STAR ARMY

Sci-fi roleplaying and worldbuilding community

User Tools

Site Tools


corp:yugumo_corporation:systems:discontinued_or_retconned_systems:stellar_link_siphon

Stellar Link Siphon (Retconned)

:!: This Device is Retconned due to Wormhole Usage. :!:

Inspired by the Ascendancy's Link Device, Kage Yaichiro designed the Type 30 Link Siphon (Retconned) as a power source. However, once he implemented the Link Device's Recycling Mode, and realized just how much energy could be pulled from a star, he began to design this station, which contains literally a thousand Link Siphons, intended to generate power for an entire world. Normally, Aether devices would be more beneficial–except that the byproduct, compressed Helium, can be sold to civilians using the MFY Pressurized Helium Reactor as an alternative to Antimatter or conventional fusion energy very cheaply, and en masse.

This design was later constructed for the Star Army of Yamatai, through a contract with Motoyoshi Fleet Yards.

Description and Operation

This system uses massive numbers of Type 30 Link Siphon (Retconned)s to harvest energy from a star, and appears as a massive station in orbit. These are generally constructed in a honeycomb-like structure, to make optimal use of space, and cram as many Link Siphons into the system as possible. The reason for this is redundancy, as it is harder to knock out a thousand small generators than a few large ones, and large ones generally are not necessary, since the same pressures would result.

The honeycomb structure is at the center of the massive structure, the rear connected to a storage and loading facility, used to store and distribute the compressed Helium while inside Compressed Helium Containers.

The Front looks similar, but is a repair and maintenance bay, which also have the ability to build ships.

It should be noted that this is not a ship or a space station, but simply a largely automated platform which is routinely patrolled by UOCPF vessels and maintained by MFY.

Components

Type 30 Link Siphon (Retconned)

These are the devices which pull hydrogen from the star's core, while under full stellar pressure, and absorb the energy as it fuses to Helium. Then they send the Helium to containers for storage or for sale to civilians, useful for MFY-built Compressed Helium Reactor power systems.

Since MFY has Link Device technology in their Helium production system, it is possible to purchase a plan which automatically refills the Helium tanks remotely, even from Light Years away, without interrupting operations. This is usually a flat rate which takes into account average helium consumption.

Compressed Helium Containers (3000)

Compressed Helium Container

These tanks store the helium at pressures which are a significant fraction of what is needed for them to undergo nuclear fusion into carbon. These can be re-fed into the Reinforced Yamataium Core, and the unit can be used as a conventional reactor, albeit at high pressure and needing less energy to accelerate the helium to obtain carbon.

Type 1 Link Device

There are four of there in different areas of the structure, for the sake of defense, as well as to purge all of the reactors in rapid succession should something horrible go wrong. These formidable weapons are the same as those on the Ascendancy-class Flagship.

Repair and Production Bays (10)

These bays are often dedicated to producing the Compressed Helium Containers used to store the compressed Helium byproduct, but they are also equipped to perform work on ships and other space borne vehicles. It is possible to rent out these bays…though the background check is quite vigorous.

Anti-FTL Field (1)

The same as the Anti-Fleet variant found in the Interdiction Field SEM, this system is used as a powerful Anti-FTL Field countermeasure. Capable of defeating Anti-FTL fields up to a radius of about 0.645 AU, this permits most Stellar Link Siphons orbit a star within 0.5 or 0.6 AU away with minimal interruption in power should an enemy or saboteur raise a field.

Benefits

  • The Siphon, tapping into an existing natural reactor rather than starting its own reactions, needs no warming up and begins making energy right away.
  • Since it is managed by the Micro Link Devices, the reaction can be stopped and/or the material vented if there is a problem.
  • A single star can easily power thousands of warships, or even many planets, for perhaps millions of years depending on power load and efficiency.
  • Since the pressure is equidistant rather than more at the center, like in conventional reactors, the power output is magnitudes higher than artificial forms of fusion in reactors the same size.
  • Not only does this provide energy for a world if necessary, but the byproduct can actually be sold to civilians at a low price, for further refinement into energy.

Limitations

  • The system is halted if an Anti-FTL Field is raised. This is circumvented by using Anti-FTL countermeasures, still using antimatter or aether as a backup or combat power source, or using the system's Recycling mode to process stored Helium.
  • It is harmful to stars over many millions of years. As such, it must be used on stars which lack planets, are already dying, or are in danger of achieving the mass needed to go supernova.

Retcon Notes

All technologies connected to the Type 30 Link Siphon (Retconned) and the Stellar Link Siphon (Retconned) were retconned.


Quality:
corp/yugumo_corporation/systems/discontinued_or_retconned_systems/stellar_link_siphon.txt · Last modified: 2023/12/21 05:24 by 127.0.0.1