F energy

Many ignore this, but the speed of space travel we take for granted today was only made possible thanks to a completely accidental discovery, that saved a humanity on the brink of extinction. A providential energy source that was nicknamed F energy - the energy of Fortune.

When the trailblazing ship entered the system of Kepler-156f in the year 4624 of the gregorian calendar, they were met with an unexpectedly small star. What was thought to be a red dwarf from afar, a star similar to the Earth's sun, was in reality much smaller, but infinitely more powerful. Life in the system was impossible due to the intense rays of its star, but the settlers found something much greater.

They studied this impressive display of energy for several years, designing a way to store and use it. After years of studies and failed experiments, they came up with an engine able to sustain the terrible strain of this energy and propel their own vessel. They used what little fuel they had gathered from the strange star and went back to share their discovery. A journey that took over 1500 years to perform with regular propulsion took only half of that to return.

Triumphant return

Back on Earth, they were celebrated as heroes and the F energy was further studied, as multiple expeditions departed for Kepler-165f. It took several years, a short time considering the revolution that was ahead, to develop the stellar slings. Using the F energy to merely propel spaceships, while consuming very few amounts of this fuel, is highly inefficient. Rather, using it to create a located explosion at the end of a railgun that will expel the vessel at a speed very close to the speed of light. This method consumes a lot more fuel, but allows for an unbeatable speed.