A Blend of Instant HS and NavHS:
By David O.
Hyperspace proposal for mixing InstHS and NavHS:
When I first got Elite for my C=64, and read about the Thargoids waiting in witch-space, my mind began wandering about how I could have InstHS, and the Thargoids could have NavHS. This is my model of how the two systems exist and interact
What is hyperspace:
We experience space in only four dimension, with only three dimensions of freedom. Actually space is composed of several other dimensions that we don't experience. The number of dimensions is (5, 6, 23, ???). These extra dimensions allow us to effectively travel faster than normally allowed, including FTL.
This faster travel is still within relativistic limits, but through space instead of with it.
Obviously, for going through space to be faster than with space, space must be curved. In fact it is a hypersphere (I've heard that this is actually Einstein's idea -- if you travel far enough in any 3-D direction, you will get back to where you started.)
Using the sperical shape of space, we can travel "down" towards the center, move a small distance, then move back "up" towards the space we exist in.
How the HS engines were developed:
Pioneering scientist only just discovered what hyperspace really was, for years we were able to utilize the technology without fully understanding it. (Hence the quote from my Elite manual about experts disagreeing as to what HS really was.)
As colonies were begun, a need arose to get between star systems in less than a century. As necessity is the mother of invention, someone was able to thoerize that space was curved, though not exactly how space was curved, and utilize the curvature of space to experimentally transport an object from 1.5 meters away, and verify that it did not touch any point in-between its source and destination.
Once an object was moved 1.5 metes away, it was just a matter of scale to move an object 4 light years away and InstHS between Sol and Alpha Centauri began.
The Thargoids had also developed InstHS, but we were luckier and struck upon a usable distance for travelling the first time. The Thargoids had only moved the object 0.3 meters, instead of the 1.5 meters humans obtained. The Thargoid scientist used these devices and began interstellar travel, but costs for travel were expensive. They also scaled up their engines, to an even higher class than humans, but more was needed. Thargoids began working on the efficiency of their engines hoping to allow further travel with the current class of engines they had. Finally, a Thargoid scientist found that the engine could have its "direction" tuned. By slowly altering the exact "direction" of the engine and measering the resulting distance, which varied from 0 meters (no movement) to ~3.1 meters. Their engines began to be upgraded to the new "direction" and the NavComps reprogrammed. Horrible things began to happen. A rash of mis-jumps where ships just outright disappeared. The engines were restored to their previous settings. The scientists had had objects disappear, but considered it experimental error because of the prototype engine and the gravity well of running the experiments planetside. That was not the case , and experiments were continued on a zero-G station far from any sizable gravity well. It was found that there is a chance that the object will mis-jump based upon several factors : gravity energy usage chaotic engine adjustments (i.e. if the engine has just vibrated, it will jump different) while gravity and energy usage could be controlled, chaotic factors (by definition) could not. Experiments were continued to find the exact probabilites and decide upon a reasonable margin of error. It was found that mis-jump probability was high at the low (0 meters) and extreme (3.1 meters) ends, and decreased to a minimum at ~1.6 meters. It was also found that the results of a misjump were completely different on either end of this magic distance. On the extremely low side (near zero), the object would dissapear. On the low side, the object would just appear somewhere unexpected. On the high side, the object would completely dissapear. The Thargoid scientists labelled their objects. One was since found, and sold as an Alien Artifact, 182 light years from the experiment. According to the lab notes, they were trying to move the object 2.7 meters away.
After these experiments, the Thargoid ships were re-aligned for the 1.5 meter setting. Low probability of mis-jump, but only displaced slightly if you do. Some ships were updated, and NavComps reprogrammed. After one-year, and no lost ships, the rest of the ships were aligned, and NavComps reprogrammed. The scientists were still interested in these disappearing items. Was it a misjump or a destruction. Plus they didn't want to be sent to a zero gravity station "until the problem is fixed" again. The longer jumps misjumping to an extreme distance made sense, and the dissapearance verses misjump had shown to be an well defined point. The real concern was the disappearance at the small distances. They found that at some distances, it would sometimes misjump, and sometimes disappear without any real regularity. Utilizing "tacyite," which gives forth tachyons, they built a camera that could, they hoped, transmit through the dimensions. They were right. The misjumping of this camera began. They repeatedly sent it 0.001 meters away. When it disapperard, they watched the tachyon reciever. It showed a picture of their lab, but small. Thinking that it had just misjumped outside their lab and gotten stuck, they went out to retrieve it only to find it wasn't there. Using the picture on the reciver to narrow its location, they finally found it. It was larger and less dense so that it had less density than air. They also found that they could have no effect upon it because of its lack of density.
