Gravtech

Gravity Manipulation Technology

Gravity-tech - the ability, with enough power and the right equipment, to create, enhance, change, channel and nullify gravitational force.

Different Applications

Artificial Gravity

Space stations, starships, artificial habitats
Conceptually the most obvious application of gravtech, but practically one of the most challenging. A 'gravity engine' comprises a concentrically-layered superheated spinning disk which kinetically charges crohn particles through centrifugal force - charge which is then conducted along electromagnetic channels, arranged to create the desired force and gravity planes. Gravity engines must be kept in sealed vaccuum environments, as particles must be heated to atmospherically-dangerous levels in order to achieve this effect.

• Spin Gravity: Alternative setup for space stations and some larger starships. Rotate all or sections of the structure itself - keeping the gravity-tech lining the actual hull to achieve desired g-force. Whilst spin gravity creates a slight coriolis effect, it is much more affordable for larger structures than generating the gravity in one room and channeling it throughout the entire structure’s flooring. Small stations and ships that rely on this find the coriolis effect disorientating and the savings much more minimal - and so generally create artificial gravity using the 'one-room' method.

Contragravity

Grav vehicles, starships, flight suits
Basic setup to nullify gravitational force: A one-way superheated electromagnetic field repels a thin sheet of crohn particles from one side. This effectively creates a one-way field that the force of gravity cannot pass through, suspending the field and the space just behind it.

• Importantly, contragravity fields are enough to stop gravity in its tracks, but will barely slow an object passing through it - which is more likely to react to the intense heat than to any slowdown from the momentary change in acceleration. It's this fact which lets contragravity generators be kept within larger structures, like ships or vehicles, without pulling them apart.

Gravity Projection

Laser weapons, tractor beams, gravity weapons, atmospheric shielding
Projection setup: a multi-phased laser carries an electromagnetic charge along a straight line, charging and reorienting any crohn particles in its path. This creates a narrow funnel of gravity pointing its force either towards or away from the point of projection - depending on the polarity of the magnetism.

Interstellar Travel

Starships
Spike drill setup: crohn particles, nearly inactive thanks to the lack of a star's gravitational influence when past its outer limits, can be charged and ‘flashed’ to allow near-instant gravitic twisting within the contragravity envelope - driving the ship into drillspace.

FTL Communication

Gravcomms, Pretech communications
Delicate manipulation of uncharged crohn particles can be used to remotely affect gravitational readings on a quantum level. Faster-than-light communication systems can interpret these minor but deliberate changes into simple text communications.

Origins: The Crohn Particle Discovered by the reclusive 23rd century scientist Tiberius Crohn, crohn particles or ‘gravity-carrier' particles are found throughout the universal substrate of the galaxy and are responsible for gravity’s remote effect on mass. It was discovered that, when simultaneously subjected to high heat and certain forms of electromagnetic radiation, these particles and their stored g-force - which they normally just pass along with minimal loss or refraction - can be reflected, manipulated, enhanced or even propelled through space.

Example Tech

The Spike Drive: A combination of gravtech systems enabling a starship's ability to travel safely at interplanetary and interstellar speeds.
Grav Vehicles: A vehicle equipped with contragravity systems, allowing it to float or even fly depending on the layout.
Tractor Beams: Gravity projection systems with enough power to pull in large objects from a distance.
Laser Weapons: Common postech weapons which use miniature grav-tech in order to 'drop' jets of plasma towards their target.
Grav Weapons: Extremely rare pretech weapons which can disrupt or dismantle targets on a molecular level.
Atmospheric Shielding: Nets of gravity projection technology which deflect atmospheric particles, preventing them from escaping or entering the shielded area.
Gravcomms: Utilising a minor quantum resonance quirk between uncharged particles to remotely signal at FTL speeds.