Relevant Codex/Fiction Entries:
Desperate Measures
Retribution:The Experiment
Cosmic Sorcery
One of the most perplexing and controversial aspects of the Mass Effect 3 ending is the Crucible firing, specifically the manner in which it functions. The fact that something which appears (in the asset descriptions and design) to be an energy weapon (or at least designed to generate large amounts of energy) can somehow differentiate it’s targets after firing is somewhat confusing and unique in the Mass Effect universe (let alone the fact that it’s functions range from vaporization to augmentation, and these seemingly disparate functions depend on the state of the device).
Through the extended conversations with the Catalyst AI we learn that the Crucible itself is little more than a power source. For theories on how the Crucible generates this energy and what it has to do with dark energy and the reconstruction of the Mass Relays, check this thread. What this reveals to us is that the functions we observe (destroy low/high ems, control, synthesis) are largely or entirely functions of the Citadel, not the Crucible. This means two things:
1) The Vendetta AI was likely incorrect when he postulated that the Citadel was incorporated into the design at a later point (why design a power source with no function?), or that the original designers of the Crucible had no intent to enact destroy, control, or synthesis.
This area is unclear, as both the Protheans and our cycle were able to gleam enough information from the blueprints to surmise that controlling the Reapers via the Crucible was possible (TIM in our cycle, and the indoctrinated Protheans in the last). However, both groups operated in cycles that took place after the Citadel was incorporated into the design. The Catalyst has the most definitive/revealing word in this area when it states that the Crucible is little more than a power source.
Putting all the information together, I would guess that the original Crucible was an impressive but crude energy weapon (it’s design being the only notable thing about it, again, check this thread). When the designers looked for a way to use the weapon on a galactic scale, they turned to the Citadel, and only then did the designers begin to understand that control and destroy were possible.
2) Destroy, Control, and Synthesis are largely if not entirely the product of Reaper technology. This is consistent with the above theory.
Despite this new information, we still have very little information about how Destroy, Control, and Synthesis actually worked. Why are these functions so disparate? Why is the specific function so dependent on the state of the Crucible if the Crucible is simply a power source? I believe the answer to these questions and many others lies in the extended depiction of Synthesis.
The Little Big Picture
In Mass Effect: Retribution, it was specifically stated by The Illusive Man that the husk conversion was facilitated by “Nanites” which communicated with the Reapers via quantum entanglement. While no exact size was given, Nanites, nanomachines, or nanobots are robots whose components can be easily measured at the Nano-scale (10^-9 meters). We currently have entire machines in the 0.1 micrometer to 1.0 micrometer range (100 nanometers to 1000 nanometers), with the smallest component (a switch) measuring 1.5 nanometers. Reaper technology could be (and is demonstrably) much more advanced.
(micrometers will be referred to as µm from now on, and nanometers will be referred to as nm)
Why is this relevant? “A new, DNA.”
As you can see, the objects that approach the DNA are incredibly small. Individually, the inner spheres look small enough to be measured on the femto-scale (10^-15 meters). This is the scale that the nuclei of atoms are measured on. When we consider that these objects then augment the DNA cooperatively, it becomes apparent that the Reapers have developed a technology that is unbelievably advanced. I find it hard to believe that manufacturing such technology could be possible without the mass effect, and as such attribute its existence to the Reaper’s utter mastery of mass effect technology. In some ways, I think Synthesis is more impressive than the Mass Relays. The answer to our questions does depend on the Mass Relays however.
I was referring to the inner spheres of the "components" in the synthesis picture. It's what the line is pointing to on the picture.lmxar wrote...
Especially when the OP called the atoms in the model "inner spheres."
Distribution
In Synthesis, it is apparent that the firing of the Crucible (along with the amplification of the Mass Relays) spreads these machines throughout the galaxy. They spread significantly faster than the speed of light, even when they are simply moving from a relay explosion (instead of relay to relay), for this reason, it is safe to assume that they are operating within a mass effect field. They differentiate between organic/synthetic life and inert matter, only augmenting the former. This differentiation is similar to how destroy differentiates between organic and synthetic (and inert matter), and how control differentiates between Reapers and synthetic/organic/inert matter. This is the basis of my theory.
I suggest that the energy pulse the Crucible fires is comprised of self-replicating “femtites,” no matter what decision is made. These machines can communicate instantly with the Citadel and/or the Catalyst, allowing them to identify targets and act with discretion. The femtites are essentially riding a biotic charge throughout the galaxy, electing to leave the mass effect field by the same means that ships leave mass effect fields.*
*Short Version: It would seem to me that Mass Effect fields allow what are essentially Alcubierre drives to be built, with the nature of mass effect field generation (a current through eezo, which can be shut off) being the reason ships in mass effect are able to “leave” the warp-bubble. At least this appears to be how the Tantalus drive functions. Mass-Energy Conservation appears to be violated, as emphasized below.
