INDEX

The material from this point on was pretty much 'borrowed' from other sites. I've done little to nothing to change the language in these sections. Therefore, should you recognize any of the terms or languages used in this section, then I applaud you for your astute learning and dedication to Science Fiction. And if you don't recongize a single word, then by all means, play on...

Jump Theory

What is a jump point? A jump point is the specific area where a jump line connects to physical space. Every jump line has two jump points.

What is a jump line - jump tunnel? Were space devoid of gravity, it would be completely a flat plane. However, every object that creates gravity causes an impression in this plain -- the size of which is based on the mass of the object. Where these impressions connect to one another, a jump line exists. Objects of higher mass, which cause deeper impressions, are more likely to cause and effect jump lines. It is for this reason that stars (99.85% galactic mass) produce the vast majority of jump lines, whereas planets (0.135%) and other objects (0.0150002%) cause only minor fluctuations. In addition, high concentrations of antigravitons also warp the plane of space. Such occupancies exist in nature, but are uncommon.

How is a jump line traversed? Only two things are known to naturally traverse jump lines: tachyons and antigravitons. The former are subatomic particles that travel faster than light. The latter are the particle counterparts of gravitons, generated by specific matter/anti-matter reactions or some types of stars. They are ever-present in the universe, making up an all-encompassing antigraviton sea. Antigravitons naturally flow away from areas of high mass, along an antigraviton potential field and towards the Olivarez equilibrium boundary. Once they reach this point, antigravitons enter a jump point. Put more simply, antigravitons naturally flow away from areas with gravity and through jump lines.

Humans have used two types of gravitic warping mechanisms to traverse jump lines: the Morvan and Akwende Drives (Hopper & Jump, respectively). More information on these may be found in section 3.

What is a mini-jump? A mini-jump is essentially a jump between two locations in the same system. Proximity to a Black Hole (as is the case with the Firekka and Enigma systems) has been known to generate many small intersystem jump points. Ships may then use their normal jump drives to travel quickly from one place to another within an individual star system.

What is jump space? Also known as subspace. It is an alternate plain through which the tunnels between two jump points pass. Depending on the type of jump point, though, a ship may or may not physically experience jump space.

Are jump points permanent? No. Jump points have been known to close or change course due to major shifts in gravity. For example, a star going supernova would disable numerous jump lines.

How is a jump point located? A jump point is located by releasing slow stream antigravitons, then following the direction in which they travel using a sublight drive. Once a ship is within 500 meters of a jump point, the antigravitons will begin arriving at their destination without decaying, producing a tiny mount of thrust. Akwende Propulsion Drives are equipped with sensors along their edges that follow these streams of antigravitons. Civilian grade jump drives can detect jump points within a few hundred thousand kilometres. Military and exploration vessels can plot jumps from millions of kilometres away.

Has jump point formation ever been observed? Yes. In 2669 a Confederation solar shadow ring station in the Trafalgar System observed a jump point formation inside the Tanhauser nebula. Due to the potential strategic value of such a discovery, the CID classified all information gathered on the occurrence.

What effects do the following objects have on jump lines:

Planets: Planets (and other small, variable stellar objects) give jump lines their curve -- their gravity curves the physical jump tunnels, which would otherwise be perfectly straight. Planets (and moons) also cause equipotential eclipsing -- the temporary blocking of a jump line and creation of a transfer station. Ironically, this only occurs because jump lines are curved; theoretical straight lines would not be affected in this manner.
Pulsars: The incredible mass and constant rotation of a pulsar makes for an interesting jump phenomena: it is theoretically possible to utilize a pulsar's jump point to arrive anywhere in the universe. Unfortunately, it is impossible to predict the terminus of such a jump point. Further, these jump points are often located deep within the pulsar's enormous gravity well.
There is a positive side to Pulsars: they create what is known as a "supernode", an unusually large jump point that allows a ship (at the right velocity and approach angle) to jump to another pulsar with a corresponding frequency.
Quasars: The rapid expansion of a quasar causes distortions in already created jump lines, leading them back to itself. For this reason, a quasar can have thousands of stable jump points. Unfortunately, the nature of the location makes most of these jump points unusable -- many of them are too close to the quasar's dangerous corona to be visited by humans and the high number of total jump points makes their physical locations shift, and thus impossible to chart.
Black Holes: Black Holes are unique in that their gravity patterns create exceptionally long jump gates -- allowing ships to jump across entire sectors. For this reason, they are considered to be of high strategic value. The danger of black holes is that their jump points occasionally shift within their event horizons, destroying any ship upon jump-in. For this reason, the Confederation military bans all ships from utilizing black hole jump points unless during a hot pursuit.
Asteroids: It is possible for deep space asteroid fields (ie, a comparatively tiny individual gravity well) to be a jump point terminus. An example of this is Sheol, an asteroid field accessible from the Baroda System.
Scylla: Scylla is a unique anomaly: an artificial hidden object in the Sol System which generates both gravitons and antigravitons. Scylla possesses a single, unusually stable jump point, the longest ever discovered which leads from Sol to the Vega System.
Red Dwarf: Typically Red Dwarf stars are ordinary producers of jump lines. However, there is at least one example of a jump anomaly in such a system: the Kilrathi charted almost 30 jump points in the Vordran System.
Dallas: The star of the inhabited Dallas system causes an unusual gravitic anomaly -- it creates only one jump line, which links back to itself. Thus, the Dallas system is reachable only by Morvan or sublight drive.

