In
science fictionScience fiction is a genre of fiction. It differs from fantasy in that, within the context of the story, its imaginary elements are largely possible within scientifically-established or scientifically-postulated laws of nature...
, a
jump gate (or 'jumpgate') is a fictional device able to create a
wormholeIn physics, a wormhole is a hypothetical topological feature of spacetime that is fundamentally a 'shortcut' through space and time. Spacetime can be viewed as a 2D surface that, when 'folded' over, allows the formation of a wormhole bridge. A wormhole has at least two mouths that are connected...
or portal, allowing fast travel between two points in space. Several works use this term extensively.
Babylon 5
In the
Babylon 5Babylon 5 is an American science fiction television series created, produced and largely written by J. Michael Straczynski. The show centers on the Babylon 5 space station: a focal point for politics, diplomacy, and conflict during the years 2257–2262...
television series, a
jumpgate is an apparatus with the power to open a vortex that connects normal space with
hyperspaceHyperspace is a plot device sometimes used in science fiction. It is typically described as an alternate region of space co-existing with our own universe which may be entered using an energy field or other device...
, making interstellar travel take a matter of days. Jumpgates also provide
beaconA beacon is an intentionally conspicuous device designed to attract attention to a specific location.Beacons can also be combined with semaphoric or other indicators to provide important information, such as the status of an airport, by the colour and rotational pattern of its airport beacon, or of...
s that allow navigation within hyperspace. The origin of the technology is unknown; all races learned to make jumpgates by examining already-existing ones. For example, humans acquired jumpgate technology by purchasing it from the
CentauriThe Centauri are a humanoid species in the fictional universe of the Babylon 5 television series. They were the first alien species to make open contact with the human race. Their homeworld is Centauri Prime, a small Earth-like planet consisting of two large continents and several smaller islands...
.
Some ships are large enough to house jumpgate devices within them, enabling them to enter and exit hyperspace at will. Minbari warships have been known to exit hyperspace right next to enemy ships, destroying them in the backlash.
Buck Rogers in the 25th Century
In the
Buck Rogers in the 25th CenturyBuck Rogers in the 25th Century is an American science fiction adventure television series produced by Universal Studios. The series ran for two seasons between 1979 - 1981, and the feature-length pilot episode for the series was released as a theatrical film several months before the series...
television series a network of
stargates has been set up for interstellar travel. In this context, stargates are the same concept as jumpgates. These stargates were shown as a diamond-shaped quartet of stars that shimmered when a vessel was making transit.
Doom
The
Doom seriesDoom is a series of first-person shooter video games developed by id Software. The series focuses on the exploits of an unnamed space marine operating under the UAC , who fights hordes of undead and demons in order to survive...
has their own jumpgates, called Anomalies, placed on the two moons of
MarsMars is the fourth planet from the Sun in the Solar System. The planet is named after Mars, the Roman god of war. It is also referred to as the "Red Planet" because of its reddish appearance, due to iron oxide prevalent on its surface....
,
PhobosPhobos is the larger and closer of two small moons of Mars, the other being Deimos. It is named after the Greek god Phobos , a son of Ares...
and
DeimosDeimos , is the smaller and outer of Mars’ two moons . It is named after Deimos, a figure representing dread in Greek Mythology. Its systematic designation is '.-Discovery:...
. In the
Doom 3Doom 3 is a science fiction horror video game developed by id Software and published by Activision. An example of the first-person shooter genre, Doom 3 was first released for Microsoft Windows on August 3, 2004. The game was later adapted for Linux, as well as being ported by Aspyr Media for Mac...
games a true version of a stargate appears. In
Doom 3, it offers a direct link to hell, whence two Hell Knights emerge and attempt to kill the protagonist. In
Doom 3 - Resurrection of Evil, another stargate is opened when the player faces the first Hunter. All the Anomalies in both classic and new
Doom are used to travel in space at an instant speed by using an alternate dimension as a shortcut, where the hellish and demonic race dwells.
Eve Online
In the
MMORPGMassively multiplayer online role-playing game is a genre of computer role-playing games in which a very large number of players interact with one another within a virtual game world....
,
Eve OnlineEve Online is a video game by CCP Games. It is a player-driven persistent-world massively multiplayer online role-playing game set in a science fiction space setting. Players pilot customizable ships through a universe comprising over 7,500 star systems...
, jump gates allow travel between star systems. Due to the complex nature of their construction and the physics that they are based upon, in the official lore of the game, a jump gate must be placed between two stars of a star system with at least two stars - this makes "approximately one in every three" star systems unsuitable.
