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Jump FAQ
Version 2.0
by Ben "LOAF" Lesnick
loaf@wcnews.com
Version History-
- 2.0 - Jan. 3, 2002 - Initial Release
INDEX
Part I: Introduction
Part II: Jump Theory
2.1 What is a jump point (jumppoint)?
2.2 What is a jump line (jump tunnel)?
2.3 How is a jump line traversed?
2.4 What is a mini-jump?
2.5 What is jump space (jumpspace)?
2.6 Are jump points permanent?
2.7 How is a jump point located?
2.8 Has jump point formation ever been observed?
2.9 What effects do the following objects have on jump lines:
- 2.9.1 Planets
- 2.9.2 Pulsars
- 2.9.3 Quasars
- 2.9.4 Black Holes
- 2.9.5 Asteroids
- 2.9.6 Scylla
- 2.9.7 Red Dwarf
- 2.9.8 Dallas
Part III: FTL Drives
3.1 The Morvan (Hopper) Drive
- 3.1.1 What is the history of the Morvan Drive?
- 3.1.2 How does the Morvan Drive work?
- 3.1.3 What are the limitations of the Morvan Drive?
- 3.1.4 What are the dangers of the Morvan Drive?
- 3.1.5 Are Morvan Drives still used?
- 3.1.6 What is the "enhanced" Morvan Drive?
3.2 The D-Drive
- 3.1.1 What is the D-Drive?
- 3.1.3 What are the dangers of the D-Drive?
3.3 The Akwende (Jump) Drive
- 3.3.1 What is the history of the Akwende Propulsion System?
- 3.3.2 How does the Akwende Propulsion System work?
- 3.3.3 What are the dangers of the Akwende Propulsion System?
- 3.3.4 Does time pass during a jump?
- 3.3.5 What is a double jump?
- 3.3.6 Can jumping ships be tracked?
- 3.3.7 Does a ship need to have its own jump drive?
- 3.3.8 Can jump points be created artificially?
- 3.3.9 What are jump buoys?
- 3.3.10 Can multiple ships jump at once?
- 3.3.11 Why can't jump points be mined?
- 3.3.12 How are jump points charted?
- 3.3.13 How do Pilgrims relate to jump drives?
- 3.3.14 What is the NAVCOM A.I.?
3.4 The Wormhole Gates
- 3.4.1 What are the wormhole gates?
- 3.4.2 How do the wormhole gates function?
Part IV: Terminology
Part I: Introduction
Well, it's been about four years since Philip Langdale wrote the original Jump Theory FAQ -- and although no new Wing Commander games have been released since, various other sources have made necessary a complete overhaul. As with the original, this one is "an exciting ride through the wonderful world of pseudo-science and techno-babble, enough to make any sane quantum physicist cringe". Large portions of the information are from the extremely detailed Confederation Handbook -- which deals much with the subject of jumping. Here goes...
Part II: Jump Theory
2.1 What is a jump point (jumppoint)?
A jump point is the specific area where a jump line connects to physical space. Every jump line has two jump points.
2.2 What is a jump line (jump tunnel)?
Were space devoid of gravity, it would be completely a flat plane. However, every object which 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.
2.3 How is a jump line traversed?
Only two things are known to naturally traverse jump lines: tachyons and antigravitons. The former are subatomic particles which 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.
2.4 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.
2.5 What is jump space (jumpspace)?
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.
2.6 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.
2.7 How is a jump point located?
A jump point is located by releasing a slow stream of antigravitons and 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 kilometers. Military and exploration vessels can plot jumps from millions of kilometers away.
2.8 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.
2.9 What effects do the following objects have on jump lines:
2.9.1 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.
2.9.2 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.
2.9.3 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.
2.9.4 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.
2.9.5 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.
2.9.6 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.
2.9.7 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.
2.9.8 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.
Part III: FTL Drives
3.1 The Morvan (Hopper) Drive
3.1.1 What is the history of the Morvan Drive?
In 2214 Dr. Shari Akwende (for whom the Jump Drive is formally named) of Aerospatiale Afrique created the first antigraviton generator after discovering that matter-antimatter collisions in a suppressed gravity field will produce antigravitons. She published the first article on the subject that year, titled "Effects and Ramifications of Anti-Graviton Dispersal, Conducted in a Suppressed-Gravity Environment".
The earliest attempts to create a "hopper" drive using this technology date back to the late 2100s. The science behind the drive was legitimized by its namesake, Dr. Andre Morvan, in the early 24th century.
3.1.2 How does the Morvan Drive work?
The Morvan Drive uses a matter/anti-matter reactor to generate antigravitons. These antigravitons pass through a Klein vessel and into a containment field. When enough are produced, the well field integrator ejects them as a powerful and tightly focused stream. These particles then tear open a "well" into jumpspace. Natural pressure quickly closes this well -- but in so doing, instantly forces any object properly positioned along its event horizon 20%-35% of a light year forward through space. On average, a Morvan Drive equipped slowship can travel at about 10 times the speed of light.
