TIMELINE

This article takes place in the 24 & 26 centuries of Distant Worlds.

Proofreading by: ASmallerMolecule

OVERVIEW

"So, check this out: this thing is totally wild—it goes 'boosh kaboosh' and makes these eerie humming noises. Then, everything around you starts stretching and wobbling like you're on the craziest rollercoaster ride ever, and suddenly, you're in this scary, dark place that's like being squished between two totally different worlds."

- Ford Dastarian, Nemesis Galaxy recovered logs

The Anti-de Sitter Drive, or more commonly referred to as the AdS Drive, is a revolutionary interstellar propulsion system enabling faster-than-light travel. This device allows this because of its abilities to navigate through a three-dimensional Anti-de Sitter horse saddle shaped hyperbolic subspace embedded within four-dimensional geometry. Its principles are derived from the laws outlined in the M Cosmology of the universe, developed through the groundbreaking works of Marcus Hector Cüpernik. Initially, AdS Drives were mass-produced by the United LunaTerra, followed by the Martian Technate and Ceres Shipyards. By the mid-24th century, engineering advancements had miniaturized and optimized the AdS Drive, making it standard equipment on privately-owned spacecraft due to its efficiency and reduced energy requirements.

Professor Wells Explains the AdS Drive

The following is an excerpt from an educational session with Professor Wells, answering a question posed by students:

"Thank you, Professor Wells, for taking the time to answer our students' questions. One burning question: how do ships reach other stars? What exactly is the AdS Drive?"

"Alright, you’ve likely heard the term ‘hyperspace’ in old books or movies for years. But what does it really mean? As per our current understanding, we live in an eleven-dimensional universe. Humans exist in three spatial dimensions, along with the temporal time dimension that we’re affected by. A more accurate term for this concept is ‘subspace.’ Specifically, the AdS Drive exploits a three-dimensional subspace within a four-dimensional Anti-de Sitter geometry.

"The Anti-de Sitter space acts as a 'shortcut' between dimensions by warping the distances within. Essentially, several million light-years in our normal space become only a few hundred within the AdS subspace. This phenomenon enables travel that appears to exceed the speed of light, but technically, it does not violate relativity or the laws of physics. Instead of exceeding light speed, we take a shorter path through this warped geometry. Of course, the mathematics behind the drive are classified by the Assembly. I’m not sure I fully understand it myself—it’s quite complex"

Understanding Subspace

"What exactly is subspace? How can we imagine it?"

"Let’s use a simple analogy with a cube. Imagine a cube in three dimensions, with a diagonal vector extending from one corner to the opposite corner at coordinates (1,1,1). Now, imagine projecting the entire cube onto a plane perpendicular to that vector. The result is a two-dimensional hexagonic subspace on the plane.
Credit: 3Blue1Brown

If we apply the same concept to a four-dimensional cube, we get a three-dimensional subspace. This specific subspace has a name: the Rhombic Dodecahedron. Interestingly, you can reconstruct the original cube from this subspace, showing how the dimensions are interconnected."
Credit: 3Blue1Brown

"This concept forms the foundation of my work on mythical new particles, which I’ve named Fractons. These are five-dimensional particles that I theorize as key to understanding even higher-dimensional interactions. But that’s a topic for another day"

AdS Travel Dynamics

"Do ships drop out of subspace normally when they reach their target?"

"Not exactly. No one cancels the laws of conservation of momentum. The standard protocol of acceleration-deceleration flight still applies. For the first fifty percent of the journey, the ship accelerates, and for the second half, it decelerates. This ensures that when you exit subspace into normal space, you don’t overshoot your target by traveling at near-light speeds. It’s a careful balance to achieve precision without forgetting safety."
—"The Forgotten Planet", Page 38

Anti-de Sitter Doppler Holographic Relative Shifting (AdS Hologram)

The Anti-de Sitter Doppler Holographic Relative Shifting, or simply the AdS Hologram, is a remarkable phenomenon arising from the AdS/CFT Holographic Principle within a Rhombic Dodecahedron subspace of four dimensions. This phenomenon is observed when an object,such as a human spaceship,travels within this subspace at speeds that, in normal space, do not exceed the relativistic speed of light.

