Slipspace Utilization Drive

An indepth explanation to what Slipspace is.

The start of a new era
   In the year 2078, excavations on Argonteon II and Argonteon III each found a technology cashe. Both the cashes each had a similar, strange objects. The objects in question were Omni Warp Drives or OWD's for short. Government in the area that the drives were found in, hushed the discovery. Anything extraterrestrial of nature could lead to another rivalry between nations. History of the first space race between the I'ahgant's was not a great time in their history. Nations sabotaged other nations. The overall outcome of the first space race was positive but looking back and reflecting on the their actions, most found that what they had done questionable. The I'ahgants were able to recolonize the planet where their ancestors came from, and eventually found the crash site of the Omni tech cashe sent out millions of years earlier. Unfortunately neither of the drives were functional, or in serviceable condition, and couldn't be repaired with the others parts. Both sects of government agreed to hand over the OWD's to the single biggest military force at the time. An ensemble of different military factions that agreed to work together. The military faction is referred to as simply “The Agency” as to modern day “Agency Controlled Systems” (This does not imply marshal law) Over the course of four years, (2078 – 2082) the drives were studied. On March, 3, 2082 – it was determined that OWD's were massive acceleration drives. Capable of sending an object within it's field of effect to incredible speeds, capable of interstellar travel. The fact still remained however, neither of the drives were functional, and couldn't be repaired. The Agency opted for a different plan of action, instead of trying to repair the drives with technology they did not posses and use them as a template for new ones. The next best option was perused instead. On the date of September, 7, 2082 Agency techs had begun a reverse engineering process of each of the drives. And on the date of July, 15, 2084, the techs using the Omni technology that still worked created a new type of drive system all together. Slipspace Utilization Drive, or Slipspace Drive for short. This new drive tech is based partly on the Omni technology that was recovered, and I'ahgant technology at the time. A crude mash-up of alien tech with their own. This was found to work better then projections of which the two Omni drives where originally built for. Slipspace Drive is a drive system in it's self, not a massive acceleration drive in any sense. The ACS Military is the only known organization that can create Slipspace Drives to this date. The ACS Slipspace Utilization Drive is the only usable Interstellar drive to date to the the area in which the ACS occupies. The Slipspace Utilization Drive is specific to the ACS and is not handed out freely to other factions. Currently, the only faction the ACS has dealt with is Piracy faction operating in the fringes of space that the ACS had controlled in the years 2102 - 2107.

What is Slipspace?
What slipspace is in essence is a series of “Tunnels” below the visible plane of space that can be observed or effected by either sentient species or technology that is not specifically designed for the use or manipulation of slipspace. It is a means of interstellar transport on a practical level. Sending ships lightyears in hours. In which conventional means would take decades and even centuries.

These tunnels exist because space is warped by strong gravity. This can be observed in some cosmic occurrences, extremely notable around black holes and how they effect space time. Or in less noticeable events such as how stars effect the apparent and actual location of objects behind them. The tunnels them selves exist because when gravity warps space, the distance between the “Warps” offer a shortcut rather then travelling over the warp (Massive Acceleration) you can also travel through it (Wormhole creation) or the tunnels that are created by gravity when it warps space (Slipspace). The warps are not visible in the “visible” space plane because space is infinite, they exist, but aren't noticed due to the warps existing on a basis of the “Height” of the entire galaxy, maybe even further. Within the warped space, the plane that slipspace travel exists is a huge network of slipspace tunnels. These tunnels are what a ship using a Slipspace Utilization Drive travels through to get to it's location.