3.1.3 What are the limitations of the Morvan Drive?
The drive has several serious limitations. Because other gravity sources would nullify the event of the artificial antigraviton concentration, the drive is only functional in deep space. A ship must use its sublight drives to position itself at least 1.25 times outside the farthest orbit of a solar system. Several factors contribute to an 18 hour wait between hops. The matter/anti-matter reaction is fueled by a ramscoop, which takes about this time to recharge. During this time difficult calculations must be made to determine exactly where the event horizon will be generated. Most seriously, using a Morvan Drive temporarily disturbs jumpspace: a ship must wait almost a day for it to stabilize again.
3.1.4 What are the dangers of the Morvan Drive?
If a ship is too close to the antigraviton well when it closes, the force of the reaction will destroy it on a subatomic level.
3.1.5 Are Morvan Drives still used?
Yes, but on a much smaller scale: they are generally limited to explorers and deep-space patrol ships. A 2669 encounter with a lone Steltek Scout revealed that it mounted a Morvan Drive-like device capable of creating a temporary opening from Nitir to the Delta Prime system.
3.1.6 What is the "enhanced" Morvan Drive?
In 2654 Amity Aristee, a Pilgrim terrorist and traitor to the Confederation, secretly outfitted the TCS Olympus with an enormous hopper drive capable of generating a unique form of gravitic warp. The enhanced drive opened up a 500 meter radius gravity well, with an event horizon that fluctuated by several dozen meters. The well was used both as a jump point and a weapon -- it destroyed enemy ships and allowed the Olympus to (eventually) jump across entire sectors. The Pilgrims solved the limited range of the previous Morvan Drives by enhancing the reaction containment area using a Kilrathi alloy.
3.2 The D-Drive
3.1.1 What is the D-Drive?
The D-Drive is a traditional FTL drive developed in the Tri-System in 2304. It is just under 1,027 times as fast as a contemporary sublight fusion drive, although it is nowhere near as efficient as the jump drive. The D-Drives use was apparently limited to the colonization of the isolated Tri-System, which later adopted the human-developed Akwende Propulsion Device.
3.1.3 What are the dangers of the D-Drive?
The D-Drive requires an extensive and length friction breaking process. Errors have been known to occur where this is disabled, rendering ships unable to stop. D-Drive equipped ships continue to speed up, forcing them into the nonexistence of the "Echo Dimensions".
3.3 The Akwende (Jump) Drive
3.3.1 What is the history of the Akwende Propulsion System?
Upon creating the first antigraviton generator in 2214, Dr. Shari Akwende discovered something interesting: antigravitons do not produce their theorized thrust. Instead, they naturally move towards a fixed spot in the solar system. Repeating her experiments during an early mission to Pluto, Dr. Akwende triangulated the location towards which these anti-gravitons naturally flowed: a point in space between Neptune and Pluto that pointed towards Alpha Centauri. Although it was not known at the time, this, which she termed a Antigraviton Tropic Anomaly, was the first discovery of a jump point.
The first actual jump drives were created by the Pilgrim Alliance around 2504. Their existence was kept secret from the Confederation, which developed its own prototype Akwende Drive in 2588. The jump drive was invented by the Lower African Republic's Aerospace Afrique, the same institution Dr. Akwende had served hundreds of years earlier. The Haile Selassie made the first jump from Sol to Polaris on 2588.315.
The Kilrathi Empire was given jump drive technology in 2469 by the Utara, who they summarily wiped out.
The Nephilim also appear to use a form of the jump drive in addition to their wormholes, although its history and exact nature is presently unknown.
3.3.2 How does the Akwende Propulsion System work?
First, a ship stops at the edge of a jump area for jump calibration -- taking into consideration the intended destination and the jump point's drift rate to determine the approach vector and speed. Once it is properly positioned, it activates its sublight engines at the speed determined necessary and moves as close as possible to the jump point. At this point, the jump drive, braced at the center of the ship, is activated. It releases antigravitons (or a polarized stream of decelerated tachyons, in early models), which create an antigraviton field with a 500 meter radius (based on the half-life of an antigraviton). All portions of the ship are subjected to an equal amount of antigraviton flux. If the field is powerful enough to support the ships mass and speed, then it is propelled into jumpspace.
The antigraviton generator of the Akwende Propulsion System is powered by a containment vessel of antiprotons. Most large ships jump drives include the ability to produce additional antiprotons when necessary.
This process is powered by traditional plutonium fuel.
