19.21 Page 562

THE STAR TREK ENCYCLOPEDIA: A REFERENCE GUIDE TO THE FUTURE WARP FIELD EFFECT 565

McCloskey as Tieran; Majel Barrett as Computer voice. SEE sabotoged by Losira. (“That Which Survives” [TOS]). In 2284, Adin; Ameron; Demmas; Denar; Gallia nectar; gamma radia- Starfleet conducted a series of unsuccessful tests on an experition; holodeck and holosuite programs: Paxau resort, mental transwarp propulsion system that would have dramatiVolleyball; llari autarch; Nari bioelectric microfibers; lari First cally increased the speed of warp drive systems. (Star Trek I. Castallan; llari talisman; llari; Kes; lectrazine; Martin, Ensign; The Search for Spock). By the 24th century, a new warp-factor Neelix; Nori; paraka wings; Paxau resort; Rekarri starbursts; scale was in use that employed an asymptotic curve, placing Resh; thoron; Tieran; volleyball; Yaro. warp 10 as an infinite value. Under the new scale, the Galaxyclass Enterprise-D had a normal cruising speed of warp 6 (392 warm milk with a dash of nutmeg. Traditional cure for insomnia, times light speed, about warp 7.3 under the old system), and a sometimes prescribed by Enterprise-D Chief Medical Officer maximum normal velocity of warp 9.2 (about 1649 times light Crusher. (“All Good Things...” [TNG]). speed, equivalent to about warp 11.8 in the “old” system). In 2370, following the formation of a massive subspace rift within warning beacon. Transmitter intended to inform nearby space the Hekaras Corridor, the Federation Council agreed that the vehicles of a potential hazard. Warning beacons were placed use of warp fields posed a significant threat to some areas of around planet Tarchannen ll in 2367 after it was discovered that space. Therefore the Council decreed that some areas would be one of the life-forms on the planet reproduced by mutating limited to essential travel only. Furthermore, the Council imposed unsuspecting visitors. (“Identity Crisis" [TNG]). a Federation-wide “speed limit" of warp 5, which could only be exceeded in times of extreme emergency. (“Force of Nature” warnog. Klingon ale. (“Rightful Heir” [TNG]). [TNG]). Later advances in Federation warp drive technology permitted the use of speeds exceeding warp 5. One of the first ships warp 10. Under warp theory, an infinite velocity unattainable by to be so equipped was the Intrepid-class U.S.S. Voyager, whose normal warp drive technology. An object traveling at warp 10 variable-geometry warp drive nacelles prevented damage to the would theoretically occupy all points in the universe simultane- subspace continuum. (“Caretaker, Parts | and II" [VGRY). The origously. (“Threshold” [VGR]). SEE: infinite velocity, theory of; inal Star Trek series occasionally had ships and other objects travtranswarp. eling at warp 10 or faster. At the beginning of Star Trek: The Next Generation, Gene Roddenberry sald he wanted to change the warp 13. SEE: anti-time (future); warp speed. warp-speed scale to put warp 10 at the absolute top of the scale We therefore assume that the warp scale has been recalibrated warp core breach. SEE: antimatter containment. so that all the speeds shown in the original show are “actually” less than warp 10. Interestingly, the original Star Trek series never warp core. SEE: matter/antimatter reaction chamber established actual speeds for warp factors in any episode or movie, although the old warp factor cubed formula has come to warp drive. Primary propulsion sys- be generally accepted. A temporary upper limit for warp speed tem used by most faster-than-light travel was established in “Force of Nature” (TNG), when speeds interstellar spacecraft. Warp drive / exceeding warp 5 were found to cause dangerous damage to the systems used by Federation star- 7” space-time continuum. This speed limit was abandoned a couple ships employ the controlled annihila- of years later when it was assumed that newer Federation startion of matter and antimatter (“The » ships (like the U.S.S. Voyager and the new Defiant) had improved, Naked Time" [TOS]), regulated by environmentally friendly warp drive systems that did not cause dilithium crystals, to generate the damage to the spatial continuum. In the final televised episode of tremendous power required to warp space and travel faster than The Next Generation, both the U.S.S. Pasteur and the Enterpriselight. Warp drive was invented in 2063 by noted scientist Zefram D were ordered to use “warp 13." This may yet another recalibraCochrane (pictured) of Alpha Centauri. (“Metamorphosis” [TOS]). tion of the warp curve, although it is not clear if this will happen in It is inadvisable to go to warp inside of a solar system because the “real” Star Trek timeline, since that future was a fabrication of exceeding the speed of light near a gravity well ~~ Q. It is also possible that this alludes to some kind of implementacan be dangerous if the gravitational potentials tion of transwarp drive, as seen in “Threshold” (VGR). SEE: chart are not precisely taken into account. (Star Trek: on following page The Motion Picture; “By Inferno's Light” [DS9)). SEE: antimatter containment; Cochrane warp field coils. Toroidal structures with- = distortion; dilithium; matter/antimatter in a starship’s warp drive nacelles that, TIS reaction chamber; nacelle; subspace; sub- when bombarded by high energy plasma, = X - space phenomena; subspace technology; actually form the subspace “bubble” in Fl \N { transwarp; warp factor. For more detailed which the ship travels in warp. Exposure ” information regarding warp drive and other to a verteron pulse can overload field = technical matters, please refer to the Star Trek: coils, causing warp drive, and all other 2 The Next Generation Technical Manual by Rick Sternbach and subspace systems, to fail. (“Force of “5 Michael Okuda, published by Pocket Books. Nature” [TNG)). Warp field coils were . seen behind the nacelle control room in - warp factor. Unit of measure for faster-than-light warp velocities “Eye of the Beholder” (TNG). generated by warp drive. Warp factor one is c, the speed of light, while ' | warp field effect. Cumulative damhigher speeds are computed geo- A age to the structure of the subspace metrically under one of two » 1 continuum caused by repeated expodifferent formulae. The original ~ = sure of an area to warp travel. Areas Constitution-class Starship Enter- - ) with already preexisting subspace prise had a cruising speed of warp - instability were particularly sensitive factor 6, and could reach warp 8 to the effect. As the exposure to warp field energy increased, so did only with significant danger to the < the chances of a subspace rupture. The warp field effect was ship itself. (“Arena [TOS]). The ship particularly severe when warp factor 5 was exceeded. (“Force nevertheless reached warp 11 in 2267 when modified by Nomad of Nature” [TNG]). SEE: Hekaras Corridor; Serova, Dr. Later to increase engine efficiency by 57 percent. (“The Changeling” advancements in Federation warp drive technology made it possi[TOS]). The Kelvans were also successful in modifying the ship's ble to employ high warp speeds without causing excessive damengines to reach warp 11. (“By Any Other Name” [TOS]). The ship age to the subspace continuum, (“Caretaker, Parts | and II” [VGR]) reached warp 14.1 in 2268 when the warp engines were SEE: subspace phenomena; subspace technology.