3. A ship travels from Alexandria to Babylon (10.5 light years) in eighteen hours. The same ship travels on to Mauryan Space (1,999 light years) and arrives sixty-three hours after it departed Alexandria. Another ship of the same class travels from Alexandria to Mauryan Space, non-stop, in forty-seven hours. Explain. (400-600 words - 4 points)
Even in Euclidean space, measurement of time and distance is dependent upon the position of the observer. What we think of as 'real' space generally has an objective observer - that is, reality itself, which binds itself by the known laws and consistent principles elaborated upon by Aristotle and those after him.
The non-Euclidean space which we refer to as the thalassa, by means of which interstellar travel bypasses the theoretical limit of the speed of light proposed by the natural philosopher Eispetros, has no objective observer. It is impossible for most humans to even perceive accurately, let alone quantify: some describe it as an infinite blue ocean (hence the name), but most people are unable to see it as anything other than a black void that occasionally sparks lightning.
Within this environment, therefore, the perception of the observer is capable of having measurable effects on the reality of the space. As travelers cannot see where they are going or judge the speed at which they travel, the only perception that the relativistic geometry of the thalassa can work upon is their expectations of how long the travel should take. As most people are accustomed to a long journey (on a planetary scale) taking between eight hours and two days, they bring this perception with them, and the average of their perceptions defines the reality of their metaspatial travel, even though speed and distance have no practical meaning in the thalassa. Nearer locations should, of course, take less time, and so travel between worlds within ten to fifteen light years of one another takes a little over half a day.
It is important to note that while in theory, getting people to believe the trip could be swifter would make it so, in practice this application runs into problems with the human capacity for boredom. By suggesting that a trip should be over quicker, people naturally anticipate being at their destination sooner. This leads to impatience as to why they are not already at their destination, and a fixation on the time that has passed - and, as awareness of subjective time causes the passage of objective time within the thalassa, this actively slows transit time between gates.
Certain archons are known to be able to bypass their prejudices and pass instantaneously from one location to another through the thalassa. The most exceptionally talented of these can, through force of will, override the assumptions of and speed up travel for a small group, but these individuals are rare and precious, and cannot be wasted on conventional travel. As travel to the edges of the Empire would take over five thousand years in 'real' space, the assumption that it any planet can be reached within two days is quite reasonable.
Essentially correct, but too basic. You touch on the concept of archon leaching, but fail to explain the mechanisms involved. Nor do you address the issue of energy current streams and how their gradients are used to navigate the thalassa, nor the dangers involved in incorrect course plotting. These things are essential for the most advanced sections of this course. Finally, your transparent attempt at flattery, while cute, will not result in a better grade. 2/4. - Instructor Hermetios
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