These tunnels offer “Shortcuts” though the visible plane of space. Because visible space is warped, the plane that slipspace occupies is the distance between the warps. However, the tunnels are not “straight” lines. In this case, Slipspace would be more similar, if not exactly like Wormhole travel. The tunnels occupying slipspace travel along paths that can be straight, but can also be warped them selves, curved, and even (on a very common basis) intersect other slipspace tunnels. These anomalies are why slipspace travel can have variable travel time. However, the variable travel time is ALWAYS less then the Warp drive equivalent from the same point of departure to the same point of arrival. Slipspace is faster because of two reasons: The over all distance is travelled is shorter, and the velocity of a ship in slipspace is faster then that of warp drive. Because of both of these, based on distance. Slipspace drive is for a set distance is 1.89 times faster then that of warp drive. (72 hours to cover EIT space in warp = 38 +/- 1 hours to cover EIT space at slipspace) 72/39 +/- = 1.89 +/- .1

The plane that slipspace occupies is formed when a high mass object, such as a star, effects the fabric of space. That being the planes in which space is made off. But high mass objects are also what create Slipspace Tunnels. Slipspace tunnels are formed when a high mass object warps space and these warps will spread out from the source until they encounter the origin of another high mass object that causes these warps. When the warps of one HMO (High Mass Object) reach the warps of another HMO a connection is made, this connection is a slipspace tunnel. When these connection occurs among many stars, such as that of a cluster, or even on the scale of a Galaxy. This is referred to as a Slipspace network.

Slipspace networks are the product of a slipspace tunnel system forming among a group of many stars. Networks can be between a cluster of stars, but can span entire galaxies. The distance a tunnel can travel is based on the mass of the HMO that created the tunnel. Meaning a high mass star such as a red giant may establish a connection to a lower mass such as a white dwarf star, but a vice versa account may not be the case. The range a HMO is capable of reaching is called the “Connection Radius”. Range is unique per HMO or NSO (Network Supporting Object), but a general distance based on mass can be determined. The relationship between mass and distance is a general relation: As mass increases, connection radius increases. The current charted slipspace network barely goes beyond the confines of ACS controlled space. Many Slipspace tunnels origin from inside ACS space and lead into other parts of the Galaxy, and many Slipspace tunnels lead into ACS space, but their origins are further away then what have been explored. The ACS government has made it illegal to go beyond the confines of space by more then two and a half light years with out government sanction.

Slipspace tunnels can span many light years, offering routes that could send ships half way across the galactic arm. In theory, but has yet to have been witnessed is that a blackhole could create a slipspace network that would span hundreds if not thousands of lightyears. Offering routes that could span from one side of a galactic arm to another. This is only speculation, once observed it will be known for certain. The total distance that a slipspace tunnel could run is unknown. It is dependant on the mass of the object that it was created from. What is known is that the minimum required mass to sustain a slipspace network is surprisingly low, a star 1/3 of the mass Sol is network capable of supporting the network. This goes into saying, that because the total distance this tunnel could cover on this one path would be in proportion to a star that is twice the mass of Sol would be much shorter.

As said above, stars with different mass can have different distances in which a Slipspace tunnel can be created. This is referred to as a “Connection Radius” the maximum connection radius is the maximum distance a high mass object, generally a star, can set up a slipspace network in. In general the higher the mass, the more slipspace tunnels lead to or have origin from that object. This is easily explained by the larger the connection radius, the more potential for more objects that can also support a Slipspace tunnel/network with in that radius. It is worth noting that when many slipspace tunnels converge on a single target, it is referred to as a hot spot.

A hot spot that contains MANY slipspace tunnels are avoided, the more tunnels leading to a single point or area means higher mass. Blackholes can support a slipspace network but exiting slipspace to near to a high mass object is extremely dangerous. And for good reason, ships exiting slipspace can be torn apart by blackholes, vaporized by pulsars, and crushed by neutron stars. These are only a few examples of why charting new routes using slipspace routes are dangerous. For this reason, exploring any new area of space is often frowned upon even only just considering these factors. Other dangers include: new possibly hostile civilizations, pirates, other space anomalies. These reasons have kept major expansion in the Sagittarius arm to a minimum or until government has allowed for it..

The Slipspace network around ACS controlled space has been perfected. A “Perfected” network is in which travel times between major destinations is at it's lowest possible. A new charted location can have multiple paths leading to and from it, and in general slipspace travel is not always point A to point B, because slipspace intersects, and can do so multiple times. Mew routes are not necessarily the quickest and with that, most effective. It takes around 6 months to perfect a slipspace route to a location. Just because Slipspace travel is not A to B, does not mean that multiple jumps are required. Slipspace can be manoeuvred through, on demand or planed before hand. Meaning that get to a destination, leaving slipspace and “jumping” to slipspace again is not required although this is not unheard of.

