Quum

The Quum (sometimes known as Progenitors or by various other names indicating “those who came before”) were a spacefaring society that existed in what is now the territory of the Imperium several hundred thousand standard years before the present. Quum artifacts begin appearing in the geological and archaeological records approximately 1.1 million Imperial Archival Years before the present, and they have never been found more recently than about 750,000 years before the present. They are considered to be the most technologically advanced society to have been discovered, and their technology is believed to be far beyond what is presently possible in the Imperium. The Quum are no longer present within the Imperium (indeed, the end of their historical record is far before the Imperium or its predecessors ever existed) for reasons that are currently unknown. The Quum are perhaps the foremost subject of Imperial archaeological research. Relatively little that is known about them is considered to be certain. Academic consensus does exist on some topics, but most that has been theorized about the Quum continues to be hotly debated. As such, the information in this entry is subject to change and is intended to be broad and general.

Artifacts created by the Quum have been discovered in all regions of the galaxy on planets of every class of habitability. Artifacts as small as nanoscale machines and as large as flagship-class interstellar vessels have been discovered. Quum artifacts are typically easy to identify, as the ones that are found are nearly always composed of a particular alloy that is uniquely resistant to corrosion or degradation. Quum artifacts tend to be primarily glossy and black. Some artifacts have inclusions of highly reflective “flecks” in the coating. It is unknown if these are intentional or a sign of decay. It is presumed that the Quum built objects out of other materials as well, but that those items did not last.

Some Quum artifacts, particularly large artifacts like space vessels, are still capable of generating power. Powered objects are identified by light emitted from a point or points on its surface, which is usually a characteristic shade described as fuchsia, magenta, or pink. Very few Quum artifacts emit noticeable amounts of heat or any kinds of radiation other than light. While some powered Quum artifacts have been observed to lose power and eventually cease generating, most are still generating power, including the first ever such object discovered, found on the Metropol in the year 2811. That object, often called “the longest-studied object in history,” has not been observed to have any function other than generating power, and it has been broadly concluded that the item is a battery or generator.

It is possible to harvest generated power from Quum objects. Thus, powered Quum objects are highly sought after because they generate energy at levels of efficiency completely beyond Imperial technology with no input. Since the year 3414, it has been illegal under Imperial law to take a powered Quum object without reporting it to the Imperial Archaeological Office. In the year 35690, the Imperial Archaeological Office stated that “while the exact number of powered Quum artifacts discovered over the course of history is not known, it is estimated to be less than 20,736.”

Nothing is known with certainty about Quum biology, as no fossil or other specimen has yet been identified conclusively as Quum. It is broadly presumed that the Quum were not a single race but, like the Imperium, a multi-species polity. Discovered Quum ships have been observed to have doorways described as “very tall, but narrow.” Every ship so far discovered has what are presumed to be actuators (things such as buttons, switches, and levers) in various places, so it is believed that the Quum at least some of the time interacted with the ships physically using appendages on their bodies.

Glyphs believed to be Quum writing have been identified at various sites, primarily on vessels but also on smaller objects. An inventory of 64 known glyphs has been recorded. None have been translated, and it is unknown if the glyphs are logographic, phonographic, or numerical, or even if they encode language at all. However, what is believed to be the (or a) Quum language has been heard on several occasions. Attempting to use any kind of conducting material to connect powered Quum objects to Quum vessels (first done in 4415 in an attempt to recharge a powered object) causes an audible sound, believed to be an alarm or warning. It is from this that the word “Quum” is derived; it is a phonetic spelling of the audible warning sound, which is just the word “Quum” repeated several times. (Many linguists note the word “Quum” very likely actually means something similar to “alert,” “stop,” or “no.”)

No evidence, one way or another, has been found to conclusively indicate how or why the Quum are no longer present – whether they died off en masse or if they simply left the galaxy for elsewhere. Since Quum objects made of less durable material are likely to have long since decayed beyond recognition, it is possible, and even likely, that it cannot be ascertained what the cause of their disappearance was. However, the fact that no ship discovered appears to show exterior damage has led to the presumption that the Quum were not engaged in combat with an outside force. (Opponents to this theory propose that the few Quum ships remaining are merely the only ones that survived some sort of attack.)

Some areas have Quum objects that appear earlier in the geological record than others, particularly in the rimward sectors of the First and Twelfth Grand Divisions, possibly indicating that the Quum originate from this area. Every Quum vessel so far located has been located in these Divisions. It is generally believed that the Quum developed in that region, and then at some point discovered a technology that allowed them to move far faster than Imperial technology can, as the historical record of Quum artifacts in other Divisions appear to begin at roughly the same time about 100,000 years after they appeared in the First and Twelfth Grand Divisons.

Nothing is known of Quum culture. No places believed to be former Quum settlements have been located.