The Origins and Definition of Paracausality
Paracausality is the cutting edge of science. Born
from the debris of the Deimos Event, paracausal
science gave rise to both the omninet and blinkspace
travel. But what, exactly, is “paracausality”?
Causality is the relationship between cause and
effect; paracausality references things abnormal to,
adjacent to, or apart from cause and effect. Paracausality
is a fuzzy science. It cannot be truly be
explained without paraphrasing Arthur C. Clarke: it is
so advanced – and so alien – that it is indistinguishable
from magic.
The State of Paracausal Research and Development
Officially, paracausal studies are only a field of study
within the walls of certain high-tier USB campuses;
however, in practice, certain corpro-states –
HA and
HORUS in particular – are making inroads
into this field without Union’s approval. Union, meanwhile,
monitors these and other paracausal research
and development facilities via the Union Aeronautics
and Astronautics Advanced Development Projects
Division on Ganymede. This campus, the
“Skunkworks" for short, is a secret joint USB/UND
project that, in addition to monitoring outside paracausal
development centers, engages in its own
research and development programs.
The amount of knowledge these corpro-states have
acquired is a known-unknown: joint USB–UND intelligence
teams have engaged in clandestine missions
to infiltrate and identify sites, programs, and
campuses where unsanctioned paracausal studies
are taking place, but it isn’t clear how much other
research has passed beneath the radar.
Paracausal encounters, weapons, and technologies –
other than the omninet and blinkspace travel – are
rare in Lancer. Only the wealthiest, most advanced, or
most prestigious NPCs have access to paracausal
equipment. Most soldiers, from the average grunt to
the typical general, have probably never encountered
a paracausal phenomenon, though they may have
heard rumors in the ranks.
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