Strangely, no matter the mass or distance a tunnel travels. It always takes roughly 2000 years for a slipspace tunnel to form. It is currently unknown why 2000 years is the magic number, but a star's life cycle can be millions of times longer then 2000. A possible explanation is that 2000 years is the number of years require for a “warp” across space to be created. This would help explain why this number does not change per mass of object, as the time would remain constant, changing only the distance a warp can effect. If a star is destroyed, either by super nova, or other catastrophic event. The tunnels originating from are destroyed instantaneously. Tunnels from other stars leading to that point remain intact. Although slipspace routes leading to a now destroyed hub will branch off into other slipspace tunnels. A star going supernova have been witnessed to effect the tunnels not created by the star going super nova that travel close to, or run through the origin point of the stars own (now destroyed) slipspace tunnels.

Anomalies among slipspace tunnels are common. Slipspace tunnels can intersect each other, curve, fork off, and on rare occasions can wrap around and reconnect with them selves, although this is incredibly rare. Curves or bends in slipspace are common, a curve/bend is most commonly created when a large high mass star sets up a network with a smaller star that does not have the connection radius required to form a slipspace tunnel back. In event of this, the tunnel created by the smaller star will curve and bend then connect to the slipspace route that was created by the star in which the lesser mass star could not set up a route too. Forks are seen when a curved tunnel, connects to the tunnel that was in direct relation with. Between two stars, are always two tunnels, one from star A to star B, and from star B to star A. Even if one star cannot establish a connection with the origin of other star. Forks can also happen if a slipspace tunnels origin point goes supernova, or is destroyed, but the second set of tunnels going to that star, from another origin point will connect into different tunnels. These often lead to new routes being formed to different areas, while maintaining a viable route for getting to the now destroyed origin of the original set. A wrap around is a very rare case of anomalies created when a star goes supernova, and in turn, creates a blackhole, the slipspace tunnels that were in origin from the star that went supernova are not destroyed, are kept intact. And can in some very rare cases because of the gravity of the blackhole that is formed, can curve so much that they will connect into them selves, creating a loop. This is only in theory, it is entirely possible, but until witnessed this is only speculation. It is entirely possible for another tunnel to intersect through the loop, as intersections can happen anywhere in the Slipspace network.

The Use of Slipspace
The first and most obvious use of Slipspace is interstellar travel. Using slipspace to move around the Galaxy is highly efficient, not only travelling a shorter distance between destinations, slipspace travel velocity is faster then that of a warp equivalent. The fastest warp drives available cannot keep up with a Slipspace drive. The only warp drive available capable of out running a Slipspace drive is an intergalactic warp drive, and only one was in existence and not available to be used by anyone currently.

Slipspace is used by the entirety of ACS controlled space. The ACS Military warships (That can be multiple kilometres long) for transportation, because Slipspace is faster then warp drive the ACS military have the advantage when moving ships system to system. And can out run any warp drive that is in use. Slipspace does not require a more powerful drive to move a larger ship, speed is always constant no matter the mass being moved. This also means that a stolen ship cannot out run pursuers. During military campaigns, any ACS ship retreating can out run any ship unless the pursuers use wormhole creation, in which they would have to predict where the ship is running to and do so as it exits Slipspace. It's the only way of interstellar based travel used by the ACS. To date major corporations use Slipspace as a means of transporting manufactured materials between planets, buying from mining companies and shipping it back to a production plant for use. Trading organizations use slipspace for moving goods around planets, often of which being food or luxury supplies.

