| Sketchley's Translations Main Index | Macross Portal |
| By AARON SKETCHLEY (aaronsketch@HOTdelete_thisMAIL.com) | Ver 1.0 2014.04.19 |
| Technology 08A: Over-Technology - Space Folds |
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Illustrated by Takuya Io
Caption: The hyperspace navigation "Space Fold", is treated as having originated with the Protoculture. The human race obtained the technology by analyzing the technology of the ASS-1. Thus, at the present time, it has become a technology that is indispensable for the human race's advance into the galaxy and the emigrant fleets.
Over-Technology: Space Fold
Hyperspace navigation that moves one a distance of dozens of light years at once.
Folds, which are referred to as a "Space Fold" or "Fold Navigation", are known as the hyperspace navigation that was created by the Protoculture. This is navigation via hyperspace that shortens the time to reach the target, and can be considered to be a technology close to "warp speed", which appears in classic SF.
A fold engine is installed in the object (hereafter the core) that carries out the Space Fold, such as space ships. The fold starts with the generation of a warp bubble that wraps around the warp shield - what the core's protective layer is referred to as. The core, which is cut loose from three-dimensional space by the warp bubble, navigates to the target site within a higher dimensional space.
In this way, even though Space Folds are performed with the Over-Technology equipment that is generally called a "Space Fold Engine", in order to do the actual work, a special substance is needed, which is referred to as Fold Carbon or Fold Coal. The principle ingredient in Fold Carbon is a black crystalline structure that appears to be carbon, and is a material that has a comparatively stable Heavy Quantum, due to its crystalline structure. It's said that this material has a role as the catalyst for the movement between three-dimensional space and the higher-dimensional space.
The Space Fold Engine was brought to Earth by an alien spaceship (the ASS-1), and was initially installed aboard such things as space ships.* After the First Interstellar War, progress was made in the miniaturization of the Space Fold Engine, and it spread in such things as passenger aircraft and VF options.
Thus Space Fold Engines came to be installed in various spaceships. Even though Space Fold Engines sustained Super Long Range Emigration, which extends to the whole area of the galaxy, several problems were identified. Those are the increase of energy consumption due to the Space Fold Distance, and the existence of Fold Faults, which cannot be crossed through even by Space Fold. Although Fold Faults can be crossed over by the "Super Fold Booster" that was developed, in general, the Super Fold Booster is not widespread. At the same time, a definite solution to the energy problem hasn't been found.
* Translator's note: originally was: "The Space Fold Engine was brought to Earth by the ASS-1, and was (...)."
Related Matter: Fold Faults
Fold Faults are a kind of dimensional fault that cannot be penetrated by Space Fld Navigation. They also make Fold Communication impossible through them. There is also the danger of carelessly approaching and encountering one. It's said that several Emigrant Fleets went missing due to accidents with Fold Faults. As one can do nothing but make a detour around the Fold Fault, the problem with the difference between subjective time and objective time during the Space Fold grows. Fold Faults are a hindrance to mankind's galactic advance.
Caption: Fold Faults have been confirmed in the whole area of the galaxy. When there is a Fold Fault, even if it's one day's distance in subjective time, it might take one week in objective time.
Caption: The Vajra Queens convert Fold Faults into Fault Folds, which are a kind of barrier. These are impossible to destroy with any kind of weapon.
Caption: In the higher dimension that's referred to as Fold Space, the ethereal body, which is considered to be the "spirit", and the flesh and blood body separate.
Caption: In the Macross's first Space Fold, South Ataria Island was swallowed up within the warp bubble. After this, Space Folds were seldom undertaken on a planet.
Extra Report: Fold Waves And Songs
Fold Waves, which are like waves generated by the higher dimensional space, are said to be deeply linked to Space Fold Navigation. It's thought that Song Energy, which was discovered in 2045, is a kind of Fold Wave, and research is being carried out on them even now.
Caption: Such things as the Fold Wave Amp and Fold Speaker were also discovered in the middle of the research on such things as Fold Waves and Song Energy.
Down: Sheryl Nome
Through the medium of the V-type Infectious Disease virus in her brain, Sheryl sang songs that contained faint Fold Waves.
Up: Ranka Lee
With the V-type Infectious Disease virus inside her body, Ranka's songs contained powerful Fold Waves.
Fold Mechanism
Fold Navigation is composed of three sequences: Fold-in, where the ship breaks into the higher dimensional space; movement within the higher dimensional space, and Defold (Fold Out) at the target coordinates in three dimensional space. In the worst cases, such as when you make a mistake calculating such things as the Space Fold distance or target coordinates, it's said that it will be impossible to break out of the higher dimensional space. Also, using a Space Fold on the ground brings with it great risks, as objects within the warp bubble get Space Folded at the same time.
