warpspace

<XMP><body> <script type="text/javascript"> //OwnerIQ var __oiq_pct = 50; if( __oiq_pct>=100 || Math.floor(Math.random()*100/(100-__oiq_pct)) > 0 ) { var _oiqq = _oiqq || []; _oiqq.push(['oiq_addPageBrand','Lycos']); _oiqq.push(['oiq_addPageCat','Internet > Websites']); _oiqq.push(['oiq_addPageLifecycle','Intend']); _oiqq.push(['oiq_doTag']); (function() { var oiq = document.createElement('script'); oiq.type = 'text/javascript'; oiq.async = true; oiq.src = document.location.protocol + '//px.owneriq.net/stas/s/lycosn.js'; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(oiq, s); })(); } /////// Google Analytics var _gaq = _gaq || []; _gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'UA-21402695-21']); _gaq.push(['_setDomainName', 'angelfire.com']); _gaq.push(['_setCustomVar', 1, 'member_name', 'mech/ironclad', 3]); _gaq.push(['_trackPageview']); (function() { var ga = document.createElement('script'); ga.type = 'text/javascript'; ga.async = true; ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https://ssl' : 'http://www') + '.google-analytics.com/ga.js'; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s); })(); ////// Lycos Initialization ///////////////////// var lycos_ad = Array(); var lycos_search_query = ""; var lycos_onload_timer; var cm_role = "live"; var cm_host = "angelfire.lycos.com"; var cm_taxid = "/memberembedded"; var angelfire_member_name = "mech/ironclad"; var angelfire_member_page = "mech/ironclad/warpspace.html"; var angelfire_ratings_hash = "1721112649:97f57d7886e0c498a0baff4083e80085"; var lycos_ad_category = {"dmoz":"recreation\/autos","ontarget":"&CAT=family%20and%20lifestyles&L2CAT=hobbies","find_what":"security cars"}; var lycos_ad_remote_addr = "209.202.244.9"; var lycos_ad_www_server = "www.angelfire.lycos.com"; var edit_site_url = "www.angelfire.lycos.com/landing/landing.tmpl?utm_source=house&utm_medium=landingpage&utm_campaign=toolbarlink"; </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="https://scripts.lycos.com/catman/init.js"></script> <script type='text/javascript'> var googletag = googletag || {}; googletag.cmd = googletag.cmd || []; (function() { var gads = document.createElement('script'); gads.async = true; gads.type = 'text/javascript'; var useSSL = 'https:' == document.location.protocol; gads.src = (useSSL ? 'https:' : 'http:') + '//www.googletagservices.com/tag/js/gpt.js'; var node = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; node.parentNode.insertBefore(gads, node); })(); </script> <script type='text/javascript'> googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.defineSlot('/95963596/ANG_300x250_dfp', [300, 250], 'div-gpt-ad-1450207484070-0').addService(googletag.pubads()); googletag.enableServices(); }); </script> <script type='text/javascript'> googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.defineSlot('/95963596/ANG_above_728x90_dfp', [728, 90], 'div-gpt-ad-1450207484070-1').addService(googletag.pubads()); googletag.enableServices(); }); </script> <script type='text/javascript'> googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.defineSlot('/95963596/ANG_below_728X90_dfp', [728, 90], 'div-gpt-ad-1450207484070-2').addService(googletag.pubads()); googletag.enableServices(); }); </script> <script type="text/javascript"> (function(isV) { if (!isV) { return; } //this.lycos_search_query = lycos_get_search_referrer(); var adMgr = new AdManager(); var lycos_prod_set = adMgr.chooseProductSet(); var slots = ["leaderboard", "leaderboard2", "toolbar_image", "toolbar_text", "smallbox", "top_promo", "footer2","slider"]; var adCat = this.lycos_ad_category; adMgr.setForcedParam('page', (adCat && adCat.dmoz) ? adCat.dmoz : 'member'); if (this.lycos_search_query) { adMgr.setForcedParam("keyword", this.lycos_search_query); } else if (adCat && adCat.find_what) { adMgr.setForcedParam('keyword', adCat.find_what); } for (var s in slots) { var slot = slots[s]; if (adMgr.isSlotAvailable(slot)) { this.lycos_ad[slot] = adMgr.getSlot(slot); } } adMgr.renderHeader(); adMgr.renderFooter(); }((function() { var w = 0, h = 0, minimumThreshold = 300; if (top == self) { return true; } if (typeof(window.innerWidth) == 'number' ) { w = window.innerWidth; h = window.innerHeight; } else if (document.documentElement && (document.documentElement.clientWidth || document.documentElement.clientHeight)) { w = document.documentElement.clientWidth; h = document.documentElement.clientHeight; } else if (document.body && (document.body.clientWidth || document.body.clientHeight)) { w = document.body.clientWidth; h = document.body.clientHeight; } return ((w > minimumThreshold) && (h > minimumThreshold)); }()))); window.onload = function() { var f = document.getElementById("lycosFooterAd"); var b = document.getElementsByTagName("body")[0]; b.appendChild(f); f.style.display = "block"; document.getElementById('lycosFooterAdiFrame').src = '/adm/ad/footerAd.iframe.html'; // Slider Injection (function() { var e = document.createElement('iframe'); e.style.border = '0'; e.style.margin = 0; e.style.display = 'block'; e.style.cssFloat = 'right'; e.style.height = '254px'; e.style.overflow = 'hidden'; e.style.padding = 0; e.style.width = '300px'; })(); // Bottom Ad Injection ( function() { var b = document.getElementsByTagName("body")[0]; var iif = document.createElement('iframe'); iif.style.border = '0'; iif.style.margin = 0; iif.style.display = 'block'; iif.style.cssFloat = 'right'; iif.style.height = '254px'; iif.style.overflow = 'hidden'; iif.style.padding = 0; iif.style.width = '300px'; iif.src = '/adm/ad/injectAd.iframe.html'; var cdiv = document.createElement('div'); cdiv.style = "width:300px;margin:10px auto;"; cdiv.appendChild( iif ); if( b ) { b.insertBefore(cdiv, b.lastChild); } })(); } </script> <style> #body .adCenterClass { margin:0 auto; display:block !important; overflow:hidden; width:100%; } #body .adCenterClass #ad_container { display:block !important; float:left; width:728px; } @media (min-width: 768px) {  #body .adCenterClass #ad_container { width: calc(100% - 372px); } } @media (min-width: 1110px) {  #body .adCenterClass #ad_container { width: calc(100% - 372px); } } </style> <div style="background:#abe6f6; border-bottom:1px solid #507a87; position:relative; z-index:9999999"> <div class="adCenterClass"> <a href="https://www.angelfire.lycos.com/" title="Angelfire.com: build your free website today!" style="display:block; float:left; width:186px; border:0"> <img src="/adm/ad/angelfire-freeAd.jpg" alt="Site hosted by Angelfire.com: Build your free website today!" style="display:block; border:0" /> </a> <div id="ad_container"> <script type="text/javascript">document.write(lycos_ad['leaderboard']);</script> </div> </div> </div>  <script type="text/javascript">document.write(lycos_ad['slider']);</script> <div id="lycosFooterAd" style="background:#abe6f6; border-top:1px solid #507a87; clear:both; display:none; position:relative; z-index:9999999"> <div class="adCenterClass" style="display:block!important; overflow:hidden; width:936px;"> <div id="aflinksholder" style="float:left; width:186px;"> <a href="https://www.angelfire.lycos.com/" title="Angelfire.com: build your free website today!" style="display:block; border:0"> <img src="/adm/ad/angelfire-freeAd2.jpg" alt="Site hosted by Angelfire.com: Build your free website today!" style="display:block; border:0" /> </a> </div> <iframe id="lycosFooterAdiFrame" style="border:0; display:block; float:left; height:96px; overflow:hidden; padding:0; width:750px"></iframe> </div> </div>  <script data-cfasync="false" language="javascript" async src="//udmserve.net/udm/img.fetch?sid=17754;tid=1;dt=6;"></script>  </xmp> warpspace