<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm">Often smaller companies and businesses cannot afford to actually own a slipspace drive, the ACS however can rent drives and have many contracts with construction companies that will build space fairing vehicles and can rent the drive with the ship of their choice so long as the ship can be afforded by the owner of said business. The ACS is the only manufacturer of Slipspace drives to date, and keep a constant watch to make sure no drives are stolen, reverse engineered, or given to anyone lacking authorization. This means keeping whereabouts on every single slipspace drive created to date. As the Technology would rather be kept within the confines of ACS government and not handed out to other factions. Penalty for even tampering with a slipspace drive is very high, the handing over the technology to another faction would be considered treason

<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm">In the event of a ship going rouge, several counter measures are in place. One of which being a “kill code” that can immediately lock down a slipspace drive making it unusable until the lock out is lifted. If a ship is in transit in slipspace, it is received as an exit slipspace command and is then locked down. A drive shutting down during transit could rip the ship apart. No longer being able to be contained within slipspace, the ship is ejected. Being ejected from slipspace is like a car hitting a solid metal wall. The ship is ripped apart, nearly disintegrated in some experiments. The only other way to shut down a slipspace drive during transit would be ripping the drive out of its manifold. Locking out a Slipspace Drive can be done from: the bridge of the ship in question, engineering deck, or when needed, remotely. With the 2090 addition of slipspace com buoy's this can be done from anywhere in ACS space this however is not controlled by the military. It is done the civilian organization PACT or Protection of Agency Controlled Technology.

<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm">PACT deals mostly with the prevention of Slipspace Technology being handed over to another faction. This is because the ACS's only “one up” of the other galactic factions is that Slipspace is an all round, all things considered – Better drive technology then conventional, and more popular Omni Tech based warp drive.. Another prevention factor implemented by PACT was the introduction of a representative on each ship using a Slipspace Drive (which is all of them) to stop these individuals from looking like a spy, these individuals by Agency law have to be known who they are and what specifically they are doing at any given time. These representatives have direct access to communications, letting them send information of the ships movements on brief of the ships movements and actions. Otherwise it turns into a civilian organization vs the military in rivalry and fairness. Most large ships are militarized battleships, frigates, cruisers, etc. None the less, the question is asked “Why do military controlled ships require a representative?” this question is asked so commonly because why would the military hand the one advantage they have over to another faction? This is answered with, no exceptions.

<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm">The ACS controlling a monopoly on Slipspace could be one of the only defences in the event of a hostile incursion. As of current date -2142- Space combat done by the ACS has only one factor that would stop it from being comparable to that of another larger civilization, numbers. The ACS as of current holds less then 150 planets. Where as compared to another faction i.e the KMF, their closest neighbours, have forces hundreds, if not thousands of times greater then of anything the ACS could ever muster. (On top of wormhole technology) The ACS is still a small faction governing or patrolling a large amount of space for the size of the civilization that they are. Any major faction could in almost literal terms steamroll the ACS in probably less then a few weeks. This is why the ACS isn't huge on galactic expansion, preferring to keep to them selves and remaining independent and more imporantly undiscovered or in the event of discovery, unnotable by the other factions.

<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm">Slipspace as said above is primarily used for interstellar travel, however in a few instances it has been used in a different fashion. In the year 2130, a Slipspace drive was used to redirect and asteroid from a planetary impact. In 2090 Slipspace network Comm buoy's were implemented, allowing for communication with ships at Slipspace with objects outside of it. The Comm buoy's allow for information to be passed within slipspace to visible plane of space, and vice versa. This allows for messages to be sent across a galactic arm in less then 2, the diameter of the of the Galaxy in less then a business week.

<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm">During military campaigns, or even exercises military fleets must jump within seconds of each other else a ship exiting slipspace could have to wait for the closest following ship for minutes. This is referred to as the dilation effect. The dilation effect is the lag time between two ships travelling to a destination from the same origin point. Because of the rate of travel in slipspace, and variable travel times jumps between multiple ships have to have a maximum lag time between the first ship “jumping” to slipspace and the last ship “jumping” to slipspace. The first ship out of slipspace may have to wait minutes for the next ship to show up. This dilation is only partly based on the acceleration to slipspace, but because the time required to fully enter and then exit, plus the acceleration times, both before and after leaving slipspace. This effect is only noticeable if the group of ships accelerating to slipspace have a lag time of 40 or more seconds between the first ship and the last ship entering slipspace. At which point 40 seconds is equal to 1 minute and 12 seconds of lag time. An increase of approximately 55% increase in time between the first ship exiting slipspace and the last ship exiting slipspace.

