The pinnacle of speculative physics engineering: the deliberate, large-scale design and fabrication of a stable "vacuum state" with desired spacetime properties. This isn't just tweaking parameters; it's about triggering a phase transition in a region of the universe, creating a new, stable patch of reality with different fundamental laws (like a different speed of light or strength of gravity) for specific ultra-technology.
Example: Creating a "Causal Dock" for starships. Within the dock, engineers have induced a local vacuum state where the speed of light is artificially raised by several orders of magnitude. This doesn't allow FTL travel out into normal space, but within the dock, computers can operate at near-infinite speeds, allowing for instantaneous repair simulations, crew training in subjective millennia, and ship system diagnostics that are complete in an external picosecond. Spacetime Vacuum Engineering.
by Dumuabzu January 24, 2026
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