Scenario: Wave Propulsion
From Future
This is the development and history of "space-time wave propulsion" up until the launch of the spaceship Stargazer, which heralded the beginning of humanity's participation in interstellar affairs.
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[edit] The theory
Scientists, in June of 2052 discovered the existence of the substrate within which our universe exists. A domain outside normal three-dimensional space, they named this place "metaspace". They found that certain energetic reactions could create an intrusion of this domain into our own space, altering the behavior of things within our space-time. They called this intrusion a "metaspatial field". With metaspace being a continuum with different physical laws than our own, metaspatial fields had the capability of "warping" the space-time continuum. Metaspace was also found to provide an additional electromagnetic polarization plane perpendicular to the planes in normal space which could be used for the transmission of particles. This led scientists all over the world to foresee the advent of faster than light communications.
While studying the works of physicist Miguel Alcubierre in 2053, a young doctoral student at the California Institute of Technology named Ulysses Valentine Lobo first postulated that a spaceship could use metaspatial fields projected by a series of coils to warp the fabric of space and that ship could use the warp to propel it faster than light. This drive would work by contracting space-time in front of the ship and expanding space-time behind it. The starship itself would rests in a bubble between the two space-time distortions. This warped space, together with the region of normal space between it, would accelerate off faster than the speed of light and the vessel would then ride on the wave in space-time created by this distortion.
Travel at velocities exceeding the speed of light would be possible in this fashion because the starship would be, strictly speaking, stationary (relative to the space of its bubble) while space-time itself would be moving. Since it is the space around a ship that would be moving and the starship would not actually be accelerating, it would experience no time dilation, allowing the passage of time inside the vessel to be the same as that outside it.
[edit] Tetracronium
In January of 2054, interplanetary probes charting and surveying a variety of geological features on the solar system's inner planets discovered three new minerals, the first two were named "monosilicate corterium" and "polycrystal vertenum." The third was a new kind of shocked quartz found on the moons of Saturn. This new substance would eventually be named "tetracronium." Samples of it were sent to the world's leading researchers to analyze it for potential benefits. Once on Earth, it was discovered that this new element possesses fourth-dimensional properties, it has the ability to "transtate" and focus energy. Bids flew in from the scientific community to get their hands on the unique new material. But it was maverick scientist U.V. Lobo, working in seclusion at his Texas ranch, that made the biggest breakthrough of all.
Dr. Lobo began experimenting with the properties of tetracronium, particularly after witnessing first hand initial experiments by scientist Ogama Sakura at the University of Tokyo, that proved that tetracronium had the ability to resist antimatter bombardment. In 2058 he finally found a way to power his "space-time wave propulsion," as he had taken to calling it. In his private lab near Arlington, Texas, he came to the conclusion that the only power source known to humans that could power the wave propulsion was a reactor employing the controlled mixture of matter and antimatter. Such a reaction, when regulated by tetracronium crystals, would create a high-energy plasma that fed directly into special coils made of "corterio-vertenite", which is a composite material composed of monosilicate corterium and polycrystal vertenum. When this material is energized, it would cause the energy frequencies in the plasma to shift into metaspace, generating multi-layered metaspatial fields with a specific frequency that would form what he called a "wave bubble" that envelops a spacecraft. He believed the craft could cross the light-speed barrier by manipulating these fields to warp the geometry of space-time immediately around it.
Most "reputable" scientists dismissed Lobo's theories as science fiction. A billionaire philanthropist named Jatinder Sharma, however, took great interest in the project. He introduced Lobo to his astronautical engineer niece Madelyn Sharma in 2059 and the two began to confer on how to design a space vessel equipped with Lobo's wave propulsion. In December of 2061 Lobo and Madelyn Sharma finished designing their prototype wave propulsion fitted craft dubbed the "Expedition." The two then set out to scrounge for materials to build the Expedition. Jatinder Sharma donated a few high-quality tetracronium crystals and a magnetic bottle containing antimatter to the project.
[edit] Alien contact
Lobo and Sharma, along with a growing group of old friends helping with the project, finished assembling the Expedition in March of 2063. On the morning of April 5, 2063 U.V. Lobo became the first human to travel faster than light when he engaged the Space-time Wave Propulsion of the Expedition. The Relshar, a nearby M'Thoom survey vessel passing the outer rim of the system detected the Expedition traveling at a wave propulsion speed. After much debate and some consultation with the M'Thoom government, Captain Veergla of the Relshar ordered the ship to change course and land on Earth.
At 7:43 that night, the Relshar landed near Lobo's ranch and a small contingent of Humans and M'Thoom came together to exchange greetings, resulting in humanity's first contact with an extraterrestrial civilization. The next day, the governments of Earth went into an uproar with the revelation that an alien ship landed in the United States. It was demanded that the M'Thoom crew meet with the United Nation's Security Council. Veergla addressed the UN Security Council on April 8 and described his people as a peaceful species native to the planet Ya'Jol and vowed to help Earth as it emerges as a new member of the interstellar community. The Sol System was so richly endowed with tetracronium on the crystalline outer planets that it was one contributing factor as to why the M'Thoom became so interested in Earth affairs. Soon Earth and Ya'Jol became firm affiliates in trade and commerce. Artificial gravity technology was the first thing to be bought from the M'Thoom by humanity.