Recently the largest capital ships (Titans) have been given the ability to forge a similar gate towards a cynosural field, allowing them to temporarily connect one system to another and jump support fleets through before jumping itself. In Revelations II, a player owned structure called the jump bridge was added that allowed a more permanent jump bridge to be made. With the Trinity expansion pack another ship type (black ops) appeared which could generate 'silent' jump portals not visible on the system scanner (although the ships still appear, as cloaks cannot be used along with generators).
Fading Suns
In the fictional
Fading SunsFading Suns is a science fiction space opera role-playing game published by Holistic Design. The setting was also used for a PC game , a live action role-playing game , and for a space combat miniature game .- Game setting :The action is set in a future medieval-style empire built on the remains of...
universe jumpgates are the only means to travel between the stars. They are huge structures left behind by some almost unknown alien civilization called the Ur. The jumpgates are long ring-like structures that have a diameter of several kilometers across, they are opened by a device called jump engine, and the route is controlled by another device called the jump key. The civilization of the known worlds has very little understanding of the principles at work behind the gates.
Freelancer
In the
FreelancerFreelancer is a space trading and combat simulation video game developed by Digital Anvil and published by Microsoft Game Studios. The game was initially announced by Chris Roberts in 1999, and following many production schedule mishaps and a buyout of Digital Anvil by Microsoft, it was eventually...
game by Digital Anvil, the jumpgate is an apparatus which provides travel from system to system. After the Liberty landed on Planet Manhattan and began exploring the New York System they came across the natural phenomenon known as the Jumphole. Ageira Technologies researched it and developed the Jumpgate, and in conjunction with Deep Space Engineering, provided the rest of the Houses with the technology- for a hefty fee.
Jumpgates form choke points through which traffic entering a star system must pass, making them favored ambush points for criminal groups such as the Outcasts and Corsairs. To guard against this, naval or military checkpoints are commonly situated near Jumpgates, who also take advantage of the opportunity to scan for contraband being smuggled into the system (although smart smugglers and criminals tend to make use of jump holes, naturally occurring versions of jump gates, rather than risk detection and capture.) Jumpgates are also outfitted with defensive turrets in order to cover the immediate vicinity.
Jumpgate series
In the
NetDevilNetDevil, owned by Gazillion Entertainment, is a developer of massively multiplayer online role-playing games in Louisville, Colorado.- Humble beginnings :...
MMORPGMassively multiplayer online role-playing game is a genre of computer role-playing games in which a very large number of players interact with one another within a virtual game world....
s
Jumpgate: The Reconstruction InitiativeJumpgate: The Reconstruction Initiative is an MMORPG in a science fiction setting for the PC, released on September 25 2001 by NetDevil and 3DO . However, only months after 3DO released the game to stores, their contract with NetDevil was broken or cancelled...
and
Jumpgate EvolutionJumpgate Evolution, commonly abbreviated as JGE, is a massively multiplayer online game currently being developed by NetDevil and published by Codemasters...
, the titular jumpgates are used to travel from sector to sector of space.
Marvel Comics
In the
Marvel UniverseThe Marvel Universe is the shared fictional universe where most comic book titles published by Marvel Comics take place, including those featuring Marvel's most familiar characters, such as Spider-Man, the Hulk, the X-Men, and Captain America....
, Jump Gates are used by the United States Government to connect each state superhero team of the
Fifty State InitiativeThe Fifty State Initiative, often referred to as simply The Initiative, is a fictional governmental plan that appears in the Marvel Comics universe...
with the
Negative ZoneThe Negative Zone is a fictional setting, an antimatter universe depicted in publications from Marvel Comics, most frequently in Fantastic Four and Captain Marvel. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, it first appeared in Fantastic Four #51 .-Fictional description:The Negative Zone in the Marvel...
's Prison 42 and in turn the other states Jump Gates. However, State jumps wear down the point between positive and negative space so the jumps are used sparingly.
An alien race called the
Shi'arThe Shi'ar are a fictional species of aliens in the Marvel Comics universe. The Shi'ar Empire also called the Aerie, is a vast collection of alien species, cultures and worlds situated close to the Skrull and Kree Empires, and alongside them, is one of the three main alien empires The Shi'ar (...
, use Stargates which can transport matter across intergalactic distances. There is a large Shi'ar stargate on the edge of our Solar System, but it requires a massive amount of energy to activate, and is hazardous to use since it has the potential to destabilize a star.