        The ancient astropath took his place at the head of the room. He hooked one buttock over the edge of the desk and fidgeted briefly until he was comfortable. Even though his eyes had been useless for decades, he looked up at the class so that his voice might project better. A miniscule nudge from his mind silenced the students and commanded their attention.

“Continuing on from yesterday...
         The universe, by which I mean our physical universe that is not warpspace, can be thought of as being like a big sheet of paper. Screw up this sheet of paper so that it is intricately folded and creased and place it in a glass. The air within the glass represents warpspace. warpspace and realspace are connected and warpspace surrounds realspace. Warpspace is also considered to be smaller than realspace, yet has a similar or possibly greater level of energy. This gradient between the two universes explains how psykers and some devices can draw energy from the warp. The analogy of a crumpled sheet of paper in a glass helps us understand how such things might be possible.

        Upon the surface of this sheet of paper I want you to imagine an ant. To get from one place on the paper to another the ant must walk across its surface, traversing every point between its origin and its destination. The ant represents a spacecraft that has no warp drive and can only travel in realspace.

        Also on our sheet of paper is a flea. The flea can walk across the sheet of paper, like the ant, or it may decide to jump. If it jumps it passes through the air and lands on another part of the paper, without having to traverse the surface of the paper in between these points. The air represents warpspace. The flea represents a ship with warp drive. By travelling through warpspace, it can move from one part of realspace to another without having to pass through the realspace in between.

