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Tales of the HX Universe

as told by Roger Bourke White Jr.

Stories of the Honeycomb Comet and the HX aliens

The HX Encounter Series

This is a series of stories about mankind doing interstellar exploration. At the start of this series, mankind is exploring only our solar system. In the first story, one explorer, using a state-of-the-art constant acceleration spacecraft to explore the Kuiper Belt, discovers a small chunk of a large -- large as in moon-size -- alien spacecraft. HX stands for "huge unknown" -- which these HX aliens turn out to be.

Some key features of this world system:

The HX alien is not just one species, but an ecosystem. An HX ship is big, bigger than some moons. It is inhabited by a diverse mix of creatures, some are beneficial to the HX, and some are not.
What the HX "do" is not known to mankind. Therefore, the actions of the HX ships appear quite capricious to mankind.
Mankind has constant acceleration space travel, but does not have faster-than-light (FTL) space flight or communication -- no warp engines, no subspace communicators. This rules out space opera-style "warping" to advance the plot. Instead things take years to happen, and mid-journey spacecraft clocks tick much more slowly than planetary clocks. Instead of plots advancing at "warp speed", the stories in the HX Encounter series are adapted to this more measured reality.
The HX are higher technology than mankind, and they do have an FTL travel mode, which mankind calls "blipping". A blip doesn't happen often, but when it does, in or out, it is accompanied by a huge gamma ray burst. In this world system, HX blipping is one source of the gamma ray bursts that astronomers first discovered in the 1990's.
What is found looting HX ships -- live ones or dead ones -- are advanced technology and devices which are hugely valuable to mankind. But the looting is a dangerous process -- this is an ecosystem, and there are lots of other looters working the HX, too. On live HX there are the HX defenses, as well. Looting is much more difficult on live HX, but the finds are much richer, too. The sub-plot in many of these stories is about the conflict within communities between those willing to takes the risks and those who don't think the risk is worth it -- the death and damage when things go wrong is too great.

The HX Encounter stories span many centuries: from the time mankind first discovers an HX relic to the time when he begins to fully adapt to the HX environment.

The Honeycomb Comet -- (Year: 2136) The first story in the HX series. In this story John Burnmeshorts discovers the first HX fragment, the Honeycomb Comet, which is mankind's first evidence of other intelligent alien life.
The First Siege of Titan -- (2188) In which Earth and Titan Colony face-off over how much HX technology to bring to humankind.
Praise Osmore, not Jonas! -- (2287) Setting the record straight on what happened during the first expedition to an HX skeleton outside the Solar System.
Pressure Point -- (2437) Titan Colony space explorers find something incredibly valueable deep under Neptune's crushing atmosphere. -- Honorable Mention in Writers of the Future contest 2007
Alien Invasion! -- (2437) Roger's version of the War of the Worlds story. Aliens who have been looting a nearby HX skeleton come to the Solar System and attack Earth! ...Is some Earthly disease going to save us? "Diseases?" laugh the aliens in a thick Spanish accent, "We don't need no stinking diseases."
2nd Siege of Titan -- (2536) A live HX "blips" to near the Solar System. This is hugely devastating, but represents mankind's first chance to deal with a live HX. Some people want to jump on this opportunity, some believe doing so will kill mankind off.
Emperor of Earth -- (2611) Once again, an alien ship comes to the Solar System, but this time it stays.... (Hint: the result is not a War of the Worlds-style story.)
Chance Encounter -- (2811) A story late in the HX series. Mankind is thriving in the live HX ecosystem, but there is a surprise waiting...
Human Hunt -- (2856) The HX decide they want humans!
The First Starship -- An alternate time adventure in the HX environment. No Honeycomb Comet this time, the aliens come to Earth first! (Because there is nothing ultra-high tech or magical in this story, it is also my best guess as to what mankind's first intelligent alien contact will be like.)

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