(Please note the Patrick Weekes has confirmed that the Relays detonating did not result in an “Arrival” situation. It is speculated that the energy was consumed in the propagation of the Crucible beam. It is also possible that the energy released by the Alpha relay was non-standard, as indicated by a codex entry in Arrival. This is discussed later in the thread.)
a.m.p.’s thread. She writes about conventional FTL travel sans-relay, with math/approximations of travel times to homeworlds(12[ly/day] ,logistical concerns, Crucible discussion)
MyChemicalBromance’s thread. He writes on conventional FTL travel sans-relays, with math/speculation on emulating Reaper capabilities(30[ly/day], logistics, traveling 10,000[ly/year] without discharge)
Ieldra2's thread. Theories on the logistics of rebuilding, including considerations of Crucible decisions.
If you’d like your FTL-Travel thread included here, message me.
The Omega Relay: Anomaly or Hint?
So the Mass Relays are destroyed or “disabled,” the remains of Sword Fleet are in the Sol system, and we’re a long ways from reclaiming galactic civilization. Discussion on the messages to be found in this situation or how best to ensure immediate survival are taking place elsewhere, but eventually thoughts are going to turn to rebuilding the relays, or building an alternative. At first glance, the Relays appear as though they must be built with their end destinations in mind. This thread will discuss what we know about the relays, and more importantly, what we don’t know.Your civilization is based upon the technology of the Mass Relays. Our technology. By using it, your society develops along the paths we desire.
Mass Relay 101
This Mass Effect field is what allows us to cheat Einstein. Einstein showed that as an object (with physical mass) approaches the speed of light, the mass of the object becomes infinite. This means that it is impossible to exceed the speed of light, as the force required to increase acceleration also becomes infinite. Conceptually, it should make sense that we cannot move an object with infinite Mass .When subjected to an electrical current, the rare material dubbed element zero, or "eezo", emits a dark energy field that raises or lowers the mass of all objects within it. This "mass effect" is used in countless ways, from generating artificial gravity to manufacturing high-strength construction materials. It is most prominently used to enable faster-than-light space travel.
The Mass Effect cheats this limitation by allowing us to lower the mass of an object with no other effects on the system. In effect, we are not moving faster than the speed of light, we are simply redefining the speed of light within the Mass Effect field. This is a simplification, and the actual pseudo-physics behind Mass Effect fields are slightly more nuanced, but it serves the purpose of this discussion.
Mass relays are feats of Prothean engineering advanced far beyond the technology of any living species. They are enormous structures scattered throughout the stars, and can create corridors of virtually mass-free space allowing instantaneous transit between locations separated by years or even centuries of travel using conventional FTL drives.
Primary mass relays can propel ships thousands of light years, often from one spiral arm of the galaxy to another. However, they have fixed one-to-one connections: a primary relay connects to one other primary relay, and nowhere else. Secondary relays can only propel ships a few hundred light years, however they are omnidirectional: a secondary relay can send a ship to any other relay within its limited range.
In short, the most crucial capability of the Mass Relays is their ability to create virtually mass-free corridors. We can appreciate the significance of this with Newton’s Second Law, albeit in a simplified way (It becomes a differential equation if mass is not constant, which it will not be in any object burning fuel, and certainly won’t inside a Mass Effect Field.). This is the same reason why reducing the Mass of an object allows it to be moved faster with less force (Mass Effect Field), but is not sufficient to explain situations at relativistic or superluminal speeds.
Force=(Mass)(Acceleration)
Which can be rewritten as
(Force/Mass)=Acceleration
Therefore, as Mass approaches 0, Acceleration approaches infinity, regardless of Force. Notice the pattern:
1000[Newtons]/80[kilograms]=12.5[meters per second*second]
1000[Newtons]/8[kilograms]=125[meters per second*second]
1000[Newtons]/0.000008[kilograms]=125,000,000[meters per second*second]
(To put this in perspective for combat enthusiasts, this is why a biotic “throw” is more effective after the target has been hit with a biotic “lift.”)
Thus, to simplify the entire operation of a Mass Relay jump, a ship that is already under the effect of a Mass Effect Field (the speed of light is raised) enters, and becomes a part of, a corridor of mass-free space (where the speed of light is even higher). The ship, freed from Einstein’s limits by its own Mass Effect Field, accelerates, and the result of even a minor force becomes great enough to move through the entire corridor immediately. It is likely this force is supplied by the Relay itself, so as to ensure accuracy. This is, again, simplified.
Note: (The fact that the corridor is virtually mass-free also explains why there are never collisions in mid-transit. An example would be the Mako traveling through the Citadel via the Conduit in Mass Effect 1.
The Mass-Free Corridor
This is where our actual discussion begins.
The means by which the Mass-Free Corridor is generated has great implications for the future of intra-galactic travel.
The specifics have eluded all living species, except for the Protheans, but we can postulate. There is very obviously a large Eezo core in the center of the Relay, and all known Relays (circa 2183) link to another Relay. It is not too outlandish to suggest that the corridor is another exploitation of the Mass Effect, though the exact means by which it is created are unknown. Separate Mass Effect fields (those generated by different sources) only seem to interfere with each other in-game (Warp). We certainly never see a situation where one Mass Effect field combines with another to create a longer field (outside of Relays).
