Dimension

<-2-> Chapter 4

Hello!

Summer break! Time to write- oh wait I'm going  away for five weeks...

And it turned out I had very little time to write during those five weeks. So this chapter is really, really late.

Well here goes nothing!
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Five Years Ago

Carson's plan made less sense the more Kuznetsov thought about it.

If he was truly doing this out of the interests of everyone- or at least a galactic majority- it was far more logical to hand superimposed space over to the Republic. The Union was infamous for its abject lack of technological progression. With them at the helm, it would be a miracle if a superimposed drive was constructed by the turn of the century, let alone in any timely manner that would actually make a difference.

Of course, giving the Republic superimposed space would come with a new plethora of issues. Technologically unsophisticated as they were, the Union maintained an extensive intelligence network buried deep within the core structure of the Republic. God only knew what drastic action they would take if they learned of a Paragonian superimposed drive in development.

Not to mention taking superimposed space would essentially shut down any hope of a free Carok.

An entirely free Carok was impossible. That would mean severing Paragon's supply artery. Even if Kuznetsov got the ball rolling Paragon would go to war to stop it- they would have no choice.

The best hope was superimposed space. If the third temporal barrier was broken- if a new galaxy was discovered and colonized, Paragon might finally be able to leave Carok alone.

But even that had several prohibitive roadblocks. Who knew how expensive superimposed drives would be, or if Paragon even had the material to build the auxiliary equipment. Besides, colonization was costly- incredibly costly. Cross-universe colonization only compounded the price. Some- most nations would find it easier just to formally invade Carok.

Carson needed a puddlejumper to initiate the final stages of his research. Really, he just needed the Nygev-Ash matrix, but matrices were no longer in production. Even with the official design schematics-- stolen from Soarson Manufacturing decades ago-- the Union still floundered when it came to the actual construction process. Whether or not Paragonian sabotage was involved was something even Kuznetsov would have been unaware of, but the sheer statistical improbability that so many attempts would end in catastrophe raised a healthy amount of suspicion.

Aside from primary puddlejumpers, tertiary jumpers were always an option.

Tertiary puddlejumpers lacked the enormous reactors and supercomputers needed to effectuate inter-universe travel. They utilized the Nygev-Ash matrix for near-instantaneous transport within Paragon, and, as far as Kuznetsov knew, there wasn't a single one in Carok. They were, unlike their primary counterparts, designed as super heavy battleships, and nothing else. As relations with the Coalition of Interior Systems were rapidly burning down, every bit of firepower would be needed to bolster the Republic's home defenses.

Which left Kuznetsov with an unsolvable problem.

Primary jumpers were the indispensable backbone of the Republic's entire economy. Further, they weren't exactly confidential- the entire nation would hear of one's disappearance. And yet the loss of one tertiary jumper out of seven could spell disaster for entire Republic sectors if diplomacy with the Coalition ever did boil over.

Kuznetsov sighed deeply, rising from his seat.

He needed more coffee.

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