REQUIRED ITEMS
An operating jump drive requires several basic components which, when
operating together, make jumping possible.
Power Source
Jumping uses large amounts of energy to rip open the barriers between
normal space and jump space. Normally, only a fusion power plant can
supply this energy. Some alternate systems make use of solar power
generators (which operate far more slowly) or anti-matter power systems
(rare and very high-tech).
Energy Storage Nodes
Once power is generated, it must be stored until the instant of jump.
Capacitors or large fast discharge batteries fit this requirement.
Strong Hull
The hull of a starship must not only be constructed to withstand normal
space; it also must withstand the rigors of jump space. Starship hulls
contain as an integral part of their structure a network of wiring which
maintains the jump field around the ship. Without this field, the natural
physics of jump space would intrude into the ship’s interior and the alien
physical principles would make life impossible, operation of equipment
unpredictable, and even the passage of time would be altered. Breaks in
the protective network within a starship’s hull are a primary cause of the
loss of ships when jumping.
The need for this network in a ship’s hull also indicates what happens to
matter (personnel, small craft, missiles, etc) ejected from a ship while
jumping, becoming subject to the physics of jump space. People die;
equipment malfunctions; small craft disappear. Some attempts have
been made to launch a starship into jump space from other starships;
problems in properly matching drive fields, or even turning them on near
other ships, has shown that the technique is impractical at best, and
probably impossible.
Computer
Jump drives have precise power requirements which can only be met if
the power is fed under computer control. In addition, the calculations
needed for a jump require a high level of accuracy.
Jump Coils
The jump coils that channel a ship’s energy within the jump drive are
constructed of lanthanum, a rare earth which has exactly the correct
properties for the purpose. Lanthanum coils are used to control the drive
energies during a jump. Other materials have been used or substituted, but
none function with enough reliability or efficiency to make them practical.
When the jump drive is activated, a large store of fuel is fed through the
ship’s power plant to create the energy necessary for the jump drive. In
the interests of rapid energy generation, the power plant does not work
at full efficiency, and some of the fuel is lost in carrying off fusion byproducts,
and in cooling the system. At the end of a very brief period (less
than a few minutes), the jump drive capacitors have been charged to
capacity. Under computer control, the energy is then fed into appropriate
sections of the jump drive and jump begins.
The drive’s first function is to tear a hole in the fabric of space. The hole is
precisely created and the ship naturally falls into the breach on a carefully
directed vector. The drive then directs some of its energy to sewing up
that hole again. The act of closing the hole severs the ship’s ties with
normal space and allows it to begin its jump.