This theory is consistent with what we see in the endings.
Synthesis
-explained above-
Control High EMS
Femtites only target the Reapers and possibly husks (not really necessary if you control the Reapers).
Control Low EMS
Femtites only target the Reapers and husks, but some collision damage (explained below) and collateral targeting of indoctrinated individuals may take place.
Destroy High EMS
Femtites identify synthetic targets and destroy them through collision damage (explained below) or other means.
Destroy Low EMS
Femtites attempt to target synthetics but power is so limited that collision damage (explained below) wrecks havoc across the galaxy.
Collision Damage
With powerful enough mass-lowering fields, affected objects can move through other objects without collision (Space curves "around" the object). This is why biotic charges can phase through solid objects, and why ships in FTL travel don’t have to worry about minor collisions. As was said before, the femtites would be under the affect of this field until they found a target (which they would find via the same scanners that the reapers implemented in Mass Effect drives to prevent collisions). If there was not enough energy to maintain this field (the result of a damaged or incomplete crucible perhaps), the femtites would drop into normal space while traveling faster than the speed of light. As per the ME1 Codex, this would potentially translate into Cherenkov radiation. Given the fact that the mass effect completely divorces the relationship between apparent size and mass, it’s impossible to know how massive the femtites really are, though they can’t be very massive if they don’t inhibit those they augment. Assuming it has the same mass as a helium atom, here are some calculations.
[The mass of a helium atom is 6.645 x 10^-27kg (0.000000000000000000000000006645kg)]
These numbers are broad estimates. As emphasized by the 50k labels, the isometric image of the galaxy makes absolute position difficult to determine.
So femtites at the edge of the blast would have traversed 2,500 light years in about 3.5 seconds. That means they are moving at 6,757,664,623,272,000,000,000m/s (6.76x10^21m/s), which is obviously impossible unless they are under the effect of a mass-lowering field (That’s more than 2,254,114,285,714,285% the speed of light).
The next step is a little difficult to determine. Conventional wisdom would hold that a particle moving faster than the speed of light would have infinite mass and energy, but the mass effect negates this. For this reason, I’ll simply use classical mechanics to determine the kinetic energy, since the mass effect essentially raises the speed of light (though not really). This of course assumes that the femtites aren’t moving at the new/equivalent relativistic speeds, but no mention of such a phenomenon is ever given in the codex (an object approaching the relativistic speeds within a mass effect field).
KE=0.5mv^2
KE=(0.0000000000000000000000000033225kg)(4.5666031160621901683985984x10^43m/s^2)
KE=151,702,555,515,585,957.394201438848kJ
KE= 152 EJ (152x10^18 Joules)
For reference, Tsar Bomba “only” released 240 PJ (240x10^15 Joules)
geceka wrote...
Great post, OP. Well, maybe apart from the calculation, which is more ordinal than cardinal, as the formula you've used does not take relativistic effects into account, and even more so, we don't even know (as you say) anything about physics involving mass-effect altered frames of reference.
I debated over whether to take relativity into account. The thing is, I don't think the games account for it within Mass Effect fields. Even if I did, I'd wind up with complex energy, which would be just as meaningless as the number I got. Since objects can leave mass effect fields "while" traveling at FTL (the cherenkov radiation entry) without destroying the universe, I figured either equally outlandish concept would suffice.
This estimate assumes (among many other things…) that the femtite fell completely out of the mass effect field. A femtite that only experienced a weakening of the field instead of complete failure would impart less apocalyptic levels of energy (which would be why the entire galaxy didn’t detonate). Still, it clears some things up.
Conclusions
For those who aren’t aware, the Mass Defect isn’t just an all too easy play on this series’ title, but is actually a natural phenomenon in which mass is converted to energy when atoms bond. It’s described by Einstein’s famous E=mc^2. One thing that was never really clarified throughout the series is the effect mass effect fields have on energy. It is stated that they lower mass, but it is unclear what happens to the energy of the system. As we can see from the calculations above, a lot of energy is hiding somewhere.
To be honest, this actually makes me appreciate the Reapers more. Once Mass Effect fields get thrown into the picture, the galaxy becomes a much more dangerous place. Without the Reaper’s safety features, what happened on Taetrus would be commonplace, and even larger catastrophe’s would be just as easy to inflict. Galactic civilization would be impossible, and this is backed up by the Leviathan’s statements about things in the past. We’re so quick to eschew the Catalyst’s concepts of “order”, but this pursuit of order was the only reason we were able to enjoy the galaxy for the time that we had (have, depending on the ending and your interpretation). I won’t bother going philosophical in this thread, but I will say that this makes you think differently about the relationship between the Reapers and organics.
Modifié par MyChemicalBromance, 21 septembre 2012 - 01:59 .
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