Liechtenberg opted to have his brain preserved in a blast-proof canister and encased in an artificial body, which was then armed with various weapons and means for destruction. Early models were large, clunky and mechanical, which is where he earned his moniker in the press: "Iron Lung."

Iron Lung's primary M.O. is targeting posthumans, particularly those who try to use their abilities to make the world a better place, and either killing them or mutilating them to the point where they can no longer use them. He's shown no qualms about doing the same with other philanthropists, leaders, law enforcement or anyone else who gets in his way.

After numerous skirmishes, he's also gradually adapted his artificial bodies, upgrading them with new and better technology, weapons and equipment. He has now become a large, snake-like figure with a highly flexible body composed of synthetic muscle. He's also learned and employed a great deal of tactical skill, showing both proficiency in combat and the willingness to retreat when overwhelmed.

To date, no one has ever been able to capture him. The most that can be done is to cause him enough harm to force him to retreat and repair himself. With the only vital component of him being his brain, which is always hidden behind several layers of protection, the damage he can take is staggering. Efforts to stop him have gone so far have included RPGs, a Lockheed AH-56 Cheyenne and an FV4201 Chieftain tank.

He also possesses and artificial voice that retains his native accent, and while it sounds disturbingly even throughout (comparable to HAL 9000), the more damage he takes, the more this voice distorts until it devolves into a loud series of electronic whirs and blaring.

Because of the viciousness of his attacks and the nature of his existence, head and brain transplants remain a contentious subject, although a handful have been performed in the years between Iron Lung's emergence.

[a-student-out-of-time]

That Iron Lung being you drew, is that a Basilisk drone?

//Oh no, he's worse. Much worse

[the-helixverse]

Aaaa so that’s the Red Zone mentioned in the short story was all about. Basically a more fleshy Tornado Alley.

//Yep, and tornadoes still happen here as well ^^;

//If you remember the ones from Joplin or El Reno, imagine also dealing with neocytes on top of all that. Living in the Red Zone is a challenge, but it's one a lot of people seem to welcome

[the-helixverse]

Oh hey glad this is still getting updated.

//Yep, I still exist! Sorry posts have been infrequent, I'm still around ^^

[the-helixverse]

Orcas still proving why they are the rulers of the sea. No seriously, I think the only reason they don’t attack us is because they probably recognise us as fellow intelligent species and also our track record of rescuing stranded members of their kind which has earned good favor. Also why do I think that kajiu is in fact a Neocyte? (Apologises if it misspelt it)

//(Nah, you're good, you got it ^^)

//And yeah, you don't mess with orcas, they're way more intelligent than they look : P

//I do think it's a really unexplored idea, seeing how kaiju impact other ocean life and how other animals would react to their presence. Orcas in particular are no strangers to starting fights, and if you give them a reason, they could probably try to take on a kaiju

//And in one case, they succeeded : P

[the-helixverse]

Are a lot of Hawaiian birds that are extinct here alive in the Helixverse. If you guys don’t want to be depressed there is a recording of the last Kauai O’o that was recorded back on 1987 as a lone male was singing a mating song to a mate it would never find. What makes this even more heartbreaking is twofold. Firstly the song is unfinished as it was meant to be a duet as the dips in the tune is where the female was supposed to come in. And when this recording was played, the male kept singing.

//Yeah, it's a really sad story ^^;

//Fortunately, yes, the Hawaiian ecosystem is doing much better here, in part because the idea of Indigenous Sovereignty was extended first to the Native American tribes in the continental U.S. in the 1960s and then to Native Hawaiians in the mid-70s. This was the first step to maintaining the local environment and toward independence.

[the-helixverse]

Me TV is basically old style YouTube before Google ruined it.

//Yep, pretty much. They still have star ratings and everything!

[the-helixverse]

Ah yes Teraforming, the answer to if you don’t have any habitable space, just make your own.

//They do have plenty of space colonies, like O'Neil Cylinders and Bernal Spheres, but Harvest was the first attempt at terraforming a planet outside of the Solar System. It's definitely proven successful, although it's more Paraterraforming than actual terraforming.

//If they remove the worldhouse, it turns back into a sterile rock

[the-helixverse]

And we go to using the Stellaris naming scheme for human colony worlds.

//As a man of science myself, I can tell you that scientists are just really bad at naming things : P