3.3.3 What are the dangers of the Akwende Propulsion System?
Approaching a jump point at high speed, as is often necessary in a combat situation, is also exceedingly dangerous. Ships can still jump without stopping to calibrate, but it is extremely risky. If they approach the jump at the wrong angle, then they will either end up in the wrong star system or be destroyed completely mid-transit. It is also common that ships in such situations overshoot the points entirely, requiring hours to turn around.
Another serious danger of jumping is a failure to equalize antigraviton flux. If a jump drive fails in this manner, only portions of a ship will pass through the jump point.
External energy use is also a problem -- every jump removes energy from a jump line, which must then recharge. If a ship uses too much energy in jumping, the jump line will change positions or close in mid-jump. The ship will either be deposited somewhere unexpected, or completely lost.
In military situations, the flash of light and neutrinos generated at both ends of a jump point by excess energy use is also a danger - they are easily detectable by enemy ships. This is a solvable problem -- many military (and some civilian) ships mount variable flux engines. These, along with extra time spend on energy calculations, can allow a ship to pass through a jump point stealthily.
Since the jump-in point is not exact, it is dangerous to jump multiple ships in a row. If two ships jump into the same spot, both are vaporized in a white-hot explosion.
A size limit has long plagued jumping ships: prior to 2668 the normal limit for ships was those that fit within the 500 meter antigraviton flux radius. Larger ships could still jump, but they were forced to utilize exponentially higher amounts of energy to do so. The Kilrathi Empire premiere technology that solved this problem on their Hakaga class heavy carriers.
Due to the total amount of energy in some jump tunnels, a second size limit is imposed: 'minor' jump tunnels have energy pools so small that larger ships can never successfully use them to jump. This is why larger ships, like the Confederation's Vesuvius class heavy carriers, just plot special routes to avoid such locations.
Another problem is turbulence: when a sufficiently large ship exits a jump point, it experiences a momentary node deceleration in which the ship is shaken dangerously.
Finally, jumping provides one unpleasant constant: jump sickness. Almost all humans express nausea and disorientation immediately following a jump. This is particularly dangerous for military ships jumping into a combat situation.
3.3.4 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.
3.3.5 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.
3.3.6 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.
3.3.7 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).
3.3.8 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.
3.3.9 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.
3.3.10 Can multiple ships jump at once?
Yes, despite the dangers inherent (see 3.3.3) multiple ships may jump at the exact same time using the same jump initiation. Ships should not, however, jump directly after one another -- Confederation fleet procedures requires at least one minute between jumps due to the danger.
3.3.11 Why can't jump points be mined?
Jump points can, and are mined -- you need look no further than the destruction of the Kilrathi fleet at Terra in 2654 or the Kilrathi use of missile buoys. It is not common, though, for two main reasons. Firstly, it is difficult to place a mine in a jump point. While a jump-in point is very exact, a jump-out point is not. Ships materialize around a certain area, but never in one specific place. Second, the tactics of both sides are designed to prevent the use of such weapons. Both the Confederation and the Kilrathi send through spy eye and recon ships before jumping anything of value.
3.3.12 How are jump points charted?
Jump points are charted using an Akwende Projection -- an unscaled map of stars with the jump tunnels between them shown as straight lines.
3.3.13 How do Pilgrims relate to jump drives?
The term Pilgrim has been applied to many things: radical terrorists, a legitimate political group, a religion... but in relation to jump drives, it ref errs to ancestors of those born with Space Syndrome Mutation. The altered brain of a Pilgrim allows him or her a greater conscious comprehension of Parallel Tonality -- the ability to contact "dead" dimensions. Two types of Pilgrims interest this study: Explorers and Navigators. Pilgrim Explorers have the ability to 'see' the subspace plane, and to understand the various gravitic effects and what they mean to FTL travel. Pilgrim Navigators can use their altered minds to 'see' the paths laid out by Explorers who had already charted jump points. As of the 28th century, there are no living Pilgrims.
Pilgrim 'powers' were confirmed by a defecting Pilgrim scientist at Mars University. Lang Tanaka published a 2641 report on Pilgrim powers, which was censured by the CIS, as it endagered the then-in-development NAVCOM A.I. project. The connection between Pilgrim powers and Parallel Tonality was proven by Karenne Kivakova, a graduate student at the Carpathian Protectorate University.
3.3.14 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.
3.4 The Wormhole Gates
3.4.1 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.
3.4.2 How do 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.
Part IV: Terminology
Akwende Projection-
A popular method of mapping jumps.
Akwende Propulsion System-
A device for entering naturally occurring jump points.
Antigraviton-
Particle counterpart to the graviton. Half life of many microseconds. Makes up a universal antigraviton sea. Antigravitons naturally flow away from areas of high gravity and towards jump points. High concentrations of antigravitons affect the nature of space in a manner similar to highly massive objects.
Antigraviton Field-
The 500 meter radius sphere of energy created by allowing antigravitons to reach a jump point before decaying. The radius is a constant, based on the half-life of the antigraviton.
