Bluespace

The first confirmed opening into Bluespace was created by accident as it so happens. In Salisford, scientists working with a particle collider noticed a failure in one of the containment magnets. While the ongoing collision test was immediately shut down, something was happening in the area of the failure. Bizarre gravitational readings were recorded, and when an unmanned drone was sent in to observe, it discovered some kind of phenomenon in the failed containment ring. After shutting down power to the faulty ring, the phenomenon, later known to be a portal into Bluespace, vanished. Analyzing their findings, the scientists realized that the gravitational readings were consistent with the theorized properties of Dark Matter.

Many attempts were made to replicate this phenomenon, and eventually researchers discovered how to intentionally create an opening into what would come to be known as Bluespace, named by Dr. John W. Hudson of the Wellington Tokamak Station after the color of the first visual stills sent back by a robotic drone. The way to replicate it is considered a national secret by Salisford and has not been revealed to the public.

The most visible Bluespace Technology, and arguably the most important, is the Gateway. What we know now as Gateways were originally the first way to access Bluespace. After the technology to create openings into Bluespace was perfected, the ability to create another accessible exit was needed. Probes and drones could enter Bluespace, make observations, and gather data, but were often lost in the buffeting eddies and currents of another reality. Most recovered probes left the way they entered. However, on two occasions probes that were thought lost appeared in Realspace much further than they should have traveled. This led scientists to two major discoveries: First, that real matter in Bluespace could leave through means other than their entry point; and Second, that distance in Bluespace was not proportional to distance in Realspace. Eventually, it was learned that by correctly calibrating the technology used to create portals into Bluespace, two portals could be linked, and when one was activated the other would turn on simultaneously. Undetectable in Realspace, this linkage resulted in a stable channel through Bluespace. Items traveling through a portal on one end would emerge almost instantaneously from the other. This technology is being used to expedite the Salisfordian colonization of Mars, and eventually beyond.

Gateway travel is relatively convenient, requiring little energy to maintain once a connection is established, only light thrust to enter a portal, and no shielding to transit. Objects entering a Gateway appear to wink out of existence once they come in contact with the edge, and appear at the other end after time proportional to the distance traveled. The portal itself appears differently to observers. It is often described as visually appearing as a solid pit of absolute darkness, though some report seeing a variety of colors and shapes. Those inside the bridge typically see and experience nothing, though in rare instances vague sensations, voices, and locations are reported; it is believed these are hallucinations from the travel process. The primary risks of Gateway travel are collision at entry points, and being inside a Gateway when it is deactivated. While traffic control prevents the former from happening for the most part, the second is a much rarer occurrence. Transit times for Gateway travel are often measured in milliseconds, with seconds for some of the longest journeys. However, if you are unlucky enough to be inside a Gateway when it is closed it's likely you will not be seen again.

Will be updated as discoveries are made.