[puppypower (OP)]

Although all inertial references are relative and none are considered preferred, the speed of light is the same in all references. The question I asked myself is, why not use the speed of light as the ground state reference of the universe since this is consistent to all references, which are relative? If C was the ground state of the universe, then the net movement of all phenomena, via the forces of nature, would reflect movement toward C.

This is evident in the observation that there is a net conversion of matter to energy via stellar fusion in our universe. All inertial references that have stars are net converting to the speed of light reference; matter to energy. Energy to matter also occurs, but not in a net fashion since the BB. The EM and nuclear forces all generate energy at C from inertial states of matter.

If you look at gravity, this causes mass to attract in a way that results in space-time contracting. This movement heads in the direction of C, which has a point-instant reference; gravity makes the reference contract. The black hole, via gravity, makes it nearly all the way to the C reference; singularity.

With respect to special relativity, contracted space-time (toward C) is implicit of higher and higher velocity. This is  consistent with an accelerated expanding universe causing relative motion to get faster and faster.

If you consider the formation of matter and antimatter from energy. At the upper limits of energy, photons begin spilt into matter and antimatter. Matter and antimatter is at higher potential. Matter lingered due to net loss of the antimatter. Matter remains at higher potential, and uses many paths to return to C, with some paths appearing contradictory; gravity and expansion, even though they both paths head in the direction of C reference.

[puppypower (OP)]

Energy moves at the speed of light, which is the same in all references. However, aspects of energy are connected to inertial and are reference dependent since energy can red or blue shift between references. This implies that light or photons have two aspects. One aspect is connected to the speed of light that is the same in all references and other aspect is reference dependent. The universal red shift does not affect the speed of light, but it does cause the energy of the universe to increase wavelength. The question is does the universal red shift also imply lowering potential with C?

One way to answer this question is to first look at what we would see at a speed of light reference. If we plug into SR, the universe will appear like a point in size. What that means is any wavelength less than size of the universe, will not be seen, since the wavelength will appear less than a point, which is not possible by definition of a point. As such the universal red shift is heading all energy in the general direction of infinite wavelength, so wavelengths can be long enough to overlap the point reference at C.

Gravity compresses matter so space-time contracts and mass to energy at C occurs. The universal expansion then takes that energy and lowers potential with C via a universal red shift.