Dyson Swarm

Dyson Swarms were vast groups of satellites that orbit close to a star and beam light energy to a receiver that collects the light energy and turns it into usable energy.

Dyson spheres are believed by many scientists to necessary for species to power novel technologies such as stellar engines and wormhole generators, however they cannot be created without using Dyson swarms as a stepping stone to such megastructures.

The first Dyson swarm was constructed in 2125, shortly after the first interstellar ships departed from Sol. With metallic hydrogen helping transport resources from planetary surfaces, skyhooks flinging spacecraft at blazing speeds and magnetic IF engines assisting spacecraft in their declaration to unexplored planets, Mercury would be quickly inhabited and stripped of its resources. Dyson Swarm Sol (or DSS) would greatly assist Humanity in its efforts to bootstrap itself out into interstellar space and improve life in the Sol system.

In 2250, the danger of beamed power would be realised when a small group of deranged extremists hacked into the Swarm's grid and annihilated the Martian satellite Phobos using the 3 billion reflectors orbiting the Sun, with the intent of sparking fear and panic throughout the Republic. The incident had prompted the Republic to greatly reduce the number of reflectors orbiting the Sun to 1.5 million, adversely impacting the living conditions and economy of the Solar System. By the 2900s, most systems rely on Alcubierre accelerated fusion to power starships and cities, reducing dependency on Dyson swarms.