Building another camera, with remote control and an engine attached, the camera was done for even smaller distances, and then remoted to continue jumping small distances, causing more mis-jumps. At every 'successful' mis-jump, the camera was found and measured. The camera was slowly fading out of existence, taking up more volume but less density. Next were the "negative direction" experiments, allowing the camera to misjump out of existence, and then misjump back into existence. Once this could be done reliably, the first manned (Thargoided) expidition was taken into what humans call witch-space. After years of exploration and measurements, it was found that the universe was a hypersphere and the InstHS engine only moved towards the center of the cosmos, moved a small distance, and moved back out to normal space. Disappearances at wider directions were do to missing the curve up, and going to the other side of the universe. Disappearances at narrow directions were do to not getting all the way back.
Some Thargoids prefer the safety of InstHS. Set the computer, go all the way down and back up.
Others prefer the control of NavHS. Shift out of existence, move, then shift back into existence. Also the amount of shift controls how fast you move relative to RealSpace. Shift a little and you only move twice as fast, shift a lot and you move a billion times faster.
The future? Humans and Thargoids use the same dimension for travel, as has been verified by witch-space travel between the two species. But are there more. This model only requires five dimensions. But if there are six there are more questions. Can you achive further speed by shifting in both of the extra dimensions? If you are chasing someone, you have to know which of the two extra dimensions they shifted through. With more dimensions, more travel possibilities are available, though more programming work (how much can two ships interract with each other)
Hyperspace clouds - (or else we lose our analyzers) shifting through another dimension requires a temporary "redefinition" of the traditional four dimensions. This local "redefinition" causes rips along the lines bordering standards and redefined space. Space does readjust, but the lack of complete coherence can be seen as light from all the other "spheres of existence" and their stellar bodies focusing through the holes being repaired.
This also allows for cheaper and/or damagaged analyzers. Maybe a portion is not working. Maybe you don't care how powerful the engine is. Maybe you feel so sure that you can take any ship, you don't care how big the ship. Maybe you feel you know this section of space so well, that if you know the distance you can use the limited number of stars that distance and guess which one it is.
Misjumping
When trying to get to another point in real-space, you turn out in a different location than expected. Pull up the map, replot your course, and try again.
When trying to phase out for navigation, you turn out phased a different amout, but how do you know. Well that depends upon what you see in NavHS. This also requires a new piece of equipment to measure your amount of phase out.
If you were to watch a ship phase out in small incremental steps, outside of the radiation burns if you are not protected, you would see the ship become larger and larger (take up more space), yet become less dense and less dense until it was lacking enough density that you could not touch it anymore. As it contiunes, you cannot see it anymore. As it returns, it would become smaller and smaller, and denser and denser until it becomes visible, and then touchable, and finally returns to normal.
If you were to be in that same ship watching the outside, you would see the planet become smaller and smaller, becoming more dense but having less of a gravitic influence on you, until it finally disappeared out of existence. Coming back, it would appear and become larger and larger, having more of a grvavitic influence on you, until it finally returned to normal size.
This appearance of the universe becoming smaller is what allows you to travel FTL. Every point in Hyperspace matches a point in RealSpace, but RealSpace has more points. As you travel a across a point in HyperSpace, you skip several points in RealSpace, and now you can travel in HyperSpace, but be FTL in RealSpace.
Measuring how far you misphased, if you were expecting to phase a small distance, would be a matter of realizing that the stars are the wrong size or the wrong distances apart.
Measuring how far you misphased, if you were planning to phase the stars out of existence is not visually possible (hence the new equipment) until you try to rephase and find out that you are rephased the wrong place. By wrong place I mean, you are near the wrong stars, AND the stars are the wrong size/distances.
