In Traveller, when you jump it creates a tunnel that takes roughly seven days to travel through. At the end of the tunnel is your destination, usually another star system at least 1 parsec away. While in that tunnel through jumpspace, you cannot maneuver, change direction or communicate with the outside world.
Ok. I can live with that. But what if something interesting happened?
A jump begins when the Jump drive is 'aimed' at a system. A mathematician (astrogator) or computer program doing the same job aims the ship at a star system. The fusion power plant then burns sufficient fuel to generate energy which is channeled through the jump drive. The jump drive then begins to distort space until a tunnel forms that connects points A and B without going through the intervening space. (At least in this universe.) All the energy that was created is released in a microsecond, pushing the vessel through the tunnel.
BUT... what if, during the jump, an enterprising young individual were to re-engage the jump drive? If the ship carried sufficent fuel for a second jump, why couldn't the jump drive ne recharged and reactivated during the jump? It would be starting a new jump from within jumpspace. WHat would happen?
As I see it, the Jump drive reaches out of normal space and creates a tube through J-space. The tube itself passes through n# of dimensions (n being 4,5,9 or 11. Take your pick.). So if a new tube were begun with its starting point already in a higher dimension, where would the tube wind up? Would it reconnect with the lower energy state in a week by locking onto another vessel's jump path? (Unlikely, but possible) Like an electron jumping energy states and looking for the closest stable energy state? Or would it simply precipitate out of j-space? Or could that trick be used to end a jump prematurely? (Like an electron going to its ground state.)
If it allowed a ship to return to normal space, would the vessel retain its j-space pseudo-velocity? [a jump 1 vessel has the equivilent velocity of about 168c.] That would make for a nice explosion.
I made the analogy of putting a tennis ball atop a basketball and bouncing them. The vessel would move faster and further than expected, kind of a deliberate misjump, but re-entry into normal space would be violent and unstable.
Does anyone have any thoughts on this?
Ok. I can live with that. But what if something interesting happened?
A jump begins when the Jump drive is 'aimed' at a system. A mathematician (astrogator) or computer program doing the same job aims the ship at a star system. The fusion power plant then burns sufficient fuel to generate energy which is channeled through the jump drive. The jump drive then begins to distort space until a tunnel forms that connects points A and B without going through the intervening space. (At least in this universe.) All the energy that was created is released in a microsecond, pushing the vessel through the tunnel.
BUT... what if, during the jump, an enterprising young individual were to re-engage the jump drive? If the ship carried sufficent fuel for a second jump, why couldn't the jump drive ne recharged and reactivated during the jump? It would be starting a new jump from within jumpspace. WHat would happen?
As I see it, the Jump drive reaches out of normal space and creates a tube through J-space. The tube itself passes through n# of dimensions (n being 4,5,9 or 11. Take your pick.). So if a new tube were begun with its starting point already in a higher dimension, where would the tube wind up? Would it reconnect with the lower energy state in a week by locking onto another vessel's jump path? (Unlikely, but possible) Like an electron jumping energy states and looking for the closest stable energy state? Or would it simply precipitate out of j-space? Or could that trick be used to end a jump prematurely? (Like an electron going to its ground state.)
If it allowed a ship to return to normal space, would the vessel retain its j-space pseudo-velocity? [a jump 1 vessel has the equivilent velocity of about 168c.] That would make for a nice explosion.
I made the analogy of putting a tennis ball atop a basketball and bouncing them. The vessel would move faster and further than expected, kind of a deliberate misjump, but re-entry into normal space would be violent and unstable.
Does anyone have any thoughts on this?
