Jumpgate

**Jumpgates** (also referred to as vortex generators) are large spaceborne structures made up of three or four separate but aligned struts that generate a spatial vortex, or Jump point into Hyperspace allowing any ship to travel interstellar distances.

## Technology

Jumpgates work by manipulating four stable, energetic forces of opposing polarity generated by each strut. These forces work against each other to create a vacuum effect, forming an unstable vortex which rips the spacetime continuum. This 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 days 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.

## Jumpgate Use

Jumpgates are at the center of interstellar commerce and trade. Even vessels with built-in Jump engines rely on the jumpgate network for navigation. Recording the signature of every ship that passes through, they allow the race that currently controls said gate to toll the travelers for its use and services, which are usually something arranged between governments by treaty. These treaties set tolling rates and rights to use certain trade routes, in exchange for the security codes necessary for opening the gates.

The gates also feature beacons that guide ships in hyperspace to a safe exit point. There are two types of beacons used by the jump gates: an omnidirectional one and a unidirectional one. The omnidirectional beacon indicates the nearby presence of a jumpgate, but it only works on relatively short distances of just over 1,000 km. The unidirectional beacon is what guides ships from one jumpgate to another. It is a tight-beam tachyon signal that crosses the distance between two jumpgates close to each other in the network. A ship can follow the echoing signal down a path that leads directly to the destination. However, going "off-the-beacon" causes this signal to fade and the ship can become lost in hyperspace. Certain races experienced with hyperspace travel, such as the Minbari, have shown the ability to travel quite far off the beacon without becoming lost.

Even ships equipped with jump engines often use jumpgates in order to save energy, and are often required to do so as a matter of book-keeping to log their travels. They use the network beacons to plot their course through charted space, then use a nearby gate as a basis point for journeying out of the network.

The destruction of jumpgates in interstellar combat is considered a very grievous violation of the accepted rules of civilized warfare, as it jeopardizes the entire beacon system and is ultimately self-defeating as all races use and need the jumpgate network. Whoever may win or lose a conflict, the network must go on.

Although destroying jumpgates is generally frowned upon during a war, it is common practice in wartime for belligerent powers to program their jump gates to deny access to certain frequencies, thus preventing an enemy from using friendly gates and forcing them to open their own jump points.

Some gates, particularly those built by surveyor corporations, utilize encrypted beacons that make it impossible for someone without the correct cipher to determine the gate's location in normal space.

New gates are being constructed all the time by various worlds, depending on the availability of Quantium-40. Opening up access to new, previously inaccessible areas of space, most are constructed for the purpose of finding yet more sources of Quantium-40 to build or repair even more gates.

Occasionally long- range probes  discover "new" ancient gates, and most still function despite being many thousands of years old. However, some of the older ones have proven to be a little bit "quirky", which can result in a somewhat rough transition in and out of normal space for the ship using them.