Moon Pool
Moon pools are a type of artificial dimensional gateway invented and manufactured by Alcyon Corporation. It allows physical matter to pass back and forth between reality and oneirosea.
Table of Contents
Overview
In reality, moon pools appear as horizontal, circular structures surrounded by a ring of metal plating and wires. When activated, the area within the ring emanates rippling light, resembling standing water. By stepping downward into the light, users can travel from reality to the equivalent place in oneirosea.
In oneirosea, the mechanical parts of the portal are not visible, and only the circle of rippling light can be seen. The area beneath the moon pool behaves similarly to water, so that people who pass through it will sink slowly to the ground instead of falling. Users can return to reality by swimming upward into the portal.
Moon pools are designed so that only physical matter, and mist tied to physical matter (such as human souls), can pass through them. Therefore, it is not possible for demons or mist from oneirosea to infiltrate reality through one.
Advantages & Disadvantages
Moon pools are the only way to travel to oneirosea with one's physical body. This protects users from possession, and allows them to carry and use equipment other than their own powers. Since Alcyon Corporation is the only company with access to this technology, they can take samples and research oneirosea without relying solely on observational data like other groups.
However, physically entering oneirosea also comes with a number of risks. Unlike astral projection, users have no way to instantly escape from dangerous situations, and must reach and pass through a moon pool in order to return to reality. Additionally, since the balance is skewed toward dreams in oneirosea, the mist in the dimension will begin to burn away the user's body after a period of time. Alcyon Corporation agents can use their aura to protect themselves and their equipment from this erosion, but civilians would not be able to survive this method long-term.
Moon pools can only be opened into the sunlight zone of oneirosea. In order to reach deeper zones, users must physically walk through oneirosea to reach them, making this a slower method than astral projection in some circumstances.
Usage
Alcyon Corporation agents, especially those from the offense division, use moon pools to travel to and from oneirosea for missions. Operators activate them when a mission begins, or when an agent reaches the location of the portal in oneirosea and sends a signal to be retrieved.
Smaller moon pools are kept open 24/7 as communication stations, to allow agents on both sides to contact each other. Demons who are interested in joining the diel program can approach these stations to speak to a human operator about applying.
Since there are Alcyon Corporation locations all over the world, the moon pools within each one can be used as a fast travel system. By descending into oneirosea, making one's way to another moon pool, and ascending back into reality, agents can travel to other locations much faster than if they made the equivalent journey in reality. However, travelling through oneirosea can be extremely dangerous, and this is not recommended except for experienced agents.