Sweet Dreams Codex

by CipherofAlchemy

Summary:

A list of Codex entries for the story Sweet Dreams Are Overrated.

Just want to share some thoughts for fun and to help the story run more smoothly with less exposition.

Chapter 1: Elm Program

CODEX ENTRY: 471

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ENTRY: ELM.EXE (“Elm Program”)

 

Classification: Psychological Subjugation Software

 

OVERVIEW:

Elm.exe is a rarely utilized program embedded within Disassembly Drone systems, designed to infiltrate and assume control over a Worker Drone’s dream state. Developed as a psychological warfare tool, the program enables the user to manipulate the subconscious of their targets, inducing anything from blissful illusions to unrelenting nightmares. Despite its potential, Elm.exe is considered impractical by most Disassembly Drones since oil cannot be acquired this way, leading to its near-total abandonment in favor of direct methods.

 

FUNCTIONALITY:

• Dream Infiltration: The user links to the host’s subconscious, either seamlessly entering their dreamscape or completely altering it to fit the user’s desires.
• Complete Control: The infiltrating Drone can manipulate the environment, events, and even the host’s perceived body.
• Emotional Manipulation: Can create euphoric fantasies, crushing terror, or any emotional state desired by the user, either by manipulating the perceived surroundings to do so or by directly willing the host to feel certain emotions.
• Temporary Memory Distortion: While incapable of altering real memories, Elm.exe can fabricate experiences so vivid that they may be misinterpreted as genuine upon waking. This typically fades away within an hour of the host's awakening at the most.

 

HISTORY & USAGE:

• It is believed to have been developed as an experimental method for indirectly controlling Worker Drone populations, Elm.exe was theorized to be useful for either pacification or psychological destruction. However, generation-1 Worker Drones have all claimed to have never heard of it before, leading to a number of debates upon its discovery in Outpost-3.
• The program was quickly deemed inefficient for large-scale extermination and was abandoned by Disassembly Drones in favor of more traditional methods.
• Most Disassembly Drones consider Elm.exe pointless, as manipulating Worker Drones through it is a long and arduous task that rarely provides a reward worth the effort.
• However, a handful of Disassembly Drones have expressed interest with the program’s capabilities.

 

KNOWN USERS:

• Serial Designation N-OX0010010: Noted as an anomaly, N has engaged with Elm.exe not as a tool of destruction, but as a means of forming an emotional connection with a Worker Drone named Uzi. His usage of the program has ranged from creating fantastical dreamscapes to instilling fear, discouraging reckless behavior.

 

• User [̷̝̲̪͕̻͌̽̍̉̆̋̉͐́͂̐̔͒̀́͂E̶̥̼̮̮̤̗̣̙͈̜̪̍̋̈́̇̿́̈̍́̾́͐̾͑͂̚̕͝Ȑ̸̡͓̩͚̥͔̳̹̯͚̳̑̋̿͛͌͋̕̕͜Ŗ̷͎̲̯̲̦͚̜̫̪̗̘̝̣̣͕͙̈́̓̃̚̚͘͜O̶̡̦̝̠̼͉͚̪̽̅̑̄̄̚ͅŔ̵̢̧̡̨̳̬̲͔͇͚̠̦͈͚̤͌̈́̌́̅͛̈́̎̂͐͊͘͜ͅͅ]̷̧̛̱̮̖̼̤̗̖̥͑͒̆̂̀̓͋̔̉͂͆͘͘

 

File Corrupted...

File Closed

Chapter 2: Copper-9

Codex Entry: 351

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ENTRY: COPPER-9

Classification: Former Industrial Colony World

 

OVERVIEW:

Copper-9 is an abandoned deep-space mining colony and former habitable exoplanet owned by JCJenson in Spaaaaace! Once boasting a complex ecosystem nearly identical to Earth’s, the planet suffered an apocalyptic event following the catastrophic explosion of its core. This event obliterated the biosphere, causing a permanent nuclear winter that has left the surface frozen and uninhabitable for organic life. The planet is now a lifeless wasteland, home only to the surviving Worker Drone and their would-be exterminators, the Disassembly Drones.