What are the wormhole gates? In 2681 the Nephilim launched the first of several assaults on the Terran Confederation. To move their forces the necessary 10,000 light years, they constructed or attempted to construct several wormhole gates.

How does the wormhole gates function? The wormhole gates are opened over existing weaknesses in subspace. They are initially powered from their point of origin -- an exceedingly costly task in terms of energy. For this reason, the Nephilim immediately construct a physical gate around the point of destination of the newly created anomaly. After this, they attempt to construct a Stellar Accretion Device; this specialized starbase uses the natural energy of a star to keep open a wormhole permanently. Once an accretion device is activated, the wormhole becomes permanent.

Does time pass during a jump? Yes and no. The average jump is absolutely instantaneous -- no time passes for the outside world or for the crew of a ship. Very occasionally, a jump will take a short amount of time -- the crew of a ship will be able to view the jump tunnel from within. The supernode of a pulsar, however, is a different story. It can often take several hours for a ship to pass through a pulsar's jump point -- all of which is experienced by the ship itself.

What is a double jump? A double jump is a dangerous tactical maneuver in which a capital ship jumps the same node twice in quick secession, from point X to point Y to point Z. This prevents pursuers from being able to track a ship performing such a maneuver. It is extremely dangerous, however, as jumping so quickly is known to place the jumping ship within a gravity well (inside a star or planet) rather than at a jump point.

Can jumping ships be tracked? Yes. Craft the size of bombers and larger can mount a trace analyzer, which examines jump wake/jump traces to determine information about what other ships have made use of a jump point. If a visible lock can be maintained on a ship while it jumps, its specific destination can be easily extrapolated. Ships which double jump cannot be tracked.

Does a ship need to have its own jump drive? Until recently, no. Towards the end of the war the Terran Confederation experimented with developing a device capable of opening a jump line and allowing a non-jump capable ship to pass through. The Union of Border Worlds was the first to use put this technology into service. During the 2673 conflict, the Outerworlds' Fleet operated a specially modified corvette capable of externally opening jump points.

By the 2790s, this technology advanced to the point where jump gates could be created. Six such entrances exist in the Tri-System alone, permanently keeping open jump points (and charging ships for their use).

Can jump points be created artificially? Humans do not have this technology -- however, it is clear that more advanced species do. Scylla, an gravity well created by an unknown alien intelligence, has a single lengthy jump line leading from Sol to the Vega System.

What are jump buoys? Jump buoys serve three purposes: they mark the locations of jump points, they track ship movements and they form the working backbone of the Confederation's FTL communications network. Jump Buoys are capable of transmitting data to one another across jump space. This information is passed across star systems via relay stations to other jump buoys.

The Kilrathi also make use of two other types of jump buoys: they maintain a network of cloaked spy buoys and automated missile-armed defense buoys.

What is the NAVCOM A.I.? Invented in 2648, The NAVCOM A.I. is the recreation of the mind of a single Pilgrim Navigator -- and its ability to read scripts. It is used for charting safe Awkende jumps. The NAVCOM A.I. reads jump information from a parallel dimension and then compares it with its own database, which includes all known jump data. Only major Confederation starbases mount NAVCOM A.I's -- capital ships use jump coordinates stored in their computers.

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