Red Matter

Red Matter suspended in its chamber onboard the Jellyfish.

Red Matter, sometimes called Decalithium Red Matter, is a ruby red substance capable of forming black holes as well as wormholes through space and time. A single drop of this substance could be used to create a singularity capable of swallowing a supernova, as well as open a portal through space-time large enough for massive starships to enter unharmed. A time wormhole was opened in 2387 CE using a drop of this substance, which accidentally transported Ambassador Spock on his science vessel and the Romulan mining ship Narada to two separate dates in the past.

## Description

Red Matter is a shimmering red liquidic substance capable of altering the fabric of space-time. The liquid was transported in a spherical configuration while suspended in a specialized transparent chamber aboard a vessel, the *Jellyfish,* built by the Vulcan Science Academy in 2387. A large syringe-like device could be used to safely extract a drop of the liquid for utilitarian or scientific uses.

Piloting the *Jellyfish,* Ambassador Spock used red matter in 2387 to open a black hole in hopes of containing the shock wave of a destructive supernova headed for the planet Romulus. After failure to prevent the planet's destruction, the hostile intervention of the Romulan mining vessel *Narada* resulted in the two vessels being pulled into the singularity, thus revealing it to be a space-time portal. The *Narada*, having entered first, arrived in 2233. While Ambassador Spock arrived 25 years later in 2258.

Apocryphal information says Red Matter was developed from Decalithium by Vulcan scientists without approval from the United Federation of Planets; a governing body they operated as members of. Whether this information is true or not, the exact reason and purpose of red matter's development is currently unknown.

A single drop was shown to open a black hole, which was more akin to a wormhole with a powerful gravity well. However, a large amount of red matter was also shown to open a black hole of similar size and destructive capability.

## Depiction of Time Travel

The black hole or wormhole opened by the use of red matter appeared as a gaping maw in the fabric of space-time The incursion of the mining ship *Narada* resulted in both it and the *Jellyfish* traveling to two different points in time. When the *Narada* arrived in 2233, it encountered the the Federation Starship USS Kelvin and engaged in hostile actions. The encounter and destruction of that Starship resulted in a branched timeline with several historical events proceeding differently than they had originally. This new timeline has come to be called the Kelvin Timeline, with the original one being called the Prime Timeline.

Outside of possible effects on the mind, time travel within this universe has been shown to be a commonplace occurrence, with many historical events depending on the actions of travelers from the future and even time being the staging ground for a Temporal Cold War. Many species of aliens have the ability to time travel with ease, and some even do so on a whim. The Federation developed the Department of Temporal Investigations, and in the distant future, commissioned a fleet of timeships, both to prevent contaminations of the timeline.

In the case of the *Narada*, time branched into an alternate timeline. But other documented events have shown that time can also happen on a fixed loop. The immediate timeline can also be changed and then changed back again by past events, similar to the case of Martin McFly. Several alternate universes have been proven to exist, such as the so-called Mirror Universe where a more aggressive version of the Federation exists as a planet conquering Empire, as well as incident in 0000 where a Lieutenant Worf flies his shuttle through a space-time fissure and begins shifting randomly between realities.

Why some instances create branched timelines and others do not is currently not understood. However, this is the only documented incident of time travel occurring through the use of red matter.