The behavior of dormant Relays is a hint. When they are activated, the partner is instantly activated in another system. The signal seems to propagate much faster than the speed of light. For instance, when Humanity activated the Charon Relay, the Arcturus Relay activated instantly. If the signal between the two relays propagated at the speed of light, it would have taken nearly 37 years for the corridor to activate.
Since the Corridor cannot be created by one Relay, it’s impossible that the first Relay sent a signal through the Corridor. The solution to this problem should be apparent: the Relays Communicate with each other via Quantum Entanglement Communicators. This should not be a surprise, as the Reapers have been known to use Quantum Entanglement technology before, such as when controlling the Collectors from 32,000 light-years outside the galaxy, communicating with object Rho, and when controlling implanted subjects [Retribution].
This same behavior was observed in Mass Effect 1 with the activation of the Conduit. Illos is more than 40,000 light-years from the Citadel, making any other form of communication unlikely.
But so what right? QEC don’t actually transmit any matter or energy, so what good is it to us? It gets better.
Secondary Relays and the Alpha Relay
As detailed earlier, Secondary Relays can connect to multiple Relays, albeit at much shorter ranges than Primary Relays. The means by which they adjust to link with other Relays must involve QEC technology, as no other means could facilitate connection instantly.
The Alpha Relay could be considered a secondary Relay with the hidden power of a Primary Relay.
Perhaps part of the end result of “Arrival” could be explained by the extraordinary nature of this Relay. If it possessed this much energy, the system-wiping explosion may not be a normal result of relay destruction. It is impossible to say for sure.Kenson concluded that the oldest known relay is in batarian space. Dubbed "Alpha," it resides near the star Bahak and is unusual in its potential range and versatility. Alpha usually sends and receives mass at the range of a normal secondary relay, but if certain controls are adjusted, it becomes powered by an unprecedented amount of dark energy that could send cargo to sixteen other relays and even across a great distance to the Citadel. Hegemony authorities have kept this quiet, fearing retaliation from Council species who would assume hostile intent if they found a sudden new route into their space. It goes without saying that the Reapers have no such fear.
An interesting note is the fact that it could send cargo to the Citadel. Now, if it just meant the Widow Relay, than think no more of it, but if it didn’t there are more implications. The Citadel is linked to Dark Space, and nowhere else. More on this later.
(One other note worth making here is that the signal Sovereign sent to the Citadel was also likely QEC. He would have had to of been in Citadel space to send anything else within a reasonable time-frame.)
The Omega 4 Relay
This is perhaps the most anomalous relay of them all. Despite its unique appearance, there is one other difference.
That is the split second after you leave the corridor. Notice anything? There is no Mass Relay. Nothing. Watch that entire cutscene and you will see no Relay. It is possible that you merely drifted far from the Relay (even though the IFF was supposed to reduce drift), but the really shocking thing comes at the end of that sequence.
This is an instant before the Normandy jumps. Still no Relay in sight. Immediately after, the Normandy is seen near the Perseus Veil, at the edge of the galaxy. A relevant quote:
Five Kiloparsec’s are roughly equal to 16,000 light years. Even if the Normandy never stopped and never had to discharge, it would take nearly 2 years to cover that distance without a Mass Relay (See Math Thread for speed used). Not to mention the Normandy likely couldn’t fly through that Ring without being in a Mass-Free Field. Even if it weren’t for the Perseus Veil being in that last cutscene, Mass Effect 2 starts in 2185, and Mass Effect 3 starts in 2186, so there is no time for a straight flight. It is clear that the Normandy had to have made a Relay Jump without a Relay.Presropis the moon of Klendagon. It is a frigid, barren world, with an extremely thin atmosphere of carbon dioxide and ethane. The crust contains plentiful deposits of heavy metals. The Alliance has opened bidding for the moon's mineral rights, but exploitation will be complicated by the system's proximity to the "Five Kiloparsec Ring" around the galactic core. The Ring is an area of intense star formation, and too dangerous to safely travel.
The following statement can be inferred:
The Omega Relay does not require a linked partner.
This changes everything we know about Relay technology. If a Relay can generate a corridor without a partner, we may only need to build one Relay for instantaneous travel.
As for how the Normandy and Collectors managed to leave the Galactic Core, it could be speculated that the IFF allows them to find the Corridor made by the Relay.
This also carries with it many implications about the current Relay network. The following questions come to mind.
Questions
Can the other Relays operate without being linked?
The fact that the Relays were set up to influence us (by the Reapers) lends some credence to this theory. It is possible they built the Relay network in such a way as to suggest that Mass Relay technology required the Relays to be linked. After all, who would bother to disprove the obvious?
Does the Alpha Relay represent evidence of a non-linked relay?
As stated earlier, the Alpha Relay could purportedly deliver cargo to the Citadel. As was said, if this was just the Widow Relay then no big deal (well still a big deal but you know what I mean), but if this was the ability to place cargo halfway across the galaxy without having an installation already in place at the other end, then the rules have changed.
If nothing else, does link-less relay technology exist?
It does if we are to believe our lying eyes.
This serves as another example of technology that is not obvious to us, but that no one would have found without opposing the Reapers. It gives us hope that there may be means to rebuild galactic civilization into something better than ever before, now that we are free of the influence of the Reapers.
Modifié par MyChemicalBromance, 12 avril 2012 - 10:39 .
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