Hyperspace & Beyond
Chapter 8: Hyperspace & Beyond
Art by Chris Gossett - Dark Horse Comics
"Traveling through hyperspace ain't like dusting crops,
boy!
Without precise calculations we'd fly right through a star or
bounce
too close to a supernova, and that'd end your trip real quick,
wouldn't it?"
The great astronomer and astrophysist, Galtrox Suthui has studied the
phenomena of Hyperspace for many years, building on theories started
even before the Old Republic. He has noted that...
"The hyperdrive is a miracle of advanced technology. Powered by
incredibly efficient fusion generators, hyperdrive engines hurl
ships into hyperspace, a dimension of space-time that can be
entered only at faster than light speeds. The theories and
realities of hyperspace travel are understood by few but
highly-trained hyperspace technicians in the astrophysics
communities, and even they admit that certain aspects remain a
mystery."
Hyperspace is a dimension of space-time that can only be reached by
traveling at lightspeed. Certain things are clear, though. Hyperspace is
coterminous with realspace: each point in realspace is associated with a
unique point in hyperspace, and adjacent points in realspace are adjacent
in hyperspace. In other words, if you travel "north" in realspace then
jump to hyperspace, you'll be heading "north" in hyperspace as well.
Objects in realspace have a "shadow" in hyperspace. That is, there
is a star (or star-like object) in hyperspace at the same location as it
occupies in realspace, and this is a danger to those travelling in
hyperspace.
This is why astrogation and astrogation computers are so
important, and why they are standard aboard most hyperdrive-equipped
ships. Careful calculations must be made to assure that a
hyperspace-travelling ship doesn't smash into a planet or star while
hurtling through this dimension; only the desperate - or foolhardy -
attempt hyperspace jumps without up-to-date astrogation charts and
astrogation Droids or computers. Many Droids and astrogation computers
used on starfighters are capable of containing data for only one
hyperspace jump at a time; others, such as the Rebel Alliance Y-wing can
hold up to 10 jumps without being reprogrammed. Larger starships, such as
Imperial Star Destroyers and similar models, have large onboard
astrogation computers capable of virtually unlimited jump calculations
and actually store jump coordinates for almost every forseeable
destintion the ship may wish to reach.
Even with sophisticated astrogation machines, mistakes are not
uncommon. There are millions of stars in the galaxy, and billions of
planets (not to mention asteroids and other debris), and space is not
static - what was a safe course a few days ago may now be filled with
debris from an exploded starship or collision between large bodies.
Floating molecules are everywhere - only a few per cubic centimeter, but
they still exist. Larger objects, though rarer, are common too. There
are many more "rogue" planets - which float in the intersteller
void, unwarmed by any sun - than are in star systems. Authorities
estimate that the locations of more than 90 percent of all large bodies
in the galaxy are unknown! There are uncountable asteroids, meteors and
random chunks of ice and rock between the stars. With all these variables,
even the largest, most sophisticated computers, operated by the most
experienced astrogators can plot a fatal path through hyperspace - even
along well-traveled routes.
If a ship travelling at translight speeds hits an object of any
size, it is instantly vaporized. Even a close graze with a rogue planet
or sizeable asteroid would throw a ship vastly off course. Astrogation is
definitely a tricky business!
A ship in hyperspace must still go around all objects in our
dimension, called realspace. Therefore, ships can seldom travel straight
from one star to another - they must avoid the mass shadows and
gravitational affects of every star, planet, asteroid and other galactic
phenomenon in the way.
The solution to this was the creation of established, known
hyperspace routes. As these routes were traveled, the obstacles along
the route became better known, and ships could risk going faster and
faster. In simple terms, using an established, well known route allows
for very fast travel, even between distant stars, while using a poorly
traveled route, even if only over a short distance, takes longer and is
often more dangerous.
Starships also have mass shadow sensors that allow them to detect
mass shadows and shut down the ship's hyperdrive to avoid
collision...sometimes. This shutoff will almost always result in the
destruction of the hyperdrive and component parts. However, other times,
the ship has been transferred through hyperspace never to be seen
again - it has gone Beyond Hyperspace!
The following are excerpts from Galtrox Suthui's textbook, Charting
the Beyond:
- Realspace
Realspace, or normal space, is the dimension in which all
residents of the galaxy are presumed to live. Realspace has distance and
volume, as it encompasses all stars, planets, and the space in between.
Travel within realspace is slow compared to traveling through the
shadowy-dimension called hyperspace.
- Otherspace
The technologically advanced inhabitants of the galaxy know of
realspace and hyperspace, and a select few have learned of a place that
seems to exist apart from both of these dimensions. Themed
"Otherspace", this region is full of dead, lifeless planets.
This void appears as a storm-gray expanse of nothingness, with some small
swirls of colored gases and stars that look like shining holes of
darkness. However, it has been discovered that sentient life does indeed
exist in Otherspace. Interviews with survivors of Otherspace tell of a
monstrous, insectoid race of creatures called the Charon. The Charon
believe in a strange death cult and worship the all-powerful Void.
- Anomolous-space (A-Space)
The realization that realspace is not the only dimension around
is only a recent discovery. It seems that there are an infinite number
of dimensions, all different, yet somehow, the same. Hyperspace is not
only a gateway to shorten space travel, it is a gateway to these new
dimensions. After numerous interviews with survivors (Sample, Bebelbox
et. al.), it seems one of these different dimensions is an exceptional
discovery from a scientific standpoint. There are an infinite number of
different dimensions which surround our world. These different
dimensions, however, are anomolies. An example of these is the space
termed "Reverse-space". Reverse-space behaves exacctly like
real-space, except major events have concluded in reverse from our own.
The tyrannical Luke Skywalker defeated the hero, Palpatine to lay claim
as lord of this galaxy. He was thwarted only through a rebellion staged
by his father, Anakin Skywalker and his sister, Leia. However, it seems
that these anomolies can be corrected through the power of the Force. It
is unknown exactly what happens to the anomolous space after it has
been corrected, as all survivors have instantly returned to real-space.
- Outerspace (O-Space)
Outerspace is also a different dimension for our own realspace.
It is a pocket dimension comprised of only millions of galaxies, instead
of an infinite amount. It is neither expanding nor contracting. In the
past, Outerspace was used as a jail by the ancient Jedi Knights. It
seems that the Jedi powers of the time were considerably more powerful
than those of our modern time. The worst criminals were sent into this new
dimension never to be heard from again. However, one such criminal
imprisoned thousands of years ago, was powerful enough to conquer the
entire universe. Kept alive by ancient Sith magic, he finally found a
way to leave Outerspace and return to realspace. He was thwarted by the
combined power of the Empire and the Rebellion with help by the Mandalore
Warriors. Because the proper Jedi techniques have all been lost, the
only way in to Outerspace is through the nightmare dimension,
Otherspace. Unfortunately, the correct entrance vectors for this process
seem to be completely random, and as yet, there are no reliable methods
for leaving
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