Caption: Fold Fault
Caption: normal navigation
Even though the spaceship can pass through the Fold Fault, it takes time to reach the destination.
Caption: spaceship
Caption: When there is a Fold Fault on the route to the destination, a ship cannot Space Fold. When one forcibly does the Space Fold, there is a risk of disaster.
Caption: spaceship
Caption: destination
Caption: Higher Dimensional Space
The warp bubble is generated, the spaceship moves in the higher dimensional space, and the time to reach the destination is shortened.
Caption: spaceship
The Characteristics Of Space Folds
01 Shift To A Higher Dimensional Space
When Space Folding, there are also situations where the object appears to have teleported, when seen by a person from three dimensional space, as a result of the object passing into a higher dimensional space. However, it doesn't necessarily mean that the object can move instantaneously, because the time required to transit through the higher dimensional space differs due to such things as the length of the Space Fold distance and the presence or absence of Fold Faults.
Caption: The movement through a higher dimensional space, which is referred to as Fold Space, aims at greatly reducing the time required to move that distance in three dimensional space.
02 There Are A Few differences Between Subjective Time And Objective Time
Super light speed navigation, which was thought about before Space Folds, caused the birth of a large difference between objective time and subjective time, due to the theory of relativity. However, with Space Fold Navigation, the differences are few as the ship travels via a higher dimensional space. However, the differences might become larger due to such things as the circumstances of the Space Fold.
Caption: Even though time slowly advances in Space Folds with Fold Engines at the time of the First Interstellar War, the time difference became smaller due to improvements in the Fold Engines.
03 The Increase In The Energy Consumed Due To The Space Fold Distance
The energy consumption increases in proportion to the Space Fold distance. Because of this, the accumulation of a huge amount of energy is necessary for super long range Space Folds. This was one of the causes for the need of a parliamentary vote on super long range Space Folds in the Macross Frontier Fleet.
Caption: Immediately before a super long range Space Fold, bargain sales took place due to the restrictions placed on such things as energy and the distribution of goods.
04 Impossible To break Break Through A Fold Fault
Dimensional faults, which are called Fold Faults, cannot be passed through even with Space Fold Navigation. This is a problem that even the Protoculture couldn't solve. Only such things as the Vajra and the Super Fold Booster, which use Fold Quartz, can pass through Fold Faults.
Caption: Spaceships can only detour around a Fold Fault. However, the difference between subjective time and objective time also increases during the detour. The Vajra were able to pass directly through a Fold Fault.
Emigrant Fleets
Including the Macross 7 Fleet, an Emigrant Fleet's ships, such as the City Ships and Environment Ships, were outfitted with Fold Systems that were built-in equipment for such spaceships as the Zentraadi warships, SDF-1 Macross and the Unified Forces war fleet.
Caption: A Fold System cluster for super-large masses was built into the City 7 City Ship.
Shuttles
Fold Systems were even installed into general passenger aircraft in order to come and go to such places as the Earth, colonized planets and the Emigrant Fleets. Basically, they appear to be used for comparatively short range Space Folds.
Caption: There are also cases where the devices, which are similar in shape to a VF's fold booster, are equipment that's fixed to the outside of the shuttle.
Alien Life 1
The Protodevilun are the Protoculture's Living Weapon Evhil Series possessed by energy life forms from a higher dimension. Among the Protodevilun, there were those that also had the ability to Space Fold. However, it differed from the ability of Sybil and others to move at super light speeds.
Caption: The multipurpose super high-speed combat transporter specification Zomudo and Goramu have the ability to Space Fold.
Alien Life 2
Due to intestinal Fold Bacterium, the alien life form Vajra have a Space Fold ability, even though they are a life form. In addition to being able to break through the Fold Faults, the Vajra are able to perform Fold Communications, as they take in Fold Quartz.
Caption: The large individuals, such as the ones after the third form and the carrier types, are considered to have the ability to independent Space Fold.
External Fold Systems
The VF use a "Fold Booster", an external Fold System, which was developed to expand the strategic manoeuvrability of a VF. Although research on it had been advancing since the age of the VF-1, the miniaturization and so on of the system was rough going, and a prototype was finally completed in 2040. Even though they were initially disposable and had short Space Fold distances, a high-end model that solved those faults was widespread by the end of the 2050's.
VF Fold Systems 1
The latest type of Fold Booster, the FBF-1000A, was jointly developed by the OTEC company and Shinnakasu Heavy Industry. It had a Space Fold distance of about 20 light years, and only one-way performance was guaranteed. In reality, it was a disposable model.