        This is a useful analogy, but like so many analogies, it is limited. In practice realspace has three dimensions, not two like the surface of a sheet of paper, but our minds and experience make it difficult to envision how that would fit into a smaller space but it is the same principle. The shape of realspace and warpspace in relation to each other is constantly changing. If this were to be represented our piece of paper should be constantly moving and changing, refolding and flattening itself. The air within the cup would be turbulent with forever shifting currents, winds and vortices.

        Let us consider some practicalities! A warpship cannot enter warpspace from just anywhere. Various factors come into play but the ones that are usually most significant are gravity and the concentration of matter in an area. The level of inter-planetary debris must fall below maximum warp density.

        For a star system such as Sol we do not encounter such conditions until we are beyond the orbit of Pluto. In most star systems there are similar restrictions and warp jumps are not typically made until a ship is beyond the outer planets. Typically safe jump points for a star system occur five to six light hours from the system centre.

        A warpship must move the considerable mass of its warp engines. It also has to carry sufficient provision for its voyage, which as we shall see, is not inconsiderable! When travelling between a jump point and their destination a warpship sometimes achieves a velocity of 10 milliC, or 1% of lightspeed. In practice acceleration to such speeds has to be gradual since the risk of collision with debris is high, particularly in the inner regions of a system, so the average speed of a voyage is lower than this.

        However, if we assume that a ship can maintain 1% speed we will see that travelling to the jump point will take in excess of 500 to 600 hours or more than three weeks! Travel through the warp may take two to four weeks and on arrival the ship must travel from the jump point to its destination, which is likely to be another three or four weeks of travel. Obviously any ship that travels through the warp needs to carry at least three months’ supplies.

        I have used the term “jump point”, but as you should begin to see, this term is ambiguous in its common usage. When a spacer talks about travelling to a jump point what he usually means is travelling far enough out of a system for the warp engines to be safely activated. Some navigators therefore talk of a jump line or jump distance instead. In some systems there are regions within the system from which jumps can safely be made. Some of these jump points are permanent, while others vary with the configuration of nearby bodies. Naturally where such inner system jump points occur they are of important economic and strategic value.

        Warp jumps of only four to five light years can be made with relative accuracy and safety. Longer distances are more unpredictable and need a navigator. With a navigator jumps of up to 5,000 light years can be made. The navigators give the Imperium a great advantage over other races. Alien races can only make journeys as a series of small jumps.

        As you all know, the blessed Imperium rightly controls travel between star systems. Illegal travel by unregistered ships does occur, however. Since such ships can rarely obtain the services of a navigator they are restricted to short jumps. Illegal shipping is most often found between systems that are only a few light years apart. Some of you will have heard recently of Barnard’s Box? This refers to a pattern of movement of unregistered ships between Sol, Proxima, the Alpha Centauris and Barnard’s Star. Seems another campaign may be planned to clamp down on this.

        We have talked of warpships. Let us consider sub-stellar ships for a moment. The vast majority of spacecraft in the Imperium are sub-stellar ships which travel only within the confines of their own star system. Also in this class we may include the various non-warp capable ships that are carried by warpships. These include shuttles, fighters, scout ships and the like. Such vessels see many star systems, but cannot travel between them on their own.

        Many of you will serve on sub-stellar ships, and you should not underestimate them.

        We have spoken of the considerable mass of a warp engine. We have also learnt that a warpship will commonly carry two or three month”s supplies for every crew member and passenger. Sub-stellar ships do not carry warp engines. Many operate close to bases or mother ships so do not have to carry such extensive supplies. Freed of such unnecessary weight the sub-stellar ship can use its drives more effectively. Freighters need less energy to move their cargos. Warships can achieve greater speeds, or carry more armour and armament.

        Few Intersellar craft, whether military or merchant, ever achieve a velocity greater than 10 milliC. A sub-stellar cutter, of the sort used to patrol a system can travel at 14 or 15 milliC. Chasers are smaller and lighter and may achieve 17 or even 18 milliC. The Void-Dagger fighter makes 21 milliC, with some individual Void Daggers being even faster. Planetary monitors are not built for speed, but they have a level of firepower and protection that makes them equal to all but the greatest Interstellar battleships.”

        A milliC is one thousanth the speed of light, or a tenth of 1% of lightspeed and is a convenient unit of measure for the velocity of intra-system travel.
        15 milliC would therefore be 1.5% of lightspeed. 1 milliC is therefore around 186 miles per second, 300km/s, 674,533 mph or 1,079,253 km/hr. Back

Warhammer 40,000 Scrapboard Page

By the Author of the Scrapboard : Blog of the Books.
	Attack, Avoid, Survive: Essential Principles of Self Defence Available in Handy A5 and US Trade Formats. A5 Edition. US Trade Edition. New Global Edition Epub Global Edition Video Webpage
	Survival Weapons: Optimizing Your Arsenal
	Crash Combat Second Edition with additional content. Epub edition Second Edition with additional content. Crash Combat Third Edition Epub edition Third Edition.
	Anatopismo: An Underrealm Novella
	Hell-Ay: Angel Town