Lost in Space (film)Lost in Space is a 1998 feature-length motion picture produced by New Line Cinema, starring William Hurt, Mimi Rogers, Heather Graham, Matt LeBlanc, Gary Oldman, Jack Johnson, and Lacey Chabert, and is an adaptation of the 1965–1968 CBS television series Lost In Space.The film opened at #1; the...
In the year 2058, Earth will soon be uninhabitable after the irreversible effects of pollution. The United Global Space Force serves as the planetary government. Professor John Robinson, lead scientist of the Jupiter Mission, will lead his family to the habitable planet Alpha Prime to prepare it for colonization by building a hypergate in orbit. The Jupiter 2 is equipped with a hyperdrive that allows faster-than-light travel, which will eventually be employed to evacuate the citizens of Earth. However hypergates must be constructed on Earth and Alpha Prime to provide stable points of departure and arrival. The project is accelerated after Global Sedition terrorist forces send two armed fighters to destroy the hypergate under construction. Major Don West, a fighter pilot from the hypergate defense force, manages to destroy the enemy fighters and is unwillingly drafted as the new pilot of the Jupiter Mission, as the previous pilot has been assassinated.
Unfortunately, without a hypergate to warp to, the ship and its crew end up in a random (and apparently uncharted) part of the galaxy. They then go through a "hole in space" and presumably go to the future.The
Space Family RobinsonSpace Family Robinson was an original science-fiction comic book series published by Gold Key Comics. It predates the Lost in Space TV series....
thus become lost in space, as they did in the TV series and various comic projects.
Stargate
In the
StargateStargate is a military science fiction franchise, initially conceived by Roland Emmerich and Dean Devlin. The first film in the franchise was simply titled Stargate. It was originally released on October 28, 1994 by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Carolco, and became a worldwide hit grossing nearly $200...
film & television series franchise,
Stargates are ring-shaped devices with 9 'chevrons' equally spaced around their circumference, and 39 symbols displayed on an inner ring. They were created by an extinct alien race known as the Ancients (or the Alterans), who scattered them on Earth-like planets throughout the Milky Way and other galaxies. They are occasionally collectively referred to as the "Stargate Network".
If given enough power, the inner ring unlocks and can be rotated mechanically. Rotating the ring so that a certain symbol is lined up with a chevron makes the chevron light up, move inwards then back; it is then said that the chevron is 'locked' or 'encoded'. Once six symbols are entered (they are actually constellations as they are visible from Earth or Lantea), the gate searches for another one at the coordinates specified by the sequence of symbols entered and if there is one, entering a seventh symbol (which signifies the gate connecting to the other) establishes a subspace wormhole between the two. Only whole objects can travel: if something is partially beyond the event horizon, it can be pulled out without problem, but if it goes through completely, the gate starts matter transmission. The reason to this is that gates break down matter and store it in a buffer until everything is through so that it can come back out freely. Once the object is disintegrated, its molecular makeup is transmitted to the other gate, which reassembles it inside its own buffer then reintegrates the object at the event horizon. Travelers perceive this as instantaneous travel similar to stepping through a doorway (since their brains and sensory organs are broken down into their constituent particles, they can't perceive at all while in transit) - except if the other side is blocked, meaning there's a barrier several micrometres from the event horizon (like Earth's iris), which prevents matter from properly reintegrating. In layman's terms, trying to exit a blocked gate results in the traveler essentially cease to exist. The same happens if someone tries to travel backwards, the gate isn't programmed to reintegrate matter going the wrong way.
Communication from one end to the other of a wormhole can be conducted by using radio signal transmissions, which are able to travel in both directions through the wormhole. Because of stability issues with the wormholes that the Stargates generate, the wormholes last only 38 minutes per dialing under normal circumstances. Non-normal circumstances include continuous matter travel (the gates can't be shut down if something is in transit), huge amounts of energy continuously fed into the gate,
time dilationTime dilation is a phenomenon described by the theory of relativity. It can be illustrated by supposing that two observers are in motion relative to each other, and/or differently situated with regard to nearby gravitational masses. They each carry a clock of identically similar construction and...
due to a black hole, among others.
If the wormhole created by the stargate was microscopic in size, this would explain the necessity of object disintegration and reintegration as well as the fact that energy and subatomic particles can travel both ways.