Among several scientific revelations the M'Thoom soon shared with humanity was that despite the size of the Milky Way, habitable planets are quite rare. There is too much radiation near the core to allow life to form on planets orbiting stars there. At the opposite end, centrifugal force acts like a centrifuge and flings the lighter elements out towards the galactic rim. Planets in that region are lacking in metal, so they are pretty worthless. But there's a band of stars about thirty to forty thousand light years from the center. That's were all the "good planets" are, the galactic habitable zone; and even in the habitable zone intelligent life is tremendously rare.
[edit] The early years
On August 15 the space agencies of the world combined to form a unified organization called the Interstellar Exploration Consortium. It's mandate from the start was to explore and chart the more promising star systems close to Earth with the intention of investigating colonization potential. U.V. Lobo was named to the Board of Directors. Due to the spectacular success of Lobo's use of tetracronium ore, the Astral Mining Group was established in 2064. Its mission was to oversee the mining of the precious tetracronium from the outer planets.
Lobo successfully tested his newest engine on his test ship Expedition II on March 17, 2070. The engine well surpassed his expectations by traveling at 10 times the speed of light.
The Interstellar Transport Fleet was chartered on December 13, 2071 to facilitate trade ships leaving Earth for the outer colonies and the new alien worlds that had made contact with Earth. The Astral Mining Group became an ancillary arm of the new organization. The crew of these ships would later spend years traveling from one planet to another with whole generations growing up in space, and the ownership of ships would often passed down family lines.
[edit] A united Earth
The United Earth Confederation (UEC) government was officially chartered in Houston, Texas on January 4 of 2083. Every nation on Earth joined the new global government. The Interstellar Exploration Consortium, formerly a private organization, agreed to become a government entity in exchange for the added funding.
In April of 2089 the IEC opened the Stargazer Program on Earth to develop a faster means of propulsion. Over five years later, on October 9, 2094 the UEC, in an attempt to broaden the powers of their space forces, ordered the IEC to be dissolved and created an organization called the SpaceCorps. Using a massive complex just outside of Houston as headquarters, the SpaceCorps maintained the IEC's mission of exploration, but took on the added duty of patrolling Earth trade routes and colonies. The SpaceCorps wasn't exactly a military; it was designed to be more like a space-based version of the old United States Coast Guard.
[edit] Expedition Project
In 2102, under the authority of the SpaceCorps, the Stargazer Program began the Expedition Project. The goal was to test out a highly advanced engine designed by the Dr. Jesse Kamoa, a protegee of Dr. Lobo's. Eventually, the working Kamoa engine would be used on Earth's first starship to be dubbed Stargazer at the request of U.V. Lobo.
On March 9, 2103 SpaceCorps Commander Gabrielle Tran piloted the Alpha Test-Vessel at 39 times the speed of light before the test ship broke apart. During an unplanned flight on March 11, Commander Tran and Lieutenant Commander Erik Moretti piloted the Beta Test-Vessel up to 102 times the speed of light. The spacecraft held together and returned to Earth. The SpaceCorps ordered all the Test-Vessels to be grounded until further tests could be run. With the Expedition Project on indefinite hold, the SpaceCorps opted to begin work on an interim class of ship. The first ship of the Dallas-class, dubbed Independence, was due to launch in seven years.
In 2104, M'Thoom and human scientists agreed that Jesse Kamoa's engine design would work and the Expediton Project resumed on June 4 of that year. Commander Hector Ramirez piloted the Gamma Test-Vessel to 214 times the speed of light on June 11. Commander Pierre Brahim went to 392 in the Delta Test-Vessel on December 19. Convinced that Jesse Kamoa's design would work in a full-scale ship, the SpaceCorps authorized the construction of the Stargazer. The UEC quickly put the designs for the improved engine designs into the open market. Within two years, every transport vessel was equipped with an engine that could at least reach the same speed as the Delta Test-Vessel.
[edit] The adventures begin
The SpaceCorps launched the Independence on March 21, 2110. The Dallas-class ship had many design features that would be used and improved upon in the much larger Stargazer. The ship was capable of traveling at 656 times the speed of light. The next two ships, Endeavor and Constellation, were scheduled for launch several months before Stargazer.
In early November of 2113, the SpaceCorps selected Captain Erik Moretti to command the Stargazer. The first of a new generation of starships designed for long-term space travel and scientific discovery, the Stargazer was launched on October 1, 2114. Stargazer's revolutionary new engine capable of propelling the ship 1,024 times the speed of light put humanity within reach of thousands of inhabited worlds, compared to the small handful at lower speeds.