Antigraviton Flow-
The movement of antigravitons from areas of high gravity towards jump points.
Antigraviton Generator-
A matter/antimatter power plant used to create antigravitons. Such devices form the center of both Morvan and Akwende Propulsion units.
Antigraviton Potential Field-
The portion of the antigraviton sea between an area of high mass and the Olivarez Equilibrium Boundary. There are no jump points within an antigraviton potential field.
Antigraviton Sea-
The term given to the natural flow of antigravitons from areas of gravity towards jump points. It is so dubbed because there is evidence that antigraviton fields have tides, which may disrupt the passage of a jump capable ship.
Antigraviton Tropic Anomaly-
Older term for a jump point, now in disuse.
Black Hole-
An area of space-time with a gravitational field so intense that its escape velocity is equal to or exceeds the speed of light.
Dallas-
Confederation held system (2681) in the Challenger Quadrant of the Avalon Sector. Unique in that it contains only one jump point -- leading back to itself!
D-Drive-
Traditional FTL drive used in the 24th century by the Tri-System.
Echo Dimension-
A "dead dimension" reachable by continuing to travel exponentially faster using a D-Drive.
Equipotential Eclipsing-
A common occurrence in which a variable stellar object (a planet or moon) blocks a jump line, creating a transfer station.
Gravitic Warping-
The process of using tachyons or antigravitons to transfer physical matter across a jump line.
Graviton-
A hypothetical particle postulated to be the quantum of gravitational interaction and presumed to have an indefinitely long lifetime, zero electric charge, and zero rest mass.
Haile Selassie-
The first Confederation ship to mount a jump drive. Made the first recorded jump from Sol to Polaris on 2588.315 and then back again on 2588.323.
Hopper Drive-
Common name of the Morvan Drive.
Jump Drive-
See Akwende Propulsion System.
Jump Gate-
Device that permanently keeps open a jump point, allowing any ship to pass.
Jump Line-
The naturally occurring path between two opposing jump points.
Jump Nexus-
See Antigraviton Field.
Jump Node-
See Jump Point.
Jump Point-
A naturally occurring spatial anomaly created by objects of high mass which allows certain particles to enter jumpspace.
Jump Space-
The dimensional plane accessible via jump points.
Jump Trace-
See Jump Wake.
Jump Tunnel-
See jump line.
Jump Wake-
The traces left behind when a ship uses its Akwende Propulsion System.
Klein Vessel-
Portion of the Morvan Drive through which antigravitons pass after being created.
Matter/Antimatter Reactor-
Portion of the Morvan Drive which generates antigravitons.
Morvan, Dr. Andre-
Scientist responsible for legitimizing the possibility of an antigraviton drive. Namesake of the Morvan (Hopper) Drive.
Morvan Drive-
Linear predecessor of the Akwende (Jump) Drive, also known as the "Hopper Drive". The Morvan Drive forces ships through jumpspace using artificial antigraviton wells.
NAVCOM A.I.
Node Deceleration-
The dangerous shaking which larger ships undergo when leaving jumpspace.
Olivarez Equilibrium Boundary-
The invisible boundary that separates the antigraviton potential field and a jump point.
Pilgrim
Pulsar-
Any of several celestial radio sources emitting short intense bursts of radio waves, x-rays, or visible electromagnetic radiation at regular intervals, generally believed to be rotating neutron stars.
Quasar-
An extremely distant, and thus old, celestial object whose power output is several thousand times that of our entire galaxy.
Reaction Containment Field-
Portion of the Morvan Drive which collects antigravitons generated by the matter/anti-matter reactor.
Red Dwarf-
A small cool star; approximately 100 times the mass of Jupiter.
Scylla-
An unusual gravitic 30,000 kilometer radius anomaly in the Sol System. Emits both gravitons and antigravitons from another universe, and completely cloaks itself in a 1,000 kilometer sheath of the latter particle. Scylla is not a natural occurrence -- it was created by an unknown alien intelligence.
SuperNode-
A unique jump point created by a Pulsar, capable of jumping to another Pulsar with the equivalent frequency.
Tachyon-
A hypothetical subatomic particle that always travels faster than the speed of light.
Trace Analyzer-
Specialized device used for detecting and measuring the wake left by a ships jump drive.
Transfer Station-
A point in deep space created by equipotential eclipsing. A transfer station will have two jump points -- one back to its original destination and one to the intended destination.
Variable Flux Engine-
Device used by most military and some civilian ships to help 'cloak' a jump by suppressing the bright flash produced by unused energy at jump-out and jump-in.
Way Station-
Star systems with larger stars and uninhabitable jump lines. So called because of the fact that objects with higher masses attract more jump points, the majority of jump lines lead to them.
Well Field Integrator-
Portion of the Morvan Drive which streams and ejects antigravitons, creating a jumpspace well.
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