VSPR
VSPR (Vitality Sanguinary Proliferation Restarter) is one of the many miracles of the modern age. It was first seen developed in the earlier Interstellar age, developed by Biotech Insights for military use. It launched to an impressive deal of controversy, as the immense strain of the shot on the human body could be fatal. However, development continued until the miracle liquid could heal nearly any wound that did not harm the cardiovascular system severely, without injuring the user. By the Unification War VSPR was a common item carried by soldiers–which remains true to this day.
Red Space Drive
The paper, written by Quantum Physicist Mark Schuler, describing the equation that proved the existence of a quantum locked universe that effected our universe on the micro-scale in 2530s Gregorian, altered humanity’s entire understanding of physics. The paper postulated that the alternate universe was contracting at an inverse speed to our universe’s expansions. His equation relied on dark matter and dark energy being the footprint of this quantum locked universe on our own. Just ten years later, Project Schuler began. Using technology from an ancient vessel found in our solar system, later revealed to be Geksheeshan, Humanity built the Schuler Mark One Drive. Upon the development of this technology, they proved his theory correct, altering humanity’s understanding of the universe. Today Mark Schuler is considered humanity’s Einstein of the Solar Age.
Red Space
Using Quantum Pairs, which connect to each other through Red Space tunnels, a Schuler drive can connect to the alternate universe and open a path large enough for a vessel to pass through. The thinner the vessel, the less power the drive requires. Because Red Space is collapsing at an inverse proportion to our own, it is a fraction of our universe’s size (1 to 100,000 ratio). That means that a single light-year in our space is .00004 light-years in red space. With the rocketry of the time, a light-year would take less than a year to cross instead of millions.
Thrust Gravity/Spin Gravity/Quantum Drift
Gravity is a difficult proposition when dealing with space travel. A zero G environment is exceedingly unhealthy for every species in the Galaxy, without fail. Therefore, in order to maintain a presence in deep space for any length of time, a solution had to be devised. There are two primary ways in which gravity is simulated.
The most common is spin gravity – which is cheap and easy. Primarily found on civilian vessels, especially star liners, this technology allows the vessel to economically conserve fuel while also ensuring a gravitic environment by spinning a wheel or protrusion on the ship.
Another method is thrust gravity. As a ship’s main drive burns and accelerates through space, a vertically oriented vessel can take advantage of that acceleration to simulate gravity. This allows the vessel to cross vast solar distances quickly and provide the crew with gravity.
Quantum Drift is the most advanced form of gravity. Verging on science fiction, this technology, when interacting with a suit worn by the crew, creates a quantum gravitic drift which simulates gravity. It is often built into onboard utensils, such as plates, cups and shelves as well. This allows a ship to remain stationary and still simulate gravity for the health of the crew.
Braun-K Ion Drive
In the early Solar Age, humanity had to find a fuel-efficient means to travel. Dr. Aaron Braun developed no-bleed thrust cone, that allowed an ion engine to harvest 100% of the power of an accelerated Ion-atom. Using this drive cone, the K design, he managed to create a perfect engine. This design has been improved over the millennia, but the Braun-K drive is still the main drive system of most of the known Galaxy.
Weapons
Warfare is one of the constants in the universe. While wars are few and far between, when they happen, they are fought with overwhelmingly powerful weapons. While the galaxy has developed along the same lines as one another, there are a few notable types of weapons favored by various factions across the Galaxy.
Ion: Ion weapons are favored by the Coalition and Allied Republic, due to their long range thanks to the relative velocity of the payload. These weapons use Xenon, electrifying it and using magnetic coils to accelerate it out of the barrel. It was the earliest form of Directed Energy Weapons used in the Galaxy. They first appeared in the four-century war.
Plasma: Plasma weapons are a close relation of the rial gun – the next general evolution. They are favored by the Earth Empire, and Geksheeshan Empire. They operate in the same way as Rail guns, though they use balls of superheated gas rather than solid slugs. The MAC and COIL method are still valid for this weapon type. The Empire prefers Krypton as an ammunition source.
Rail: Rail guns are the oldest form of weapon used on space fairing vessels. They have limited range, though a great deal of power depending on the size of the slug fired. Most of the nations of the Galaxy use rail guns as point defense weapons, or tank weaponry. There are two distinct forms: MAC and Coil. Magnetic Accelerator cannons use a power inverted magnetic pulse to throw a slug out of the barrel. A Coil gun uses a spiral of magnetic rings to pull and push the slug out of the barrel.
Laser: Favored by the Valkyron Union and Grand Dominion, Laser weapons are one of the oldest technologies developed by the sentient races. However, weaponizing it is fairly new, due to the grand power costs of such weapons. Using focusing manifolds this light is focused into a destructive force, directed at the target.
