Volume VI: Technology — Chapter 6: Space: Symbiotic Expansion
“A living ship carries its own garden. Even a garden needs walls, water and someone who notices a crack.” — From an Xha-Vokh pilot’s recollections.
Related sections: → see [Volume VI, Ch.2], [Volume VI, Ch.1] Length: 30 pages
6.1 Xha-Vokh — Living Ships
Xha'Ruun do not build spaceships. They grow them.
Xha-Vokh (“Spirit-People”) are grown ship-organisms. Outer layers withstand vacuum while internal living tissues are protected by shells and supply systems. Their bodies combine three principal components:
- Silicon-organic exoskeleton — protection from radiation and micrometeorites
- Photosynthetic membrane — absorbs starlight for energy
- Gas bladder — internal cavity with atmosphere
| Parameter | Xha-Vokh | Stage of Development |
|---|---|---|
| Wingspan | 12 km | Adult specimen |
| Mass | ~800 t | — |
| Crew | Up to 500 Xha'ri | — |
| Speed | 0.12 c — interstellar design target | Cruising |
| Acceleration | 0.02 g | During powered acceleration with external energy |
| Lifespan | ~1,200 years | — |
| Reproduction | 1 offspring per 80 years | In space |
Life cycle: Xha-Vokh are born at orbital "shipyards" — giant nutrient pools where the embryo grows for 12 years. After "birth" (separation from the nutrient medium), a young Xha-Vokh has a wingspan of ~2 km and is used for short voyages. An adult Xha-Vokh (after 200 years) becomes interplanetary.
Death: Upon dying, Xha-Vokh return to the atmosphere of Théxar. Their body burns up, but the silicon-organic ash falls to the surface, becoming part of the soil. This is a "closed loop."
6.2 Orbital Forest
Around Théxar, at altitudes of 350–1,200 km, grows the Orbital Forest — a network of living and semi-living structures forming a permanently inhabited orbital infrastructure.
Composition:
- 24 symbiotic stations (living, self-repairing)
- Xha-Vokh on "pasture" (in free flight)
- Crystal reflectors for communication
- GR-resonators for transport
Stations retain their atmosphere with strong shells and bio-membranes. Active transport maintains air composition within closed circuits; gas lost through damage must be replaced. Self-repair helps preserve the seal but does not remove the need for air reserves and emergency compartments.
6.3 Serrin-Ur and Thel
Serrin (moon, 425 km): An Xha-Vokh colony is grown alongside the bases on Serrin, attached to the surface. It is a "nursery" — a place where young Xha-Vokh spend the first 50 years of life, obtaining mineral feedstock from regolith and other nutrients from supplies.
Thel (moon, 178 km): Thel is a source of He-3. Extraction is carried out by symbiotic organisms that filter regolith and release He-3. Living filters operate alongside protective buildings and mechanical equipment.
6.4 Interstellar Plans
As of 4,028 Y.E.U., Xha'Ruun have not made interstellar flights (the speed of light is absolute, FTL is impossible). However, the "Seeding" project is being developed — sending Xha-Vokh embryos to nearby stars in suspended animation, with a "wake" program upon detecting a suitable planet.
End of Chapter 6, Volume VI.