MSS Notes: Sub space drive

The Sub space or ‘Omega’ drive was developed from the physical principles discovered by Eleanor and Koor Kawaresen during Eleanor’s postgraduate semester at Florida State University. Successfully proved by the Omega III crew of Commander Corwen Blount, co-pilot Paul Stovek, Astronavigator Liam O’Reilly, and mission specialists Edith Paget and Edward Mulholland.

According to data obtained, the physical properties of sub space are not as predicted by the initial research. There is a significant but small anti relativistic effect which means that if a journey is begun to within a particular set of energy parameters, there is a risk that the craft may return from a round trip several minutes before beginning a journey through sub space. Because of the energy disparity effect of a craft returning out of sub space, mission profiles that might result in such an occurrence are strictly forbidden. This is because of the phenomenon named the ‘doppelganger effect’; i.e. two bodies of identical origin may not occupy the same space / time point as the short-lived isotopes of antimatter and quantum foam ‘residue’ from a sub space journey have massive explosive potential. There is no empirical data to support this hypothesis, but the mathematical models that sub space theory relies upon indicate enough significant risk of should such circumstances occur.

Sub space has proven highly efficient as a means of travelling between star systems up to a hundred plus light years distant. However, the fuel requirements are such that longer journeys are at present not practical.

A Sub space ‘bomb’ based upon the Omega drive was discussed by certain defence research institutes, but after numerous attempts to make a controllable device failed spectacularly, such research was deemed too dangerous, and all funding was withdrawn.

The energy requirements of the drive are high, and require a direct power source with at least thirty Gigawatts output. Only a Nuclear Fusion reactor with a minimum rating of one hundred Gigawatts at is able to deliver this level of power when required. Larger scale reactors such as a hundred Terawatt model have been proposed, but the cooling systems required for reactors of this size are considered too bulky and unwieldy for practical space travel purposes. Only one of this scale (Thunder Bay) is currently operational and requires several massive superconductor heat sinks to remain safely operational. However, the Thunder Bay installation has the significant environmental benefit of keeping the northern shores and much of Lake Superior ice free. Thunder Bay also provides backup energy for much of North America. A second installation is planned for the currently deserted city of Winnipeg, which will make North America a net energy exporter for the first time in over a century. An alternate site at Trois Rivieres, Quebec, was vetoed by the bloc Quebecois on environmental grounds, shortly before the city of Quebec was declared deserted in 2081.

The idea that sub space technologies would support some form of instantaneous teleportation was finally proven impractical in the late 2020’s because of the disorganising nature of sub space energies. While it has been known for many years that teleportation is possible, unprotected ordinary matter can never be restored to its previous matter state having passed through sub space. For example, it is a well understood phenomenon that unprotected organic matter disorganises and disintegrates into random inorganic compounds after exposure to conditions both in subspace and through ‘wormholes’. The Omega drive creates a hypermagnetic bubble or ‘tame space warp’ in which a craft made of normal matter may traverse the medium of sub space and return to ‘normal’ space intact.

Quantum foam erosion damage has been noted following return from sub space. This phenomenon has been linked to poor hypermagnetic field design allowing miniature sub space vortices to come into contact with unprotected matter following exit from subspace. Improved field coil array design has been instrumental in preventing asymmetric field collapse and thus almost eliminated such damage since the near disaster with the Vancouver.

Re: Vancouver, Cargo class 100 tonne capacity sub space transport. Third off the production line after the Atlanta and ill-fated Boston. First to suffer near catastrophic field collapse on the approach to the New Philadelphia star system. Massive loss of argon from the frontal field coil arrays almost crippled the Vancouver. Fortunately, New Philadelphia colonists with specialised metallurgical experience effected repairs to the frontal hull section, and enough argon was available in the Vancouver supply to repressurise the frontal coil arrays and return them to full use.