Technological Engineering

*If you just want to know what this stuff does, look in Technology*

> "*No matter where you go, there you are*" - From a plaque on the U.S.S. Excelsior NCC-2000
>
>

This page is about how federation technology works. All of this can is learned in the Academy, but this page can be used for a refresher.

## Inertial Dampeners

You are at the bridge of the *Toreador* (NCC-8172-C, currently in orbit around the planet Iconia, near the Neutral Zone. Your mission is to rendezvous with a supply vessel on the other side of the system, to collect components to repair a faulty transporter. There's no need for warp, so you direct the impulse drive to be set to full power for a leisurely half-light speed trip which should bring you to your destination in about 3 hours, giving you time to bring your log up to date. However, as you pull out of orbit, you feel an intense pressure in your chest. Your hands are leaden, and you are glued to your chair. Your mouth is stuck in a grimace, your eyes feel ready to burst out of their sockets, and your blood refuses to rise to your head. You slowly lose consciousness, and then soon die.

This isn't some sort of spatial interphasic anomaly, nor is it the after effects of a Romulan attack. No, this is merely physics. The force of inertia specifically. This is the force that provides every action an equal and opposite reaction. When you push something heavy, you cant because of inertia. If it weren't for Inertial Dampeners, we may not even have made it to Pluto yet! Without Inertial Dampeners, what you read above would happen every time a ship went to 1/4 impulse! If you were to speed up gradually enough to make it to full impulse without that happening, it would take 2 1/2 Earth months! That's why before the first warp capable ship was ever built, The Starfleet Corp. of Engineers built Inertial Dampeners.

In a manner similar to that of Artificial gravity generators, Inertial Dampeners generate a gravitational field within the ship in the alternate direction to the G-Forces, making each force cancel each other out. However, it has been noted that Inertial Dampeners have a response time of 60 milliseconds, which is still enough to be lethal in some cases. Therefore, all crew should make sure that they do not accelerate too fast!

## Tractor Beams

Contrary to popular belief, Tractor Beams do not operate as a form of spatial rope, or pole. Instead, they are Acoustic Vortexes, sound tornadoes if you will. It works with a rapidly fluctuating frequency, causing the soundwaves to levitate objects. This technology was actually found on accident, and it is still somewhat unknown exactly how it works. Also, don't worry about getting your ears ruined, as the sound the Acoustic Vortexes use is actually inaudible to humans.

When using the Tractor Beam, it is important to note that the impulse engines are online. Otherwise, the ship using the tractor beam will be moved as well. Never use the tractor beam if the Impulse engines or thrusters are offline, or if there is no helmsman.

## Transporters

Transporters use a combination of quantumn physics and energy transfer to work. They essentially destroy the transportee, and use subatomic particles at the destination to recreate it. This is similar to the way Replicators work: building food using spare subatomic particles. It is important that safety protocols remain on at all times. If turned off, a transporter may break down important objects in its surroundings to rebuild the transportee, such as cargo, consoles, other people, or even ship hull.

## Force Fields

Force fields are a useful tool used for a wide range of purposes, such as security, defense of ships, and holding ships together. The way forcefields work is complicated. Atoms cannot fully touch, as to do so they would have to bond. Your hand's atoms have already bonded with eachother, and cannot bond with a console in front of you. The way forcefields work is by creating a barrier of energy, which effectively takes the form of atoms. As you can't touch them, you can't get close enough to move through. This is why with extreme strength it remains possible to break through a forcefield.