Introduction

This being a science fiction story, I make no claims that the science is accurate. Scientific constructs are used as story vehicles, such as generating ethereal energy through chanting, powerful enough to provide a planet with a protective shield. Or the fact that the planet is pushed into a parallel world when that field is destroyed. In the following, I will briefly look at some of those story elements and the thoughts behind them.

Ethereal Energy

The idea behind ethereal energy is that chanting as a spiritual endeavor creates positive "vibes". To make use of this energy, the Khentopians have built a Harmony Center with four Harmony Halls. In each Harmony Hall there are thirty chanters sitting in a circle. The energy from their chanting is captured by a purple disk. The output of the four Harmony Halls is combined and send to huge crystal. This crystal as made from so-called Crystalloy, which among others, can convert the ethereal energy that is captured into a usable energy source. This energy source feeds the protective forcefield that envelopes the planet.

Later, Lheandor, our main character, develops an alternative method to generate ethereal energy, whereby the sound of chanting over loudspeakers has the same effect. This has various useful applications such as the propulsion of a spaceship or covering the ship in a protective shield or even "cloak" the ship (make it invisible).    

Hyperspace Communication

Hyperspace communication is a form of communication that is unaffected by spacetime phenomena in that it even works between parallel universes. Even more remarkable is that it may penetrate someone's dreamworld. While in alternative Khentopia, one of the characters, Constance, sees the library from the "real" Khentopia in her dream. A wall clock shows date and time, which tells her that in her dream she is looking at the present in the other Khentopia.

Two Khentopias

 Parallel worlds are hard to imagine, but they are great as a story vehicle. In this case, it contrasts two different societal views. One world is peaceful and pleasant. The other world is harsh and depressive. Through a fluke, peaceful Khentopia is hurled into a parallel universe. The physical planet is the same, but the circumstances are different. I portray this in various ways in the story. The raider ship "Space Wolf", which was left alone, is suddenly warned that they are trespassing. Constance, who is in her study, finds herself in different clothes. She is writing a thesis involving U.S. history and discovers that history has changed. This is based on the idea a parallel world will have a different timeline, reaching into the past.

At first, our characters are not aware of the existence of the "original" Khentopia, but Constance's dream gives the first clue. Then they find out about a secret military project that involves a portal. A diagram of the project shows that the portal leads to the original Khentopia. The plan is to suck power from the original Khentopia.

This is alarming of course, and an incentive for our characters to do something about it.

Traveling through the Portal

Lheandor is a scientist and it is up to him to develop a plan. To investigate,  he first sends a probe and then a model spaceship through the portal. This succeeds, so then the bold plan emerges to send a full-size spaceship through the portal. I had to think about the spacetime consequences. The idea is that there is a time difference of twelve ours between the two Khentopias and that there is a discontinuity in the middle of the portal where the time jumps ahead or back depending on the direction of the traversal. 

To protect the ship, it will be enveloped in the same kind of shield as the original Khentopia. 

The Antimatter Gun

After the spaceship has successfully entered the Portal, the somewhat lax security guards report too late that something is going on. Enraged, the Head of Security sends a combat drone into the Portal. RIA, the cyborg in care of the ship, is alerted. She takes care of the drone by using an antimatter gun. First the drone is scanned for its shape and characteristics. Then an antimatter clone is created and send to the drone. On impact, the drone is destroyed.

Does It Matter? 

I believe that science-like "facts" are warranted, as long as they serve the story, which of course needs to be a good one. A story cannot be saved by cleverness. I hope that I have succeeded in that regard with Khentopia.