An Instability Engine is a piece of technology that is used in ships to allow faster than light travel by traversing through
The Instability, a dimension without space. The engine consists of a very limited AI, a storage cell which holds arcane energy, and a lot of containment and cooling cells. It weighs on average about 2500 pounds and is almost 5 feet tall and 8 feet long.
Jumping Space
The Instability engine has a limited AI which detects the best "locations" in
The Instability to minimize jumps, usually taking 1-5 jumps. Jumps have no real connection to distance, though some points in the galaxy do seemingly need more jumps than other systems. Aldyn is a system that's generally 1 jump, which is incredibly helpful.
Mobile Bomb
Instability Engines are, unsurprisingly, unstable. Well maintained engines are not very dangerous, but they're very susceptible to damage, especially from creatures like
Instability Leeches. Damaged engines spill out their arcane energy, which can have unusual effects on the area around it and often, for the more psionically inclined, can be heard as pulses of almost screeches. When one fully breaks, it explodes, releasing a massive explosion. The casing protects it to make the explosion usually stay localized to the ship, but if that casing is damaged, nothing stops it from breaking a huge area.
Available Tech
Instability engines are high technology and often considered a likely object for
World Eaters attack, but they're so nessicary for trade and word communication that the government of Aldyn has fully legalized them, but with heavy restrictions to usage. Minimum distances are required for instability travel, chips are inserted into the engines of larger ships to keep them registered, distances (in jumps) are monitored on engines.
Ships are legally required in Aldyn to have an engine mechanic on board with certification whenever they use jumps more than once a month. Ships without mechanics need a yearly inspection to make sure the engine is undamaged.
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