Jump Gate Technology

Jump Gate Technology allows the construction of Jump Gates, which are giant constructs that allow a ship not equipt with a Jump Engine/Hyperdrive to enter Hyperspace, where is will follow Hyperspace Transponders to another Jump Gate from which it can exit Hyperspace. Jump Gates of other species can be linked into the Hyperspace Transponders systems.

Jumpgates work by manipulating four stable, energetic forces of opposing polarity generated by each strut that work against each other to create a vacuum effect which forms an unstable vortex which rips the spacetime continuum and opens a pathway to hyperspace via a singularity. Some jumpgates use three struts instead of four, though the principle is essentially the same.

The struts themselves are each comprised of seven field phasing modules and twelve paired spatial constriction arrays and are assembled in modular sections with Quantium 40 acting as a vital construction material.

Though relatively stable devices, jumpgates, especially ancient ones have been known to be faulty on occasion. Usually this only means a bumpier than usual transition across the event horizon but anything that disturbs the opposing gravitational forces between the struts can cause a reverberating shock-wave that collapses the jump point, essentially forcing the gate closed. If a gate closes prematurely or incorrectly, the resulting explosion and release of energy rivals that of an exploding planetary body, with a blast wave that only the very fastest ships have a hope of escaping in one piece.

Jumpgates require an enormous amount of power and cannot simply be shut down to prevent intruders. In fact it takes at least Two Turns to safely power down a gate and another four or five to power up again. To attempt otherwise would result in a massive explosion of energy, destroying the gate and anything else in range

Once Researched the Jumpgate Structure can be constructed.