SPACE TRAVEL TECHNOLOGIES

 

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Space travel technologies have varied considerably over time, and not all will be covered here, particular those that are only now of historical note.

 

FTL is a common abbreviation for faster-than-light, a very old time which modern science has proven to be wildly innacurate for a number of reasons. Despite this, it has remained a popular short-hand term for any fast, cross-system and even inter-galactic travel.

 

Subspace Travel = Propuslors, and Repulsors

Repulsors are also found commonly as small devices for hovering droids, and larger passenger-capable vehicles. In interstellar and intrastellar terms, repulsors are essentially small manouvering thrusters for starships. Propulsors on the other hand, are vastly powerful engines and propulsion systems, capable of enabling a starship to transit a planetary system in anything from a matter of hours to days, depending on its size.

 

Interstellar Travel (and general energy replenishment) – Solar Sails

To enable recharge of jump initiation capacitors, it is very common for solar sails to be deployed. They collect solar energy and solar winds from any point in a star system, and through magnification and intensification technology the energy is converted to replenish the various types of power sources.

 

HyperPulse Communications Generators

HPCGs, whilst not strictly speaking FTL spaceship technology, are used to communicate between the stars. Communication can be almost instantaneous because there is little energy consideration, and mass is non-existent. With modern technology it is possible for live communications (with minor time lags dependent on distance) between people in different star systems, although often cost is prohibitive.

 

Interstellar Travel – “Jumping”, Realspace and Hyperspace …. Or Dimensional Folding, “Phasing”

Hyperspace is the term used to describe the alternative reality, a different phase of reality through which a starship can travel (or “jump”). A ship can be in several “normal” weeks of transit-time, which is the term applied to the period of travel in this differently phased reality, but only a few minutes in realspace time (which is the phased reality we occupy). Dimensional folding affects the physical universe, and power demands are great. All material in hyperspace does not age due to the different physical laws applicable. Weight has a bearing on length of transit-time, but in modern technologies this is still measured in seconds and minutes, rather than days or weeks as it did when the technology first became commonplace. HPCGs utilise the same form of dimensional folding, or phasing, technology.

 

Interstellar Travel – Digitisation

Referred to, because it has long been a theory that if physical matter could be reduced to digital signals, it could be transmitted quickly through hyperspace. Whilst technically possible, and an early form of technology, there were significant issues with degradation of signal and ultimately it became unnecessary, with jumping technology taking precedence and being considerably more energy efficient.

 

Stargates – powerful space stations, usually ring-shaped, which can be used to propel starships through hyperspace.

 

Landgates – powerful land-based dimensional folding FTL technology. Compensators allow for the mass of a planet to be ignored, which usually hinders or proves catastrophic to jumping objects (gravity can cause the gravity-causing object and the jumping object to try and occupy the same physical space at the same time in realspace, or otherwise scatter a jumping object across several light years of realspace).

 

Quantum Shifting Logic Mechanisms – These are logic methods of encryption, which rely upon the quantum theory that to apparently unrelated objects can affect each other no matter their distance. The two (or more) keys ensure complete cryptographical security. Relevant because this theory affects the following ……

 

Interstellar Travel – Quantum Binding and Shifting (Singularity Travel)

Allows near-instantaneous travel, like hyperspace, but is the next generation of FTL space travel, and is practically impossible at present (as well as being outlawed for its destructive potential). It essentially relies on the proven point that the theory of FTL travel is based on the false premise that physical laws are immutable – physical laws are very mutable. The reality is that the different “dimensions”, or phased realities, are actually all points on a continuum, and rather than being fixed points, all matter can be reduced purely to energy. The theory is that combined with improvements in moleculisation technology (which essentially is next-gen digitisation without signal degradation), molecules are matched together on a quantum level as they were during the formation of the multiverse, and then moleculised or transported along a different physical plane to the point required. A difficulty is in finding the quantum-matched molecules or in forcing the binding (backwards in time, which is just another malleable plane), which itself requires a technology to match the molecules. It suffers in terms of practicality as well, because the tremendously significant power draws, makes it impossible for a starship to generate – which necessitates fixed jumping points similar to stargates rather than being ship-mounted. The fixed jumping points would have to be to the size of small solar systems. The calculations are incredibly complex, and potentially even more catastrophic than a mis-jump, with failures capable of erasing entire regions of space and possibly even entire sections of galaxies or galaxies. This alone led to the Emperors banning further use of the primitive and impractical technology. Travelling in different time periods, travel is instantaneous. It is essentially space travel at FTL speeds using time travel distortion to the lay-man – but in reality a very difficult form of quantum space travel. It is also further speculated that successful mastery of this technology in the quantum binding variant, where matches between distant molecules are forced rather than sought, would enable a more functional and classical impression of “time-travel”.

[Plot-spoiler : A successful shift can at present cross between galaxies, and the full limit of the technology is not yet understood, although it is suspected that in future travel across multiple galaxies will be possible.]

 

Railways, Causeways, and Slingshot technology

[This part of the data file has been deleted by Imperial Edict, due to the potential for “plot-spoilers”]

 

Xenospecies Faster-Than-Light Travel

[This part of the data file has been deleted by Imperial Edict, due to the potential for “plot-spoilers”]

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