The interstellar nature of our society is built on the back of many incredible technological advancements. This article covers some of the most influential inventions that affect how we live, travel, and communicate. Navigating the alliance may be daunting, but learning these terms will aid you in understanding some of the more technical aspects of this shared space.
FTL Engines
This essential technology has been developed separately by several of the galactic civilizations, and allows ships to travel faster than the speed of light. The speed achieved by these engines is incredible but not infinite, and not endlessly cheap. The most common FTL engine is capable of what is called "Year-Per-Hour" travel. A YPH engine travels around one light-year per hour unaided. More powerful engines exist, but tend to be built for things such as massive freight ships or custom, luxury spacecraft.
Sling and Slide stations
For far distances, many ships rely on a
Terrkarakki technology known as the slingstation to get around. A slingstation can get a ship to speeds greater than a standard YPH engine could achieve even if said ship lacks a FTL engine. The station will communicate and link with another station: one to launch and one to catch the incoming ship. The ship is accelerated to incredible speeds within the slingstation and launched into the catch of its partner. The speed of sling travel is far better than most ships, but is limited by the need for a station destination. This means that sling travel is generally reserved for travel between already established locations. A ship could be slung into space with no endpoint, but the distance achieved would be difficult to return from in any reasonable time.
The Slidestation is a variant of the sling station that makes use of the Hypernet in order to link with stations located far away along slidespace. These stations launch at extremely specific speeds in order to ensure their cargo arrives at exactly the location required, and thus require more advanced calculating computers.
Glass-Light
Glass-Light, called Hard Light by some, is a technology created by the
Trallyr but also sees use among their allies. Glass-Light is named for its transparent appearance and razor-sharp precision edge. While inactive, glass-light technology is made up of thin scaffolds and frames from which the actual Glass-Light originates. When supplied with sufficient energy, these frames project this photon-based material into the desired shape. Glass-Light is extremely durable and naturally sterile but relies on a considerable source of power to exist. It is commonly used in medical facilities and in complex spacecraft, but can also be used as a powerful material for tools, container, and even blades. The framework used to project the Glass-Light is generally more fragile when inactive than when in use.
The Slidespace Hyper-Connectivity Framework (Hypernet)
The Hypernet is a human-borne evolution of the classic global, digital network. It functions much the same as smaller-scale internet systems from the user's perspective, but with far greater reach. By making use of special, advanced computer satellites placed carefully within the slidespace anomaly the hypernet is able to connect databases and devices over incredible distances along slidespace. Connection times drop the further from the anomaly one goes, but are stable along it's path. Since the Hypernet is an advanced and relatively new system, many colonies only connect to it when necessary, using more local networks for simple things.
Medicine and Biotechnologies
Medical technologies have advanced and varied in different ways across the different factions of the alliance. Medicine has come far, but illness is far from eradicated. While many species have conquered historically dangerous diseases, the intermingling of alien species has led to the evolution of new dangers and resilient viruses to be contended with. Advancements in genetic technology vary from faction to faction, but forefront scientists among those with significant medical funding have made powerful strides in tackling gene-based illnesses. In some cases, genetic illnesses are more easily adressed than those gained via pathogens (though this doesn't mean it's cheaper). These illnesses are increasingly common among those who live on space stations, as the ambient radioactivity of space has long term effects on the body even with notable shielding.
Hand in hand with this gene-restoration technology are advancements in generative bio-science. Replicating and cloning biological material is relatively ubiquitous in the fields of conservation and medicine (as it is endlessly useful for creating transplant-able organs). It should be noted that while bodies are easily cloned, the ability to duplicate the mind and memories of a biological brain is considered out of reach to all but the most experimental and unconfirmed technologies.
The newest and least regulated strides in biotech include the development of new, artificial life forms. This field is banned in some factions, funded enthusiastically in others, and distrusted by many common citizens.
Droid Minds and AI Frameworks
Droids are advanced mechanical machines with digital computer minds. While the differences between droids and AI frameworks are better described in the full droid article, both are commonplace among space-faring society. Droids are a primarily human-made technology (With variants described in the article), while AI are used among all but Glycean communities. AI aid in navigation, database management, scientific calculation, and anything that can be achieved from within their stationary digital framework. Droids are commonly used in construction, dangerous work, and anything involving the vaccum of space. Though, many humans will create droids for whatever purpose suits their needs.
Cybernetics and Prosthetics
The technology of artificial prosthetics has made powerful advancements, and it is quite common for those missing limbs to be able to acquire a metallic replacement that responds to their nervous system in ways that decrease the time it takes to adjust. The most simple of these may use the body's natural motion or electric currents to power itself, while more complex models (perhaps with add-ons and special functions) may need a more significant source of power to operate. It is a rising trend among human and krakki kind to willingly forgo your natural body in order to acquire cooler, more powerful technological parts. While cybernetics are able to respond to the signals of the brain, brain-to-brain communication is not ubiquitous or available to most.
Repulsite
A rarer but powerful technology, Repulsite is a strange mineral crafted and used originally by the
Glyceans. When given an electric charge, Repulsite will display anti-gravity properties that repel matter similar to how two magnets might repel each other. This is used to create hovering devices or aid in listing heavy objects, but is also essential to gravity adjustment devices.
