Codex Entry:

Technologies:

FTL:

Slipspace vs Mass Effect

Slipstream Space:

Slipstream Space, or 'Slipspace' as it is known, and the Mass Effect of Element Zero or 'Eezo'. The two predominant means of FTL travel in the known galaxy. FTL, or 'Faster-Than-Light', a term, and a science that has allowed all species that have learned of its secrets to spread across the galaxy, and in one case, beyond.

For hundreds, thousands and millions of years, the entering of the other dimension of space, called Slipstream Space, or Slipspace for short, was the only means of FTL travel known by Second Ascension Humanity, the New and Old Covenant, and the Forerunners and First Ascension humanity, respectively, had known. A plane not limited to FTL travel, as recorded in the Forerunner archives, but short range teleportation, another topic entirely. FTL through Slipspace is achieved through what are called slipspace drives, which are 'engines' that, for all intents and purposes, 'rip' a hole in the very fabric of the universe, stabilize the hole, allowing the vessel to safely enter the dimension known as 'slipstream space', where the laws of physics are malleable or cease to exist entirely.

And traveling within this dimension allows for travel at speeds space within Slipstream, but lethal in normal space. There are few limitations to this method, one of which is energy. The energy required to open a 'hole' in slipspace is massive, and the larger the vessel, the more energy required, and the potential to end up anywhere from several tens of thousands, to almost a million kilometeres off target. Along with unexplained time dilation effect. ETAs are more of calculated guess than accurate numbers as the very nature of slipspace makes accurate ETAs impossible. For the most part, an ETA and actual arrival are within a few hours of each other, however there have been cases where a ship came anywhere from days to months behind or ahead of schedule. Even frequently traveled paths and standard calculations, this effect still happens.

The record stands at a UNSC Cruiser, Heaven's Light, entering slipspace just days before First Contact at Harvest, en route to the world of Reach, only to reemerge just days after First Contact at Shanxi, above Reach. More prevalent are the dangers. Entering slipspace is always a risk, especially with new species, as there is chance a vessel or even a fleet of vessels may enter slipspace, only to never return. Along with any damage to a slipspace drive can cause the 'hole' to be ripped into right amid ship, with the core being the epic center. Anything caught within is either atomized or lost to slipspace, never to be found again. Still, the advantages far outweigh the risks, as with this method, travel across the galaxy is possible in a single, if lengthy trip.

Mass Effect:

Mass Effect, or Element Zero based travel is far different. Utilizing the element know as Element Zero by the Citadel Races and Neutronium by humanity, the substance is very unique. When an electrical current is run through it, it uses what is termed as 'Dark energy' to create 'mass effect fields'. Theses fields, depending on the nature of the charge (+/-), can either increase or decrease the mass of a vessel. Allowing the basic engines to push the craft to what would otherwise be unattainable speeds. Unlike slipspace, this method is far more limited to short range travel between neighboring star systems, and there is a limit to just how large a vessel can be before the amount of element zero required is unfeasible or impractical. But there is also no time-dilation effect and much safer to operate, the only real dangers being a buildup of static energy within the Drive core, the Mass Effect version of a slipspace core, which must be discharged in-atmosphere or risk it being discharged within the ship and killing all on board.

All attempts to convert this static buildup to usable energy have failed. For long distance travel, Mass Relays are used. These are a combination of an over sized drivecore and linear accelerator. A connection is built between two Relays, a receiver and a sender, which creates a 'mass-free corridor' in space-time, where essentially matter will have, for all intents and purposes in regards to velocity and acceleration, are irrelevant, before sending the vessel down the 'corridor' to the receiving relay. The limitations regarding this method are obvious: a connection is required between two Relays to gain access to the greater galaxy, without which, the only methods using this FTL-method is either a generational-type vessel that travels in normal space, or a 'hop-scotch' method, using a drive core to make 'leaps' into unknown territory. As it stands, the galaxy is littered by Mass relays, supposedly 'created' by an extinct race known only as the Protheans. Humans are skeptical as examination of Relays once-encased in some material, such as ice, suggest the relays are far older than thought.

Military Applications

General:

The military applications and benefits from both methods are plain to see: the ability to quickly and efficiently, transport armed forces and a fleet to virtually anywhere in the galaxy in what may was well be in the blink of an eye by galactic standards. However, there are benefits that are unique to each method of FTL.

Slipspace: Advantages and Limitations

By using slipspace, in regards to travel destination, there few limitations such as having the crew survive the journey and calculating the slipspace jump vector. In addition to the usual inherent faults of slipspace travel such as time dilation, there is a size requirement for a slipspace drive engine to be successfully installed and used. The engine itself is no more than the size of an average four-wheeled ATV or Covenant Ghost, however, for the ship to actually survive the transition into slipspace, due to the high level of G-forces and radiation that would otherwise penetrate the vessel and kill all those onboard. That being said, by Citadel race standards, only a cruiser-sized vessel with dreadnought-level armor could survive a slipspace transition. It is also relatively inaccurate. A precise jump is incredibly difficult, and for a fleet to remain in perfect position entering and exiting slipspace is all but impossible due to the inherent unpredictability of slipspace. Still, to travel using slipspace, means that any location is theoretically accessible and with the right calculations, a slipspace jump is possible from anywhere: from inside a planet's atmosphere, to a gravity well generated by a brown dwarf or gas giant.

