Agragon jump drive

			Memory 118

Unlike most species known in the galaxy, the Agragons did not develop warp field theory but instead figured a way to enter sub-space and use it as a tunnel. This "Jump Drive" is virtually undetected by those not familiar with the technology giving the Agragons the ability to appear in system.

The Jump Drive is considered a shutter-drive, in formal FTL terms, because it takes a charge and jumps to a fixed position. While it does take some time to calculate the jump (in Terran terms, to calculate where the horizon of the Einstein-Rosen bridge is), this time is less than it takes to charge up. In practice, the current limiting factor is the charge time.

The advantages to such a drive is that without carefully tuned sensors that are typically not carried on most ships, no one can detect the emergence or heading of the ship - only an increased subspace energy in the area. Better sensors would be able to detect the size and heading (see, though, the notes on speed of the Jump). It also can function in areas that conventional warp drive cannot work.

The disadvantages to such a drive is the aforementioned charge time, as well as the fact that it also will not work where slipstream doesn’t work. In addition, while it uses similar mechanics to a slipstream, the Jump drive has a limited amount of space it covers in a Jump enabling the illusion of the Jump itself being instantaneous. (The speed of the Jump drive is approximately 90% of slipstream at the current tech level of the Agragons.)