AMCO
I'm Sorry Dave
- Intent: Weird not-quite-FTL tech for the Open Market.
- Image Source: PYRAMID 02 by Raphael Rau
- Canon Link: N/A
- Permissions: N/A
- Primary Source: Jumpmaster 1.01 Microdrive | Scientific Basis | Alcubierre Drive
- Manufacturer: Vanguard Hypernautics
- Affiliation: The Globex Corporation
- Market Status: Open-Market
- Model: Jumpmaster Subdrive Module
- Modularity: Limited, primarily size.
- Production: Mass-Produced
- Material: Titanium-Chromium Compound; Borium, Guerrerite, & Durelium Components; Visium (High-Grade or Solid State).
- Jumpmaster Subdrives surround a vessel in a bubble of exotic energies that partially separate it from Realspace, allowing it to accelerate to velocities approaching the speed of light relative to its surroundings without actually altering its base speed. As such, it allows one to rapidly reposition in-system without necessitating the expenditure of unfathomable amounts of energy. Hyperdrives are, of course, far faster.
- As a result, ramming actions using Subdrives would not necessarily bring to bear any more force than normal.
- Full Speed Ahead: Subdrives allow vessels to approach the speed of light relative to their surroundings without actually accelerating much.
- Interdict Me Not: As Subdrives do not actually enter Hyperspace, conventional interdiction technology do nothing whatsoever to stop them.
- Slower Than Light: Subdrives are not FTL technology; travelling lightyears would take, well, years. Interstellar travel is not recommended.
- Beyond Unsubtle: While in use, Subdrives produce vast amounts of waste energy released as light and radiation; stealth is not possible.
- Sensitive Bubble: The energy bubbles that facilitate Subjumps are too sensitive to permit the firing of weapons, in-atmosphere use, etc.
Strange, loud, and selectively useful - all words well-suited to describe Vanguard's new Subdrives, oddball "discount hyperdrives" built to approach the speed of light without actually accelerating further or leaving Realspace. Though they are potentially useful in bypassing blockades and as an alternative to microjumps in combat, the core function is to bypass interdictors (and pseudointerdictors) by simply... leaving quickly.
While far harder to evade, ramming actions using Subjumps are risky at best - while they don't carry more momentum than normal, per se, there is a not insignificant risk that such a violent collapse of the energy bubble may lead to a greater than normal backlash for the ramming vessel.
This is especially likely if the rammed vessel's deflector shields are still holding strong.
While far harder to evade, ramming actions using Subjumps are risky at best - while they don't carry more momentum than normal, per se, there is a not insignificant risk that such a violent collapse of the energy bubble may lead to a greater than normal backlash for the ramming vessel.
This is especially likely if the rammed vessel's deflector shields are still holding strong.