Travel
Using InstHS: travel is handled by computer and most of the time is spent during the shifts. The physical movement is such a small amount that it happens due to all the moving parts on the ship affecting local gravity. This also explains why you are so far away (we can't afford the possibility that you rephase in where a planet happens to be) and why you are a random distance from your goal.
Using NavHS travel is different. Once you have actually shifted to the section of hyperspace you wish to travel in, it is standard engines. You just happen to be covering a lot more territory.
Time: Time moves normally.
In InstHS there's nothing to see or do, so you might as well sleep.
In NavHS you are very aware of the time movement and it moves in synch with RealSpace.
Why not parallel universes Primarily, space of mapping in the game and time of programming other universes. But really, here are some possibilites.
The other universes require so much shifting, that we can't hold enough fuel to make it.
They are there but the time taken to get their makes it not reasonable. Why trade in bleeding edge technology with another universe if by the time you get there, its outdated and obsolete technology.
The other universes are there and visible, but our galaxy does not coincide with a galaxy in the other universes. That is, when you shift far enough, you can see several of the galaxies in the other universe, but they are too far away to travel to, even using hyperspace.
As a plot possibility, the next closest universe requires so much shifting, that unless we take a leap of faith we can't make it because a flying fuel tank would use 90% of its fuel. No one has been willing to use more than half of their fuel before.
As a different plot possibility, we are so close to the center of the Cosmos, that there are no other universes closer to the center of the hypshere. Perhaps the next universe out is reachable, but noone has thought to make travel more difficult. Perhaps the next universe out has just discovered or expanded their hypspace travel and we need to convice them to shift through our universe a little slower so as to not run into a planet or star. They would certainly be relieved to know we can solve their disappearances. They might also decide to wipe us out of existence so there is room for their hyperspace travel.
Weapons
In InstHS, you are not on one plane of existence long enough to have conventional weapons used. If someone is in NavHS and you phase through their plane, remember that space has be redefined and they will travel around the tunnel your drive made, without even realizing that space's shape was temporarily altered. The only planes to be aware of the redefinition of space are the entry and exit points - where the big gaping holes are.
In NavHS, once you are phased in, the weapons function as normal. This does allow for new weapons though.
Missiles that phase into RealSpace and lock on, allowing a new assasination method. This would require phasing quite close to RealSpace to that the CombatCom would actually have a point to lock on to.
Redefinitions of space causing ships in RealSpace to unwillingly phase into your plane of existence, ala Thargoids.
Redefinitions of space causing enemy missiles or ships to Phase somewhere else, reqiring a hypspace cloud reading or phase reading to obtain bearings, same trick but defensive. I don't see a way for lasers to function through another phase.
Types and Classes of hyperdrives The first type of drives just go the acidentally discovered direction and only allow InstHS. Anything above has been tuned to go a more efficient direction and only allow InstHS. The better the type (Comsumer < Commercial < Industrial < Military) the more fine tuned the diretion. The next type of drives allow direction to be changed so one can enter NavHS. The Class of drive is how far "down" the ship goes. The better the class the further it can go in one jump, but the more fuel it requires.
Why you can�t exit next to a planet See the section labelled Travel
Why your hyperdrive won't work in an atmosphere Government regulation to protect those land lovers.
Hyperspace travel with jump-gates Jump gates could certainly be allowed. The Thargoid inspired weapon of dragging someone unwillingly into witchspace is just a small version of this. In this case, the unwilling ship asked to be dragged through.
Why use jump-gates instead of spending the money (since jump-gates aren't free) on your own fuel and going when you want to.
Cost - Though there is a cost, several ships can be pulled through the gate at once, so several of you are paying for it. The Cost to you is a fraction of the fuel.
Time - If you are going through a jump-gate, you are going on a well used travel route that has had its redefinition refined over the years to drop you within a short hop of the destination instead of several AU out.
Distance - The jump-gates can afford to have bigger and better engines because the cost is being spread over several ships, several times a day. These engines can send you further.
Coordination - If you are part of a fleet going to attack another base/planet, its easier to meet up if you all got pulled through together.
