Technological Theory

Federation records from 2374, on the U.S.S. Voyager NCC - 74656 showed that Species 8472 were not originally from this universe and deployed a type of artificial Quantum Singularity in order to enter the Milky Way Galaxy from their native realm Fluidic Space. In 2374 The U.S.S. Voyager, under control of the Borg was able to create one of these by generating a resonant graviton pulse at a precise frequency calibration to create a "hole" in natural space. However only Seven of Nine retained the knowledge on the calibration, even refusing to create one on one occasion to return a member of Species 8472 to its realm after fleeing the Hirogen.

Although it was originally believed that all Species 8472 vessels are able of generating these resonant graviton pulses independently, an incursion into Fluidic Space in 2377 revealed that in order to keep a Quantum Singularity active consistently, a biological "Rift Maker Entity" had to be deployed so that the Quantum Singularity/Rift would not close the instant a ship passed through. It is now believed that this was how Species 8472 could amass such a fleet to fight the Borg and deploy multiple vessel instantly.

However although to the crew of the U.S.S. Voyager, travelling through these "Rifts" had no negative effect on the ship, aside from intense gravimetric shear. It is now know the progressive travel can do significant damage to a Federation ship's hull. It is also important to point out that these, although called "Quantum Singularities", they are not black holes but more bidirectional "rifts" that connect subspace domains such as Fluidic Space and our Universe.

Technological Development

Singularity Core and "Fluidic Plasma Systems" (FPS)

In 2386, the crew of the recently "appropriated" S.S. Pegasus Terradome began to research into various Undine (Species 8472) technologies. Amongst the most prominent was the discovery of an Ambassador Class Space-frame which was adapted to the needs of the Pegasus crew, in which they used Undine technology to create the ship much faster then had been anticipated.

The U.S.S. Republic - B was fitted with many new technologies which seemed completely alien but none were more astounding then the ships "Singularity Core". Instead of the traditional "Electro-Plasma System", the Undine had fitted the ship with a smaller version of same core that was found on Pegasus however organic fluid was channelled around the ship at a much faster rate.

The Singularity Core works much in the same way as a humanoid body, with organic fluid pumping energy around the ship in the same way a human body would pump blood. "Fluidic Plasma" is collected and "energized" through a method of biological conduction inside the Singularity Core and then distributed round the ship. This biological method has significant advantages over traditional electro-plasma methods with the first obviously being speed, energy is being distributed at a much faster rate which eliminates the possibility of a catastrophic power drain or dampening field that would effect conventional energy systems.

Not all aspects of this technology have been research but it is believed that the Undine adapted their own power generation methods to a Federation design in order to enhance the ability of their ship should they be attacked whilst undercover as Starfleet officers. Fluidic Plasma is also non-conductive to touch, even when energised and is as vicious as common water, allowing interior conduit inspection without the need to shut down power first. The Singularity Core acts almost in the same way as a human heart, constantly pressuring the liquid around the ship at a consistent rate.

Singularity Drive

The "prototype" of the Singularity Drive was already fitted onto the U.S.S. Republic - B when it was discovered in 2386. The Singularity Drive is an extreamly complex system of system linkages between the Singularity Core and the Main Deflector Dish. However the system has proved successful in the past, albeit a little risky.

The Singularity Drive can only be used when the ship in question has an active warp field and will only operate correctly at speeds of Warp 5 and above, activation at a lower speed will most likely rupture the Singularity Core and result in the ship being destroyed. This is because the Singularity Core has to reach a certain level of EPS (Energisation Per Second) in order to effective create enough power to use the drive. An easy metaphor for this scenario is, like a human body, the Singularity Core has to "warm up" (spin up) before activation of the drive just as a human body can be injured if an extreme workout is done before a warm up.

Once the ship has reached the needed speed for transit, the operations officer will shut down the shields and all non essential systems, reinforcing structural integrity and channelling the remainder of that energy into the Main Deflector Dish. The Dish will tend begin charging the resonant graviton beam which will create the Quantum Singularity.

Once the Deflector is fully charged, it will automatically discharge a resonant graviton wave to prevent a cascade overload, this will immediately affect the ships active warp field, altering the space directly in front of the space into a Quantum Singularity which the ship will immediately pass through. For approximately 3.5 Seconds, the ship will now be within fluidic space and will automatically create a compression wave in the surrounding matter.

The compression wave will stimulate the particles in the matter of Fluidic Space to create a second Quantum Singularity in a matter of seconds providing that precise coordinates are fed into the navigational computer. The ship will then proceed to exit Fluidic Space through the other Quantum Singularity and back into normal space. The whole process since drive activation taking about 5.9 seconds. After which the ships warp field will immediately collapse until a new course is established.

Limitations

• • Even though the drive has in theory NO operational range and can in theory travel anywhere in the universe in a matter of seconds. The Drive is however limited to the range of the navigational computers within the craft, without precise active navigational coordinates, the drive will shut down instantly. However the navigator must take into account stellar drift or the ship could end up "jumping" into a star or planet.

• • The creation of the singularity has an extreamly damaging effect on the hulls of Federation ships when they attempt to pass through and can eventually weaken the superstructure of a ship to such a point that they break up upon re-entry.

• • The Drive can only be used above Warp 5 and cannot be transferred to smaller craft such as shuttles or Runabouts.

• • Once an active Singularity is formed, its gravitational pull so strong and so close to the ship that there is no way to avoid entering it.

• • Other Ships cannot use Singularity Technology without an active Singularity Core.

• • Shields and all non-essential systems must be shut down in order obtain the power needed for an active jump. Therefore this Drive method is not recommended during a battle situation.