Caption: The Fold Booster was installed onto the Project "Super Nova" series prototype VFs, and made a Space Fold from Eden to Earth.
VF Fold Systems 2
At the end of the 2050's, the Fold Booster was also improved to a higher performance, and it became possible to use several at one time. As a result, a long-distance round-trip with a single VF became possible, and the strategic manoeuvrability and operational flexibility of a VF was greatly improved.
Caption: It is possible to equip a VF-25 with a Fold Booster and Super Parts at the same time.
Super Fold Boosters
By using Fold Quartz, the experimental Super Fold Boosters are able to penetrate Fold Faults. With it, there is no difference in subjective time and objective time, and it is said that the travel time in the area of space that had been put to use by mankind was reduced to a tenth.
Caption: The Super Fold Booster is an L.A.I. prototype model. It was installed on the VF-25 and VF-27 and penetrated the Fold Faults.
Others
It was possible to install a Fold Booster on the Quadoran-Rhea, which is a Zentraadi battle-suit. The mountable model is the FAB-1000, which was jointly manufactured by L.A.I. and Shinakasu Heavy Industry.
Caption: The Quadoran-Rhea can be equipped with a Fold Booster because theSpace Fold Navigation navigating ability was added in an update of the battle-suit's avionics system.
Special Fold Technologies
Space Fold technology isn't only for navigation. Space Fold technology is also used for such things as the development apparatuses that use Fold Waves. Also, even though aircraft that are equipped with Space Fold Engines normally do folds, such things as the abilities to Space Fold other objects and prevent Space Folds have been confirmed.
Caption: The possibility of causing a mis-Fold rises when there are such things as interference in the Space Fold and the destruction of the Space Fold apparatus. This is one kind of Space Fold obstruction.
Space Fold Obstruction
The Protodevilun Barugo had the ability to compel Space Fold Engines to stop. This ability could also force Space Fold engines that were operating to stop.
Caption: Barugo generated a pentagram shaped Space Fold, and Space Fold Engines within range were interrupted.
Space Fold Any Object
In addition to the Protodevilun Geperunicchi Space Folding a Reaction Weapon that had been fired into the chamber that sealed up his real body, Zomudo and Goramu had the ability to force large mass objects to Space Fold by cooperating with each other.
Caption: Zomudo and Goramu, whose speciality was surprise attacks that make use of consecutive short-range Space Folds, were also able to Space Fold other objects.
Fold Communication
Fold Waves, which are transmitted at super light-speeds, can also transmit information. The human race uses "Fold Communication", a high light-speed, large volume communication system that uses the Fold Wave transmission function to constructed the Galaxy Network.
Caption: As Fold Waves also cannot pass through Fold Faults, communications are secured by setting up Relay Pods.
Putting Fold Quartz To Other Uses
Fold Quartz is the material that's thought to be the catalyst for Space Folds, and it differs from Fold Carbon. Besides sending out Fold Waves, which aren't affected by the Fold Faults, the Fold Quartz that's generated within the bodies of the alien life form Vajra also has the ability to penetrate Fold Faults. The General Galaxy Company, which obtained the Fold Quartz from Vajra remains, developed new devices that surpassed existing Space Fold related devices.
Caption: The Galaxy Fleet tried to form the Galactic Parallel Thought Network with an implant that used Fold Quartz as its core.
Putting It To Use In Technology For VFs
The Vajra's ability to penetrate Fold Faults, high-manoeuvrability, and so on, are due to Fold Quartz. The Super Fold Booster, which has the ability to penetrate Fold Faults, and the inertia control mechanism ISC are the things that directly put Fold Quartz to use.
Caption: Even though the Super Fold Booster was a prototype model, ISC is installed in such aircraft as the VF-25 and VF-27, and it demonstrated an excellent G-resistance ability.
Putting It To Use In Weapons
With the Fold Devices that make use of good quality Fold Quartz, "Super" Heavy Quantum was formed that had a hitherto incomparable mass. The things that are considered to have used this are Dimension Eaters and MDE (Micro Dimension Eaters), which are conventional weapons combined with the good quality Fold Quartz.
Caption: DE and MDE are the few armaments that are effective against the Vajra, and there is also a type that has the power to destroy even planets.
Related Matter: Vajra And Fold Waves
The Vajra formed an original Zero-Time Fold Communication Network with their intestinal bacteria, which has Fold Quartz. The Vajra, who don't have a brain, are able to act as a swarm due to that.
Caption: The Vajra, who are a "network by Fold Wave" don't have such concepts as individuals and oneself. They are led by the queen.
Caption: Fold Systems spread even as options for VFs. New technologies were developed that used Fold Quartz, such as the the ability to penetrate Fold Faults, and Fold Communication.