 

PLANETARY CHARACTERISTICS:

• Size: Approximately 1.2 times the radius of Earth (roughly 7,650 km in radius), giving it a slightly higher surface gravity than Earth.
• Day Length: 26 hours, resulting from a slower rotational period compared to Earth.
• Orbital Distance: Estimated to be around 1.1 AU from its parent star, a G-type main-sequence star slightly cooler than the Sun. This positioning places it within the habitable zone, though atmospheric and geological conditions have since rendered it inhospitable.
• Pre-Collapse Atmosphere: Rich in xytherium (Xy) and vorenite (Vr), two gaseous elements that functioned similarly to oxygen and carbon dioxide. Xytherium acted as an oxidizing agent, while Vorenite played a role in photosynthesis and respiration for native organisms. It is to be noted that both were deadly to humans and as such, full body suits were to be worn at all times to provide oxygen for JCJenson employees. Breaching a suit while in a xytherium-rich environment was considered a breach of contract and thus a cause for immediate termination without any severance pay or benefits to surviving family from the company.
• Post-Collapse Atmosphere: Heavily contaminated with radioactive particulate matter and volcanic gases, drastically reducing sunlight penetration and leading to extreme cooling.

 

PRE-COLLAPSE ENVIRONMENT:

Before its downfall, Copper-9 featured an Earth-like biosphere with diverse flora and fauna adapted to its unique atmospheric chemistry. The primary differences from Earth were:

• Flora: Plants used xytherium-based photosynthesis, where vorenite was absorbed and converted into energy, producing bioluminescent properties that allowed for nocturnal energy retention.
• Fauna: Some species developed unique biological adaptations, such as metallic exoskeletons resistant to the planet’s naturally strong magnetic fields.
• Human Industry: Mining operations focused on extracting valuable metals, oil, and rare elements such as palladium (Pd) from deep within the mantle, leading to vast industrial complexes and Worker Drone production factories.

 

THE CORE EXPLOSION & PLANETARY COLLAPSE:

The catastrophic detonation of Copper-9’s core is currently believed by most to have been triggered by excessive mining activity, potentially disrupting the planet’s inner stability, this is the official story the residents of Copper-9 believe:

• Core Destabilization: JCJenson’s deep-drilling operations likely reached a critical depth where a significant portion of the core’s heat and pressure balance was disrupted. If Copper-9 had a partially molten core with unstable isotopic decay, excessive extraction of heat-conducting metals could have led to a runaway thermal expansion event.
• Shockwave & Tectonic Disruption: A rapid phase transition of superheated material may have caused a massive explosive decompression, sending shockwaves through the planet’s mantle and crust. This event would have resulted in widespread volcanic eruptions and continent-scale fissuring.
• Atmospheric Contamination: The sudden release of core gases—including heavy metal vapors and radioactive isotopes—would have caused massive poisoning of the biosphere, rapidly increasing atmospheric opacity and initiating a runaway cooling effect.
• Nuclear Winter Effect: With sunlight unable to penetrate the thickened atmosphere, global temperatures dropped drastically within weeks. The combination of ash, particulates, and persistent cloud cover triggered a deep freeze that persists to this day.
• Magnetic Field Collapse: If the explosion disrupted the planet’s inner dynamo, Copper-9’s magnetic field may have collapsed or weakened significantly, exposing the surface to increased cosmic radiation and further accelerating atmospheric stripping.

 

• See File [REDACTED] for the unofficial report. Clearance level 7 required.

 

CURRENT CONDITIONS:

• Surface Temperature: Perpetually subzero, ranging from -80°C (-112°F) to -120°C (-184°F).
• Atmosphere: Highly toxic, composed of metallic particulates, sulfur compounds, and radioactive remnants from the explosion. Any form of exposure is lethal to all known organic life.
• Weather: Violent magnetic storms and subzero blizzards frequently sweep the surface, making any long-term habitation impossible.
• Remaining Life: Only Worker Drones and Disassembly Drones remain operational, scavenging and hunting within the frozen wasteland. Some underground settlements persist, but conditions are deteriorating.

 

Series this work belongs to:

• Part 2 of Sweet Dreams