Gravitational Anomalies

A list of Gravitational Anomalies that can occur in Kariga.

## Gravitational Hurricanes

A Gravitational Hurricane is a severe Gravitational Storm that has escalated because the object that exerted gravity was of a very large size (typically upwards of 28 km). The gravitational influence that a Hurricane may have can increase as it accumulates mass. Hurricanes can endure for several months and distort communication systems as well as the local gravity. A Hurricane will tend to spin at high speeds (up to 85 times per second) and as it is about to dissipate, the Hurricane will spin erratically as it's center of mass changes position rapidly until it explodes violently.

## Gravitational Storm

A Gravitational Storm is a short-lived phenomenon that occurs when a large satellite (natural or not) exerting gravity suddenly disappears or is destroyed and it's mass is ejected. A storm will pull on nearby objects that were in the gravitational sphere of influence of the now-destroyed satellite in a centrifugal manner. As gravity resets to a balanced state, the storm collapses on itself and causes all absorbed items to disperse in an outward direction.

Gravitational Storms typically occur when a large battleship or dreadnought is sunk and can severely affect a battle, as debris can cause unsustainable amounts of damage to be incurred by vessels.

## Interspace

Interspace, also known as *dark space* is a parallel dimension of the Universe influenced primarily by gravity wells. Light does not exist naturally and particles move at exponential rates aimlessly. Wormholes and other forms of FTL travel regularly exploit Interspace in order to move across the galaxy at incredible speeds.

Gravity is much more potent within Interspace, although its influence is limited to regions near gravity wells (such as Black Holes, Stars, etc.). This increased influence can pose hazards to ships travelling through battlefields, as gravitational storms are amplified and last much longer within the dimension than in regular space. The massive gravitational weight of galaxies creates large 'walls' that impede movement both in and out, although this barrier can fluctuate due to a variety of factors.

## Sun Shatter

A Sun Shatter occurs when a star experiences a drastic loss of solar mass before stabilizing. An affected star will typically darken significantly in certain regions for several days, before dark regions begin to flare. After flaring subsides, a sequence of explosions occurs on the star's surface, causing large portions of the star's gasses to be expelled outwards. Sun Shatters are not the death of a star, but can cause widespread consequences to the system it inhabits, often scorching planets, disrupting electronic systems and unbalancing the system's gravity.

## Time Dilation

Time Dilation occurs when there is a difference in elapsed time. Typically this is caused by the sheer gravity of a larger body on a smaller body. Ships experience relatively minor forms of time dilation, however, celestial bodies orbiting close to highly dense objects such as black holes or neutron stars can experience extreme time dilation of up to 47 years in a single hour.

## Quantum Signal Tunneling

Quantum Signal Tunneling is a system that utilities Interspace to achieve Faster Than Light travel. QST uses a system of *signals, relays* or *beacons*that are positioned in areas close to access points to Interspace. Navigational computers guide ships towards the beacon, before accelerating at speeds close to the speed of light. A vessel accelerating will pass a signal and be directed towards the its requested end destination and appear at the end beacon.

QST allows the passage of wireless communications in such a manner that these messages can pass almost instantaneously through Interspace to other locations.

## White Horizon

White Horizon is a super massive black hole at the center of Kariga that can absorb nearby mass well beyond its event horizon. The immense gravity that the black hole exerts consumes nearby stars at a rate that is impossible for traditional black holes.