Mass Effect: Advantages and Limitations

Mass effect travel is, by comparison to slipspace(using average figures due to time dilation effects), incredibly precise, several levels faster, and carries considerable less risk than slipspace travel and is much less harsh, requiring not as much plating, FTL engine size, or hull size. However, there are several limitations to Mass effect based travel. Both personal engine based, and mass relays. Using personal Mass Effect drive cores, FTL travel range is extremely short due to the necessity of having to discharge static energy build up killing the entire crew. Should a means of effectively discharging this energy without needing a planet be found, the range of this method will massively increase.

However, Mass effect drive core based FTL also grant an unprecedented tactical advantage in space combat. Pioneered by the Krogan during the early conflict between the Council and the turians, and subsequent wargames between the two, it was found extreme short range but precise FTL jumps could be made. As seen in the space above Shanxi, a Mass effect drive based vessel could make a short range 'leap' from the edge of a solar system to within several hundred thousands miles from the planet, and any length of distance between. Against UNSC/CDF warships, this is a nightmare scenario as the majority of naval armaments are designed to strike at (relatively)long ranges with their missiles and MAC weapons, or against craft no larger than a Covenant gunship, their other weapons designed to shoot down incoming craft then serve as anti-ship weapons. This means, if a warship armed with a mass effect drive closed the distance, the UNSC/CDF vessel would be entirely reliant on friendly forces to target the mass effect vessel, while the latter had access to their full armaments.

Mass Effect based travel is several times faster than slipspace drive when using a Mass Relay and in short range jumps as previously explained. However, in the case of the former, it is limited in that the mass relays can be monitored. And the paths a fleet can become predictable and more importantly, can be ambushed.

Interference between Mass Effect and Slipspace drives

In recent memory, there has been only one single instance where Mass Effect FTL technology has had any, let alone adverse, affect on a Slipspace drive. The incident in question being the CDF Cruiser Right of Way being catapulted by the Shanxi Mass Relay, in both directions. It resulted in a total shutdown of the Right of Way's Slipspace drive engine. Something that was then unprecedented, as once a Slispace drive engine is activated, it is impossible to totally shutdown. The best that can be managed being a dormant state.

Since then there has been no further incidents regarding the two FTL methods interfering with the other.

Precursors, Forerunners, First Ascension Humanity

Many wonder why there is no evidence of the earlier races having ever utilized the Mass Relays. Theories exist as to why, but one stands above the rest, with evidence to support it.

The theory goes that the Mass Relays, when they were discovered by the Precursors, were simply ignored. All human tests of the Mass Relay to attempt to learn of their age has marked them to be at least several millions years old. The reason being is the theory that the Precursors were an intergalactic race, meaning that they did not originate from the Milky Way galaxy, but instead traveled here. To put that into perspective, only the Forerunners and First Ascension humanity have since achieved intergalactic travel, or travel between galaxies. Every other civilization that has since come after, has only achieved interstellar travel, or travel between solar systems.

As to First Ascension Humanity and the Forerunners, the theory with the strongest credence is that the systems that which possessed Mass Relays were not ignored, but circumvented. From what little of the Forerunner's star charts that have been recovered, systems that are known to possess Relays, are marked on Forerunner star charts as astro-navigation hazards.

The Relays themselves, apparently caused instabilities in Slipspace drives. Causing them to malfunction when relatively near a Mass Relay. 'Near' being the edges of the solars system and several lightdays beyond. The malfunctions ranging from a slipspace sphere that atomizes everything in its radius, to launching a vessel forward into slipspace, only to arrive as now free floating molecules.

All signs point to Forerunners and First Ascension Humanity knowing of the Mass Relays. The only explanation as to why the Relays were not moved or destroyed was a single statement: "Catastrophic losses. Interference now prohibited."

It is likely that the Forerunners and First Ascension Humanity then marked the systems as astro-navigation hazards that were to be circumvented when traveling. Later, when they found a solution to the cause, the Relays were most likely by then, long since forgotten, and the navigation hazard warnings stayed.

Regarding Second Ascension Humanity and New Covenant slipspace technologies, the reason is much more simple. In the case of the Covenant, most if not all technologies regarding Slipspace was reverse-engineered from Forerunner artifacts, and most likely, a Forerunner slipspace drive. As for Second Ascension Humanity, it is theorized the First Ascension spliced it into their DNA, for reasons unknown. Perhaps due to the Forerunner-Human war.