Jumpgate
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- For the MMORPG, see Jumpgate: The Reconstruction Initiative
In science fiction, Jumpgate (or jump gate) refers to a device that allows fast travel between two points in space. Several works use this term extensively.
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[edit] Babylon 5
In the Babylon 5 television series, a Jump Gate is an apparatus with the power to open a vortex that connects normal space with hyperspace, making interstellar travel a matter of days. Jumpgates also provide beacons that allow navigation within hyperspace. The creators of this technology are not known.
[edit] Buck Rogers in the 25th Century
In the Buck Rogers in the 25th Century television series a network of stargates has been set up for interstellar travel. In this context, stargates are the same concept as jumpgates. These stargates were shown as a diamond-shaped quartet of stars that shimmered when a vessel was making transit.
[edit] EVE Online
In the MMORPG EVE Online, jump gates allow travel between star systems. Due to the complex nature of their construction and the physics that they are based upon, a jump gate must be placed between two stars of a star system with at least two stars - this makes "approximately one in every three" star systems unsuitable.
[edit] Fading Suns
In the fictional Fading Suns universe jumpgates are the only means to travel between the stars. They are huge structures left behind by some almost unknown alien civilization called the Ur. The jumpgates are long ring-like structures that have a diameter of several kilometers across, they are opened by a device called jump engine, and the route is controlled by another device called the jump key. The civilization of the known worlds has very little understanding of the principles at work behind the gates.
[edit] Freelancer
In the Freelancer game by Digital Anvil, the jumpgate is an apparatus which provides travel from system to system. After the Liberty landed on Planet Manhattan and began exploring the New York System they came across the natural phenomenon known as the Jumphole. Ageira Technologies researched it and developed the Jumpgate, and in conjunction with Deep Space Engineering, provided the rest of the Houses with the technology- for a hefty fee.
Jumpgates form choke points through which traffic entering a star system must pass, making them favored ambush points for criminal groups such as the Outcasts and Corsairs. To guard against this, naval or military checkpoints are commonly situated near Jumpgates, who also take advantage of the opportunity to scan for contraband being smuggled into the system (although smart smugglers and criminals tend to make use of jump holes rather than risk detection and capture.) Jumpgates are also outfitted with defensive turrets in order to cover the immediate vicinity.
Nevertheless, a great many careers have been cut tragically short in Sirius by an unsuspecting convoy or fighter entering a system only to find a whole squadron of pirate vessels waiting for them and their valuable cargoes.
[edit] Stargate
In the Stargate film & television series universe, Stargates, are ring-shaped devices with 'chevrons' equally spaced around their circumference, and 39 symbols displayed on an inner ring. They were created by an extinct alien race known as the Ancients (or the Alterans), who scattered them on Earth-like planets throughout the Milky Way and other galaxies. They are occasionally collectively referred to as the "Stargate Network".
If given enough power, and "dialed" correctly, Stargates can be used to open wormholes from one gate to another, allowing nearly instantaneous travel between them. Matter can only pass in one direction between Stargates through a wormhole- from the gate that "initiated" the connection to the gate that was "dialed". Matter in transit is broken down into its individual atoms and then reconstructed on the other side, but walking through a Stargate is superficially no different to stepping through a doorway. Communication from one end to the other of a wormhole can be conducted by using radio signal transmissions, which are able to travel in both directions through the wormhole. Because of stability issues with the wormholes that the stargates generate, the wormholes last only 38 minutes under normal circumstances, as seen in the Stargate Atlantis episode, Thirty-eight Minutes.
[edit] Transformers
The original Transformers cartoon featured the Space Bridge, which created a subspace tunnel from one point to another — typically, from an Earth station to Cybertron. The Earth station resembled a giant ring laying down, with an opening gate. When activated, the sections of the ring would light up, the light spinning until a subspace tunnel was opened and whatever was in the ring pulled in. The Cybertron receiving station was built into a large tower. Only one Space Bridge was ever shown, and it was under Decepticon control. Though the fact that a station existed on Cybertron may be a hint of other Space Bridge stations. It was a key plot device in the first two seasons, phased out afterwards in favor of more standard space travel.
Unlike some examples (see Stargate above), matter is not broken down when sent through the Space Bridge — the objects stay intact inside the subspace tunnel.
[edit] The X Computer Game Series
The jumpgate in the X Computer Game Series by Egosoft is a large device which uses a wormhole to connect itself to another jumpgate. These devices have changed in appearance through the series although this is accepted as a graphical enhancement, not actual gate altering.
The jumpgates create a web of connections to 163 known sectors within the X universe. Within the sector the jumpgates are roughly located in the north, south, east and west. Not all sectors have 4 discovered jumpgates, some have slightly more, many have less.
The jumpgates and their current configuration are believed to be designed by ancient beings who are currently nowhere within the X universe gate system. They are believed to be observing the sectors but direct contact has not occurred in generations. They are also blamed for the re-routing of some jumpgates every now and again, cutting off some sectors or connecting undiscovered ones.
The current intelligent biological residents of the X universe, the Argon, Boron, Paranid, Split and Teladi do not understand the technology behind the jumpgates but the Humans of the Sol system successfully created their own jumpgates in the mid 21st century. The Earth jumpgate connected to the alien jumpgate system. The humans began colonising using the prearranged alien jumpgates although every sector they visited was strangely devoid of intelligent life. The Earth jumpgate was self destructed to trap the destructive terraformer fleet in the X universe, away from Earth.
The only race in the X universe to possibly understand the jumpgates are the Xenon, which are the “descendants” of the robotic terraformer fleet from Earth. They created a jumpdrive to get back to Earth to destroy it. The first jump-ship managed to jump close to the Earth system but it was badly damaged.
[edit] Prehistoric Park
See Prehistoric Park#Technology for more information.
