Old Forest

A solar system-sized collective consciousness of intelligent plants, composed of inactive Steerers, serving as a strategic coordination center for the Intercosmic Anti-Entropy System and controlling the Reality Switch.

Description

The Old Forest (German: Alte Wald) is not a forest in the conventional sense, but rather a vast, solar system-sized aggregation of intelligent plant life surrounding a dwarf sun. It is composed entirely of inactive Steerers who, over eons, have merged into a single, collective consciousness. This makes the Old Forest a living brain of the Pre-Cosmos in the current universe, a reservoir of collective intelligence from which strategic decisions regarding the maintenance of the Long Row emanate.

The Old Forest exists partially within Space II, a dimension of pure PSI energy. It is described as an "elderwood" and possesses its own planets, one of which serves as an anchorage for the collective and is covered in dense forest and jungle. The Old Forest is protected by powerful fields that can adapt the environment to visitors' needs and even shield it when its sun becomes a nova. Its actual entrance is often disguised with psychic suggestion.

Significance

The Old Forest is a pivotal entity in the cosmic architecture of Die Terranauten, representing a direct link to the Ancients and the Pre-Cosmos. It is the governing intelligence of the Intercosmic Anti-Entropy System (the Long Row), a galaxy-spanning organic network designed to counteract entropic decay.

Its primary functions include:

• Strategic Coordination: The Old Forest is responsible for the strategic deployment and maintenance of the Long Row, including the World Trees, Steerers, Space Roads, and Cosmic Spores.
• Control of the Reality Switch: The Old Forest controls the Reality Switch (German: Realschalter), a precosmic entity described as "Memory Slag from the Pre-Universe". The Reality Switch is instrumental in orchestrating the Duel of Dreams, a metaphysical trial designed to test humanity's worth and prevent a Final Strike.
• Guardianship of Knowledge: It holds vast knowledge of the Pre-Cosmos and the cosmic laws governing existence. This knowledge is revealed to David terGorden by Luther Straightwire, a Lenker of the Old Forest.
• Development of Cosmic Spores: The Old Forest developed specialized Cosmic Spores known as The Jin, designed to neutralize Kaiser Guards by restoring their humanity, reversing the effects of Lab-21 conditioning.

Key Events

• c. 2504: The Old Forest and the Entities devise the plan to use the Reality Switch to resolve the Kaiser Force entropy crisis, leading to the Duel of Dreams (Booklet 097).
• 2504: David terGorden, Narda del Drago, and Aura Damona Mar travel to the Old Forest aboard the Collector (Booklet 094). David makes telepathic contact with its collective consciousness but finds them aloof.
• 2504: On a planet within the Old Forest, they meet Luther Straightwire, a Lenker of the Old Forest, who reveals the full history of the Pre-Cosmos, the Ancients, the Long Row, and David's destiny as one of nine Spectra. Straightwire also warns about Ratatosk, an energy being that feeds on entropy (Booklet 094).
• 2504: The Old Forest initially refuses to let David and his companions leave. Luther Straightwire and another Steerer help them force an n-dimensional channel to escape, demonstrating the Old Forest's complex and sometimes uncooperative nature (Booklet 094).
• 2504: The Old Forest and the Entities engineer the Duel of Dreams via the Reality Switch, knowing that the Paracletic Madonna's fate will serve as the moral test (Booklet 097).

Notable Inhabitants/Visitors

• Steerers: The Old Forest is composed of inactive Steerers who have merged into its collective consciousness. Active Steerers, such as Luther Straightwire and Scanner Cloud, serve as its representatives and Lenkers.
• David terGorden: The Heir of Power and one of the nine Spectra, David visits the Old Forest to uncover the truth about his destiny and the cosmic order.
• Narda del Drago: Companion of David during his journey to the Old Forest.
• Aura Damona Mar: The Oracle from Sarym, also present during David's visit to the Old Forest.

Relationships

• Steerers: The Old Forest is intrinsically linked to the Steerers, being their collective consciousness. Active Steerers like Luther Straightwire act as its agents.
• Reality Switch: The Old Forest controls the Reality Switch, using it as a tool for cosmic maintenance and the orchestration of events like the Duel of Dreams.
• Intercosmic Anti-Entropy System (Long Row): The Old Forest is the strategic brain behind this vast cosmic infrastructure, ensuring its continued operation.
• Ancients: The Old Forest is a direct remnant and living legacy of the Ancients and their Pre-Cosmic civilization.
• Entities: The Old Forest collaborates with the Entities in orchestrating the Duel of Dreams to address the entropy crisis caused by the Kaiser Force.
• Ratatosk: An antagonist to the Old Forest's mission, Ratatosk actively sabotages the reconstruction of the Long Row by feeding on entropy.

Appearances

Notes

The Old Forest represents a profound philosophical concept within the saga: a collective intelligence that prioritizes cosmic balance over individual desires, even those of its own components. Its aloofness and occasional resistance to David's immediate goals highlight the vast, ancient perspective it holds, operating on timescales and with objectives far beyond human comprehension. It is a testament to the enduring legacy of the Pre-Cosmos and the intricate, living systems designed to preserve existence itself.