A major problem about Stargates is that upon establishing a connection, both gates briefly eject an unstable vortex that vaporizes matter on the subatomic level. If a significant obstruction is present inside the gate (e.g. it is buried), it won't even connect. Since the gate is made of a superconducting heavy metal, it is nearly indestructible (surviving millions of years, nuclear detonations and even direct asteroid hits), though if enough energy is channeled into it, it will explode (as shown when a gate was being fed with energy from the other side of a wormhole by means of a subatomic particle beam which is the only thing that can defeat a 'protected' gate; eventually it exploded with a force of several gigatons). It is shown on one occasion that humans have the necessary materials (not knowledge) to construct Stargates, as one was built from titanium, wires, optical fibers and an industrial-strength capacitor feeding from a house's electrical supply.
Dialling is done with the use of a 'DHD' (Dial Home Device) found near most gates. When the workings of the one on Earth was determined, the DHD was missing (it was in Russia), so they developed a computer program that can interface with the gate and dial manually, albeit slower than with a DHD (and with some errors, such as when the other gate's DHD was destroyed, connection was interrupted and one of the protagonists was trapped in the matter buffer). It was later found out that Earth actually is the only known planet with
two Stargates, probably because it was the Ancient's capital world until 65 million years ago. The Beta Gate (Antarctica) was used as backup to the Alpha Gate (Giza), until the latter was destroyed. Both DHDs are inoperational (the Alpha was captured by Nazi Germany, looted by Russia and finally burned out in the aforementioned accident, while the Beta ran out of power a long time ago). Atlantis also has its own type of DHD, a console with triangular crystals engraved with the symbols. This one also has some unique capabilities, such as blocking certain adresses, putting up a shield similar to the Earth Gate's iris or dialling other galaxies.
Although Stargates are human-sized (diameter is around 3-4 metres), larger ones exist: the Ori offshoot of the Ancients built massive Supergates which were large enough to permit intergalactic travel with battlecruiser-class ships. They consist of several dozen pieces small enough to fit through a normal Stargate and then assemble in orbit. Only three of these gates are known to be built: one was destroyed before completion while another was utilized by humans to defeat the Ori for good. Another anomalous type is the so-called Spacegates in the Pegasus galaxy. They are normal Stargates placed in geosynchronous orbit rather than on a pedestal on the ground. They are equipped with three stabilizers placed equally around their circumference which keep the gate in orbit and return it to its previous place if pushed away. Because of their position, these gates are only accessible with an Ancient Gateship or Wraith Dart, both which are capable of travelling through Stargates. Otherwise, Pegasus Stargates are a newer model with some cosmetic differences, such as blue chevrons and computerized dialling (the latter means that these gates cannot be dialled manually; if the DHD is missing or faulty, the traveler is essentially stuck).
Power requirements are various. Normally, only the dialling requires energy to function, then the other end can take over powering both gates. A 'standard' wormhole only requires so much that can be sustained by Earth technology, while intergalactic wormholes require astronomical amounts of energy only sustainable by Ancient-made Zero Point Modules (small "bottles" that extract vacuum energy from an artificial mini-universe). The fact that another galaxy was being dialled is informed to the gate with the inclusion of eight chevrons: six as normal coordinates, seventh as a galaxy-specific marker and an eight as point-of-origin. The ninth chevron can dial the sister-ship to the one which originally 'seeded' the galaxy with Stargates.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
In the
1987 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoon seriesTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is an joint-venture between American/Japanese animated television series produced by Murakami-Wolf-Swenson and Shogakukan Studios. It premiered December 28, 1987, first as a five-part mini-series animated by Toei...
, famous
dimensional portals appear. These machines can within some seconds transport people from one place to another.
KrangKrang is a fictional supervillain who appears in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles universe. An alien Utrom, a race of aliens in the Mirage comics, Krang appeared most frequently in the 1987 TMNT cartoon and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures comic book, as well as most of the classic TMNT...
has one, and
DonatelloDonatello is a fictional character that appears in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comics and all related media.In the Mirage/Image comics all four turtles wear red bandanas but in mainstream versions he sports a purple bandana. His signature weapon is the bō staff...
develops one later (during season three), however, Donatello's seldom work. Typically, Krang opens the dimensional portal in the
TechnodromeThe Technodrome is a semi-spherical tank-like metallic mobile subterranean fortress of Krang and Shredder, the main villains on the 1987 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoon, the Archie Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures comics and most TMNT video game adaptions...
for transportation between
EarthEarth is the third planet from the Sun. It is the fifth largest of the eight planets in the solar system, and the largest of the terrestrial planets in the Solar System in terms of diameter, mass and density...
and
Dimension XDimension X is a fictional alternate dimension in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 1987 cartoon series and the TMNT Adventures comics. Dimension X is the home of several characters on the show, most notably one of the main antagonists Krang...
