Technology -- Humans
From SOTS
The discovery of the so-called "subspace" dimension has allowed Human propulsion engineers to take advantage of the gravitational stress fractures of the universe. The principle at work is simple: four-dimensional space time appears to have a crystalline structure, and massive bodies such as stars and black holes create distortions in the space-time continuum. These distortions are connected by breaches of space-time known as "subspace". In essence, subspace is an interstitial dimension, which connects one gravitational distortion to another.
The causes of this "resonance" cannot be fully explained without resorting to the esoteric extremes of Starstring Theory, but the practical result is that the distance between any two nodes in subspace is highly compressed, relative to the positions these two Nodes might occupy in ordinary space-time. A Human vessel equipped with a Node drive can enter and leave subspace at will, and thus traverse the compressed distance between nodes very rapidly. (Details on Human node drive sections featured in the game can be found here.) When the vessel emerges from subspace again, it will have traversed a great distance in a short period of time, thus effectively achieving superluminal speed. This "faster-than-light" travel is possible between any two points which are connected by a fracture line.
While most Node lines occur between stars, other massive stellar bodies can also create small node lines. For example, when Blasky Yao Hsiang discovered subspace, he was able to exit the line at Jupiter. This is because Jupiter is a healthy sized gas giant and it does warp the fabric of spacetime just enough that a ersatz experimental node system could actually traverse a subline with the 100 to 1 shot of surviving entry and exit transition. System internal node lines do exist between high G enough bodies but so far they are so tenuous and so risky that they remain a curiosity more than an exploited resource. Vessels the size of a Destroyer are considered to be to large to be able to use these sublines.
Chains of nodal connection between stars are sometimes referred to as "starstreams", a term coined by the first subspace traveler, Blasky Yao Hsiang. However, the phrase "starstream" can be somewhat misleading. Although the Node connections between stars do form a sort of chain, if plotted through ordinary space-time, a Human ship traveling in subspace will not be crossing those regions of space as a physical object. The only evidence of the ship's passage in ordinary-space time is a series of gravitational pulses, which indicate the presence of the vessel in subspace. Although a sufficiently sensitive scanner might be able to determine the mass of a Human fleet in motion or the number of vessels traveling together, those vessels cannot be contacted or intercepted in ordinary space-time.
All forward and maneuvering thrust aboard a Human vessel is otherwise created by simple mass-to-energy conversion, the principles of which are understood by all star-faring races.
In general, all of the other races have a similar attitude toward Human FTL drive tech, which is something to the effect of:
"Where did you go, you little—!? Why I oughta...Damn it, just smash everything in sight until you find the damn monkeys!"
Human-only Technologies
Star Drives
Node Drive - Enables the basic engine sections. (Starting Technology)
Node Focusing - Enables new engine section. (Core Technology)
Sub-Space Pathing - Enables new engine section.
Node Missile - Enables construction of a one-shot destroyer-sized explosive weapon.
