Quantum Slipstream Drive
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The first ship to roll out with the technology was the USS Excalibur-A. Both the Excalibur-A and all ships refitted with the drive would be able to travel at warp 9.99998477, or 300 light years per hour. This vastly opened extreme distances up to ships that were enabled. Though the drive was a massive achievement for the Federation, it was not without limits. So far, the slipstream enabled ships are the:
Drive StaminaThe slipstream drive could only be operated for a maximum of 12 hours before having to shut down. This would allow a ship to travel 3,600 light years from where they started. Warm Up TimeThe drive required a warm up cycle before activating it. It took 40 minutes for a ship to open a slipstream and enter it. While engineers were able to cut the time, it was as low as they could get it without open the ship up to unexpected dangers. Cool Down TimeOnce the drive was deactivated, it could not be activated for 36 hours. Any attempt to warm up the drive before that window would result in an unstable slipstream. Upgrade CycleOnce the drive was operational, engineers began working on ways to extend the drive stamina. They estimated that every two years, they would be able to increase the duration of use by one hour. Each ship would need a minor refit on the drive to update it every two years.
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