.
Transformers
The original
TransformersThe Transformers is an animated television series depicting a war among giant robots who could transform into vehicles, other objects and animals. Written and recorded in America, the series was animated in Japan...
cartoon featured the Space Bridge, which created a subspace tunnel from one point to another — typically, from an Earth station to
CybertronCybertron is a fictional planet, the homeworld of the the Transformers in the various fictional incarnations of the metaseries and toyline by Hasbro...
. The Earth station resembled a giant ring lying down, with an opening gate. When activated, the gate would close and sections of the ring would light up, the light spinning until a subspace tunnel was opened and whatever was in the ring was pulled in. The Cybertron receiving station was built into a large tower. Only one Space Bridge was ever shown, and it was under
DecepticonThe Decepticons are usually depicted as the Antagonists in the fictional universes of the Transformers toyline and related comics and cartoons, and the enemies of the Autobots. The villains take many forms, and have many different origins and stories across the numerous different Transformers...
control; but one station existing on Cybertron may be a hint that there were other Space Bridge stations on Cybertron. It was a key plot device in the first two seasons, phased out afterwards in favor of more standard space travel.
Unlike some examples (see Stargate above), matter is not broken down when sent through the Space Bridge — the objects stay intact inside the subspace tunnel.
The X Computer Game Series
The jumpgate in the X computer game series by
EgosoftEgosoft is a computer game developer founded in 1988 and based in Würselen, Germany. It later become a commercial company in 1990. Its first products were for the Amiga, but it later became a PC game developer....
is a large device which uses a
wormholeIn physics, a wormhole is a hypothetical topological feature of spacetime that is fundamentally a 'shortcut' through space and time. Spacetime can be viewed as a 2D surface that, when 'folded' over, allows the formation of a wormhole bridge. A wormhole has at least two mouths that are connected...
to connect itself to another jumpgate. These devices have changed in appearance through the series although this is accepted as a graphical enhancement, not actual gate altering.
The jumpgates create a web of connections to 163 known sectors within the X Universe. Within the sector the jumpgates are roughly located in the north, south, east and west. Not all sectors have 4 discovered jumpgates, some have slightly more, many have less.
The jumpgates and their current configuration are believed to be designed by ancient beings who are currently nowhere within the X Universe gate system. They are believed to be observing the sectors but direct contact has not occurred in generations. They are also blamed for the re-routing of some jumpgates every now and again, cutting off some sectors or connecting undiscovered ones.
The current intelligent biological residents of the X Universe, the Argon, Boron, Paranid, Split and Teladi do not understand the technology behind the jumpgates but the Humans of the Sol system successfully created their own jumpgates in the mid 21st century. The Earth jumpgate connected to the alien jumpgate system. The humans began colonising using the prearranged alien jumpgates although every sector they visited was strangely devoid of intelligent life. The Earth jumpgate was destroyed to trap the destructive terraformer fleet in the X Universe, away from Earth.
The only race in the X Universe to possibly understand the jumpgates are the Xenon, which are the “descendants” of the robotic terraformer fleet from Earth. They created a jumpdrive to get back to Earth to destroy it. The first jump-ship managed to jump close to the Earth system but it was badly damaged. The Kha'ak race also appear to have an understanding of jump systems, although they never use gate, preferring to use a jump system of their own design, which creates a momentary wormhole by joining several ships together and drawing power from all of them.
See also
- Faster-than-light
Faster-than-light communications and travel refer to the propagation of information or matter faster than the speed of light....
- Jump drive
A jump drive is one of the speculative inventions in science fiction, a method of traveling faster than light .Related concepts are hyperdrive, warp drive and interstellar teleporter. The key characteristic of a jump drive is that it allows a starship to be instantaneously teleported between two...
- Warp drive
Warp drive is a faster-than-light propulsion system in the universe of many science fiction settings, most notably including Star Trek. A spacecraft equipped with a warp drive may travel at velocities greater than that of light by many orders of magnitude, whilst circumventing the relativistic...
- Interstellar teleporter
An interstellar teleporter is a hypothetical technology appearing in science fiction, typically in hard sci-fi, which teleports people and/or other objects over interstellar distances instantaneously...
- Wormhole
In physics, a wormhole is a hypothetical topological feature of spacetime that is fundamentally a 'shortcut' through space and time. Spacetime can be viewed as a 2D surface that, when 'folded' over, allows the formation of a wormhole bridge. A wormhole has at least two mouths that are connected...