<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm">A 2D view of a galaxy map with charted slipspace routes on it, as well as predicted routes that could exist would look much like a net. Travelling outwards from the centre of the galaxy. More dense sections of the galaxy, i.e closer to the centre, or one of the arms of the galaxy would have a larger amount of routes, however these routes can travel in between arms, allowing for access from one arm to another. And as said before, it is in theory possible for a Blackhole to have a Slipspace network that could span from one side of the galaxy to another. And yet again, as stated before, in theory it is possible that the mega-blackhole at the galactic core could set up a slipspace network between galaxies.

Future plans and Expansion of theory
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm">The leading theory with Slipspace travel is that it may be more then just Interstellar capable. It is theoretically possible, and that in the future, may be tested. On the belief that a galactic core's mega black hole may be powerful enough to open up a network with another galaxy, but not observed at this time -2142- the ACS have not left the Sagittarius arm. And as of that date -2142- The ACS have not encountered anyother major civilization other then pirates raiding planets and other freighters in the area around 75 000 lightyears around ACS territory. This goes into history of these pirate groups leave the ACS alone because of an attempted take over in 2102 – 2107 by a group of allied pirates that were losing income in astronomical amounts after the first Agency expansion into the Sagittarius arm a decade prior, right after the introduction of the Slipspace Stationary Com Buoy.

<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm">The group of pirates currently -2142- are the least of ACS concerns, the ACS have not met any other major civilization as of current date, but the ACS currently believes that larger, more advanced civilizations do exist, and that these civilizations could indeed be hostile on first contact This is the main reason why the ACS have not expanded much in the Sagittarius arm. Going on the basis of a smaller profile is easier to keep hidden. Leading into expansions only when required. The most recent expansion started in 2117 and continued 2139.

<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm">The ACS is currently looking into another expansion that would start within the next three decades. (between 2145 – 2175) the third expansion would include: <p style="margin-bottom: 0cm">Another project that is being considered is against better sense is searching for another major civilization. The Sagittarius arm is mostly empty, and the only notable faction is the ACS. Finding another advanced space-fairing species if only to know that other species have made interstellar capabilities as well. This is a very controversial subject. The leading opposition factor being the “what if” this civilization is hostile on contact. Conquest and bloodshed being the main goal of their entire civilization.
 * Colonization of 75 new planets, total tally of 217, of which:
 * 28 terraform projects.
 * 14 planetary excavations.
 * Projected population per planet after a decade, 1.5 – 2.0 billion each.
 * Territory increase = 5 degrees outwards into the Sagittarius arm. (new: 340 degrees to 355 degrees, old: 340 degrees to 350 degrees)
 * Estimated cost, earth dollars: 2.57 quadrillion US dollars (2010)
 * Estimated cost, I'ahgant lead currency – I'ahgant commerce unit-: 1.29 quadrillion units (2140, end of last budget proposal.) Proposals last a decade, current proposal is being debated.
 * Expected income after 7 years, 2.31 quadrillion IC units + taxes (1.01 quadrillion projected in taxes/3.5 years)
 * 267 new mining projects of which:
 * 120 Hydrogen + other usable gasses extraction from gas giants.
 * 90 barren planets for strip mining, mostly metal working.
 * 37 plasma extraction for weapons grade energy material.
 * 20 planets for radio-isotopes in nuclear reactions.
 * Planet surveys undergoing: 300, reports due in 2145.
 * Expected income after 5 years, 3.76 quadrillion IC units – taxes (15.103 trillion IC units.)
 * 97 new space stations:
 * <p style="margin-bottom: 0cm">1 for each new planet.
 * <p style="margin-bottom: 0cm">22 of unconfirmed location.
 * -1250 new ships:
 * 625 among mining operations, ground to orbit transport.
 * 300 for transport of colonists between planets.
 * 155 multi-purpose ships.
 * 120 for shipping items back to core worlds.
 * 50 new ships for military use.
 * Projected cost for all ships: 120 trillion IC units.