Contragravity

Will 'Contra-Gravity' Change Everything?
by Pamela Marchand Mrs. Marchand became a columnist for the Tarbach Independent in 2459. Before that, she was the head tech writer at Variletter.
For the past twenty years, the conceptual "contra-gravity machine" has been relentlessly pursued by researchers in Boesia's many universities and institutions. Such devices have existed on paper ever since then. Today, the first successful test of a contra-gravity prototype has been completed.

For the uninitiated, contra-gravity refers to a field that acts against or cancels out gravity. This technology (if controlled) would open new avenues for transportation of both people and resources, and possibly even be the stepping-stone needed to normalise space travel.

At long last, it seems these goals are within our reach, all thanks to an unexpected solution to problems that had stalled research for years. The Exotic Aeronautics and Space Propulsion Laboratory at Andervane University's College of Engineering announced this morning (the 5th of Windwane, 2461) that two working models of what they call a Contragravitational Engine have passed viability thresholds.

According to the project's overseer Dr. Lorna Einarsdóttir, "The working (Contragravity) Engines take electricity and uses it to generate a field that creates lift--and when needed, thrust." Dr. Einarsdóttir went on to explain that the full report on her team's project will be published in the coming weeks with all the details.

This development alone is one of the most significant scientific breakthroughs in recent history. However, the details of how the Contragravity Engine achieves its revolutionary effect is just as intriguing and raises more questions for the future.

At the university's press conference, Dr. Einarsdóttir said this of the science behind the device: "The last four years of our decade-long endeavour was an exercise in joint experimentation. We are only able to proudly display the results we have today because of our close collaboration with our institution's brilliant experts and students in applied arcane metaphysics. Without the use of their knowledge and skills, what has been our lives' work for the last decade is simply scientifically impossible..." While the technical details are scarce at the moment (pending report publication), the effort undertaken by the doctor's team represents the largest stride in applied arcane metaphysics--the effective integration of magical principles within advanced technology to achieve a revolutionary goal. What other barriers of science can we surpass with these new techniques? Conversely, what new risks does it represent?

By intentionally disclosing details about the Contragravity Engine to the public in the soon-to-be-published report, Dr. Einarsdóttir and her colleagues have (under the laws of the Emberleaf Republic) made it impossible for anyone to patent it; ergo, the device can be more freely developed, manufactured, and innovated upon in the future. Will the Contragravity Engine kickstart a new age in engineering akin to the advent of low-temp superconductors? Only time can tell.

--The Tarbach Independent Opinion Section (5 Windwane 2461)

Utility

Contragravity is the foundational technology for modern hovercrafts and aerial vehicles. Eventually, it may revolutionise space travel as well.

Manufacturing

Most of the parts of a Contragravity Engine can be manufactured in a high-end factory, but there are specific components that must be enchanted--a process that takes time and cannot be done by a machine.

Inventor(s)

The Contragravity Engine was invented by Dr. Lorna Einarsdóttir and her team at the Andervane University Exotic Aeronautics and Space Propulsion Laboratory.

Access & Availability

Contragravity Engines are most common in aerial vehicles (AVs), which have functionally replaced helicopters by the 25th century. Less common are its implementations in military hovercraft.

Discovery

Contragravity fields were first observed deep in an underwater Lunovian ruin and were initially believed to be a result of "wild magic" leftover from the end of the Ancient Age. Since then, scientists have been able to determine that Contragravity fields can occur on accident because of magical anomalies, but are fundamentally part of a reaction that occurs between electricity and (initially unknown) other quantities. Sustained, controllable contragravity fields are today generated by contragravity engines, which utilises enchanted components alongside engineered parts to transform electricity into the desired result.

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