Shields: Shields are not what science fiction depicted them to be: some omnipotent energy field that protected the user from harm until the battery died. There are three types of shielding: barriers, hard-light, and omni-baryonic projection fields. Let us go over the types extremely quickly.
Barrier Shields are just that, solid walls of particles, maintained by a battery pack or generator that, if it has power, acts like a solid object. This shielding is used heavily on soldier armor, deployable cover, inter-actable holograms, dual purpose road guards and lights, windows for certain areas, lockdowns, and airlocks. OBPF or Omni-Baryonic Projection Fields. First designed by the Coalition, this technology is essential an oscillation loop of Baryons and anti-baryons cycling past each other, creating a field that acts as a solid object to almost anything that touches it: it is most commonly used for military applications, primarily as ship and tank shielding.
Shield strength in measured in JPM (Joules per (square) meter): this is called shield tension. If a weapon does not overcome the shield tension, the shield acts as a solid barrier. However, if a weapon overcomes a shield’s JPM, the shield will fail–often leeching the incoming impact of most of its energy. A failed shield either overloads and fries the emitters, or (most often) merely just goes through a reset cycle in seconds to reengage the shielding in the area. Often, this depends on the wear and tear the ship’s shielding has undergone up to that point.
The average capital ship of the 450s (standard type battleships) has a shield JPM of around 20.8p JPM (20.8 Petajoules). The more a ship is angled, the wider an area it can spread an incoming shot out over, which increases a shield’s overall effectiveness. A properly angled capital ship can become immune to all incoming fire until outmaneuvered. Flanking an angled warship is the best course of action when fighting a vessel that has angled against you. In contrasts the average main caliber gun on most standard type capital ships have a JPM of roughly 21p. While these weapons can punch through most shields at a direct angle, angling against such weapons can still immunize a ship to incoming fire: the steeper the angle, the better.
The first shields first appeared in the late 38th century, when humanity first launched the Mythic Class Dreadnought. Aside from the vessel’s iconic standing in Galactic history, the vessel was the first to sport full shielding across the entire hull. This marked a turning point in the second Geksheeshan War and would see the Selmarks stopped in their tracks. Shielding has developed since then. With weapons being ion and plasma based, shielding technology has been forced to do more and more. By the Great War most vessels fielded by a major military power were equipped with shielding in the 12-20 petajoule range.
Cybernetics
Upgrades are the magic of the future. Whether you are looking to give your arm a bigger kick, or increase your performance under the sheets, the corporations have turned the human race into a cybernetic race long ago. Don’t go expecting a super soldier’s upgrades though. Even on the black market such upgrades are rare and extremely expensive.
General Populace
Upgrades that assist in every day life are common. From neural implants that let the individual directly link to the gal-net, interact with holo-displays, and operate machinery are common. Other performance enhancements, especially of the intimate variety, are common.
Illegal: Upgrades that enhance hacking ability, strength past a certain point, and others that could be seen as dangerous to the public are often considered illegal. Though the crackdown on such illicit mods very between governments.
Nightfall: Very few individuals have ever set foot in the grand cities of Nightfall, the great towers of the Costodes or the monasteries of the Valkyrie. Those that have are altered from human to something more. These people are considered techno-mages. Upgrades that transcend organic life and take you farther than most anyone can dream. Technology, after all, can sometimes be indistinguishable from magic. They are given the gift of AUR, which is as much a mystery to them as the rest of the Galaxy.
Sensors
The future isn’t what everybody expected. Light is a powerful force but is cosmically slow. Sensors use rays to see into the void, but let’s face it, they can see only so far. The average ship has about 2 light-minutes of solid vision. Past that point ping (the lag between the object being there and not) gets too high for even an AI to effectively predict.
RADAR: Radio Detecting and Ranging, is a powerful and old technology, able to detect reflective objects for many millions of miles effectively. While it is easily fooled, it is still a mandate to have on any warship as part of its sensor suite. Almost every civilian ship is also equipped with this tried and true technology.
LIDAR: Lazer Detection and Ranging is the next upgrade from RADAR and has been around since before space travel was possible for most species. When using passive mode, this system can pick up objects that reflect light from any source (or even generating its own). This makes it a quite detector. However, when active it uses lasers and light strobes to map the area around the ship – which has the side effect of giving away the ship’s location. It is used by military and civilian ships alike.
Infrared: Infrared detects heat emissions. Against the near absolute zero background of deep space, any heat one might produce tends to be visible to such sensors. As with all the other sensors, such technology predates space travel. However, in its modern form, it is a military only technology – as it is only useful for finding hidden craft. It is used on civilian science vessels.