Of course, NavHS allows you to shift in without having drifted too far apart, and then travel together. Then again, the fuel spent on one large engine pulling several ships through may be a huge amount but it is still less than the total amount of fuel spent by several small ships.
Why use your personal hyperdrive instead of jump-gates
Time - the jump-gates cover well used transportation routes several times a day. If you are travelling to a less used trasportation route - one which only a few people use a day - you may have to wait half a week or more for the scheduled gate to open.
Cost - the scheduled routes are popular, but not the direction you require. This requires so many jumps that you can do it yourself in a fraction of the time and cost.
Destination - perhaps the place you are going is not ever scheduled to be visited because it is a company, rather than public, or extreme frontier with no registered settlements.
So why include them in TEP. This is a living universe, they have to have some way for people to get to exciting vacation destinations without posting an ad on the BBS and hoping they get a good pilot. Then there is also business jumps, and so on. Pretty much a galactic mirror of our airplanes. After all, who else is going to pay for these gates except a large business or government.
Hyperdrives as weapons discussed in weapons.
Faster than Light Communication:
Use some method to emit tachyons which transmit decay into hyperspace. This works because Tachyons (FTL energy) are actually normal energy in another dimension being picked up as FTL, so the other planes of existence see it as normal radio. Like radio this has a limited useful range. The tachyons tend from our plane, tend to be different be from a specific plane of hyperspace. This means that we can set up repeaters in this plane of hyperspace to recieve and transmit to longer distances for tacyon reception. Also, the repeater could recieve and transmit through another level of tachyon. The tachyons for this repeater would be out of sensors for us, but would allow these tachyon repeaters to transmit up to another level of repeaters for even further distance. The disadvantages being that they are more expensive. Repair of a broken communication link is not that much worse. Consider, if you only have one level of repeaters, and you can't communicate to planet B you simply send a ship (or hire the player, through the BBS, with a new repeater) to phase out to the plane the repeaters are on. This ship then follows the path of the repeaters, testing each one in turn until the broken one is found and sends out a new one with the proper frequencies set. If you have two levels of repeaters, and you can't communicate to planet B, you send a ship to phase out to the first and test that repeater. If that repeater works, phase out further and test the next repeater. Then follow the path to planet B until the offending repeater is replaced. If you get all the way to planet B and they all work, the phase back in and test the next closer level of repeater and it should be broken. Of course it is also possible that the communciation link was sabatoged and the sabateur is waiting to keep it from working...
The reason for having more than one level of repeater is to limit useful radio communication. This allows FTL communication by using tachyons to transmit through several planes until the destination is within usable range, then phase it back down. Journals can also be transmitted in this fashion.
Pros: Allows InstHS and NavHS to both be present without interfering with eachother; Explains what hyperspace is; Provides some history; Allows for possible expansion into other types of hyperspace travel so that as the NavHS lanes fill up, there is somewhere else to go; Allows for the possibility of having more than one universe, but does not require it; Explains hyperspace clouds and coloring; Explains misjumps; Explains why you must jump in far from a planet; Explains time in hyperspace; Allows for the classic Thargoid method of ambush; Explains the types and classes of hyperdrives; explains why you can't hyperdrive in atmosphere; explains jump-gates;Allows for FTL communciation but does not require it;
Cons: Allows all weapons; allows for a method of cloaking (though useless if new equipment is developed to look into the other planes);
Conclusion: The Elite for the Commodore 64 mixed InstHS and NavHS. Though confusing a model can be built upon it allowing both to coexist without interfering with eachother. The model I found that works like this is the onion model. If you are a microbe on the surface of an onion and you need to get somewhere else on the onion, you can either crawl till you get there. You can also dig down into the onion, crawl a smaller distance, and dig back up.
The two types of Hyperspace can work because they are affected two types of travel are handled by how deep you dig into the onion.
The two systems don't interfere because: If you are NavHS and InstHS goes through, NavHS is bent around a tunnel and you aren't even aware of it If you are InstHS and someone is waiting to ambush you, you are not in NavHS for even a complete second, making the ambush useless. This allows the safety of InstHS for most flight, but the control and expoloration of NavHS for special missions or personal preference.