Slipstream space: Difference between revisions

{{References}}

[[File:Ship3.jpg|thumb|250px|Regret's Assault Carrier exiting slipspace near [[Installation 05]].]]

'''Slipstream space'''<ref>'''[[Halo: The Fall of Reach]]''', ''page 13''</ref> ('''Slipspace''' for short),<ref name="for15">'''[[Halo: The Fall of Reach]]''', ''page 15''</ref> otherwise known as '''Shaw-Fujikawa space''' or '''subspace'''<ref>'''[[Halo: Combat Evolved]]''', campaign level ''[[The Pillar of Autumn (Halo: Combat Evolved level)|The Pillar of Autumn]]'' opening cinematic</ref> by the [[United Nations Space Command]] and simply '''the void'''{{Citation needed}} by the [[Covenant Empire|Covenant]], is a collective term for the eleven non-visible infinitesimal dimensions used for faster-than-light travel.<ref name="eleven">'''[[Halo: First Strike]]''', ''page 87''</ref> Making a transition from one place to another via slipspace is known as a "slip", or "jump".  

Though the Covenant use a modified version of Forerunner systems, true unaltered [[Forerunner]] slipspace technology has only been observed in the form of [[the Artifact|the portal]] transporting UNSC and Covenant vessels from [[Earth]] to [[The Ark]]. Additionally, while a Covenant Assault Carrier could reach Delta Halo from Earth in thirteen days, a distance of approximately 11,856 lightyears,<ref group="note">Distance=VelocityxTime (312 hours x 38 lightyears per hour=11856 lightyears)</ref> the [[Forerunner Dreadnought]] took only five days to travel the same distance, giving a speed of approximately 98.8 lightyears per hour.<ref group="note">V=D/T (11,856 lightyears / 120 hours = 98.8)</ref> Given the fact that Covenant understanding of Forerunner technology is comparatively primitive, the ship may have been capable of much higher velocities.

[[File:Slipspace.JPG|thumb|200px|[[Regret's Carrier]] entering Slipspace over [[New Mombasa]].]]

Because the Slipstream is constantly shifting, and its laws of physics are different to our own, the magnetic coils of Slipspace drives drift out of phase when entering and leaving a Slipspace field, requiring constant maintenance. During the [[2490]]'s, technicians had to manually repair Slipspace drives, exposing themselves to the Slipstream and occasionally suffering injury, death or simply disappearing.<ref>'''[[Halo: Ghosts of Onyx]]''', ''page 146''</ref> Mechanical failures like [[Slip Termination, Preventable]], or STP, can also occur with Slipspace drives, usually resulting from poor maintenance.<ref>'''[[Halo: Contact Harvest]]''', ''page 24''</ref>

Entering and exiting the slipstream is normally only attempted by ships of large mass, their gravity wells stabilizing slipspace to a degree that allows safe passage. Small ships, such as dropships, do not possess the same gravity and are placed under considerably more stress than a warship, able to crack the hull and buckle reinforcing struts.<ref>'''[[Halo: First Strike]]''', ''page 296''</ref> It is not impossible, and UNSC slipstream monitoring probes make the transitions all the time, but require heavy reinforcement to survive the stresses, and are unmanned, having no need to protect internal occupants.<ref name="fs289"/> Specialized craft like [[Long Range Stealth Orbital Insertion Pod]]s can make the transition, but are still an extremely uncomfortable ride.<ref>'''[[Halo: Ghosts of Onyx]]''', ''page 13''</ref> A Slipspace-to-normal space transition has been successfully attempted by a Spirit dropship, but it had been extensively equipped with Titanium-A battleplates, lead, and carbon-molybdenum steel I-beams.

A "Slipspace Wake" is a phenomenon occurring for some time after a ship has made a slipspace transition. When another, slower ship encounters a slipspace wake, they will be pushed to the speed of the ship that left the wake, thus propelling them through Slipspace at the same velocity. The {{UNSCShip|Dusk}} took 2 weeks to get to Installation 05 via the [[Prophet of Regret]]'s [[Regret's Carrier|Assault Carrier's]] weakening "wake",<ref>'''[[Halo: Ghosts of Onyx]]''', ''Chapter 22'', page 186</ref> but came back to [[Earth]] within hours by following the Forerunner Dreadnought's wake.<ref group="note">It is never directly stated that the wake the ''Dusk'' followed was left by the Forerunner Dreadnought; however, it is implied on page 289: ''"The Dusk's journey back to Earth had occurred in record time. They had caught a wake in slipstream space, one indeterminably larger then the Covenant wake they had followed."'' This creates an inconsistency with later canon, as in [http://www.bungie.net/News/content.aspx?type=topnews&cid=16989 a timeline released by Bungie,] it is revealed the the Keyship took five days to reach the Sol System instead of a few hours.</ref>  They also used this to follow the ''[[Bloodied Spirit]]'' and get to a battlegroup they needed to join much faster.

{{Main|Slipspace Anomaly}}

In rare cases, various types of anomalous phenomena occur in slipspace. These may be caused by specific artifacts or devices. The effects of these anomalies are diverse, but often harmful. The [[Forerunner Crystal]] found on Reach was capable of creating a distortion in Slipspace, but it also made massive amounts of radiation.

[[Nicole-458]] was sent back in time, because of a Slipspace accident. Similarly, it also caused a [[Melissa (AI)|UNSC AI]] to be transported from the year 2552 to the year 2004. It is presumed that this is because Slipstream travels several times the speed of light, and according to Einstein's equation, the speed of light is equal to time travel.

{{Main|Slipspace translocation}}

Slipspace can also serve as means of virtually instantaneous transport over short distances. Originally developed by the Forerunners, Slipspace translocation technology allows its user to safely pass between two locations by enveloping the user in a Slipspace field and transporting them to the intended destination.<ref>'''[[Halo: Ghosts of Onyx]]''', ''pages 311-212''</ref> The Forerunners utilized this technology to a great effect, using it in [[teleportation grid]]s and [[Teleporter|transportation pads]] encountered on many of their installations. Later, the Covenant also adopted this technology and are known to have used it in their [[Covenant Spire|Spires]].