From an external observer's perspective, the AdS Hologram manifests as a peculiar duplication of the object. A "holographic shadow" of the object appears on one side and its perpendicular opposite side. These two shadows gradually converge until they collide at the point where the shortest path for light exists between the observer and the object, directly in front of the observer's perspective.

As the object moves, Doppler shifting occurs between the object and its holographic duplicates. The perpendicular hologram is significantly shifted into the blue spectrum as it approaches the original object and transitions into a redshift as it recedes. This effect is mirrored when the holographic shadow and the object pass each other, with the spectral shifts reversing direction.

It is important to emphasize that the perpendicular hologram is not a tangible object. Rather, it represents a poorly understood phenomenon, likely related to a lag in time within the AdS framework. This lag may result from the complex phenomenas of relativistic effects, the curvature of AdS space, and the holographic encoding of information as described by the AdS/CFT principle.

GENERAL ACTION OF ADS DRIVE DYNAMICS

$S = \int d\tau \, \mathcal{L}_{\text{Ⲝ}}(x^\mu, \dot{x}^\mu, \phi, g_{\mu\nu}, \epsilon, E)$

Where:

$\large \tau$ : is the proper time experienced by the ship.

$\large x^\mu$ : represents the position coordinates in 4D space (including the 3D + 1 extra dimension).

$\large \dot{x}^\mu$ : is the velocity of the ship in this extended space.

$\large \phi$ : is the field that describes the AdS space curvature and connection between the branes.

$\large g_{\mu\nu}$ : is the metric tensor that describes the curvature of the AdS space.

$\large \epsilon$ : is a coupling constant related to the energy provided by the ship’s reactor.

$\large E$ is the total energy used by the drive.

LAGRANGIAN FOR ADS DRIVE DYNAMICS

$\mathcal{L}_{\text{Ⲝ}} = \frac{1}{2} m \left( g_{\mu\nu} \dot{x}^\mu \dot{x}^\nu - 1 \right) - \epsilon \, g_{\mu\nu} \, \phi \, F(\dot{x}^\mu, \partial_\mu \phi) + \frac{\alpha}{2} \dot{x}^\mu \frac{d}{d\tau} \dot{x}_\mu - \frac{\beta}{r^2 + \gamma} + \mathcal{L}_{\text{Ⲝ Transition}}$

Where:

$\large \frac{1}{2} m \left( g_{\mu\nu} \dot{x}^\mu \dot{x}^\nu - 1 \right)$ : Represents the kinetic energy of the ship’s mass $\large \ m$ traveling through the 4D curved AdS space.

$\large \epsilon \, g_{\mu\nu} \, \phi \, F(\dot{x}^\mu, \partial_\mu \phi)$ : Accounts for the interaction between the ship’s energy field and the AdS space. It includes how energy from the reactor $\large \epsilon$ interacts with the field $\large \phi$ governing the AdS curvature.

$\large \frac{\alpha}{2} \dot{x}^\mu \frac{d}{d\tau} \dot{x}_\mu$ : Captures the acceleration and deceleration processes.

$\large \frac{\beta}{r^2 + \gamma}$ : Models gravity-like forces within AdS, where $\large \ r$ is the distance traveled within the AdS space.

$\large \mathcal{L}_{\text{Ⲝ Transition}}$ : Accounts for the transition phases (entry and exit) of the ship into and out of AdS space, describing the forces and energies involved in shifting dimensions.

EQUATION OF MOTION

$\frac{d}{d\tau} \left( \frac{\partial \mathcal{L}_{\text{Ⲝ}}}{\partial \dot{x}^\mu} \right) - \frac{\partial \mathcal{L}_{\text{Ⲝ}}}{\partial x^\mu} = 0$

Where:

Entering AdS (Ⲝ) (Warp Transition): The energy $\large \epsilon$ from the ship’s reactor powers a cyclotron ring, creating a "lift" into AdS. The term $\large \epsilon \, g_{\mu\nu} \, \phi$ ensures the curvature interacts with the energy and mass, facilitating the ship's entry.

Travel Through AdS: The contracted distances effectively shorten the travel path. The metric $\large g_{\mu\nu}$ describes the shortened distance, allowing rapid transit.

Acceleration/Deceleration Dynamics: The term $\large \frac{\alpha}{2} \dot{x}^\mu \frac{d}{d\tau} \dot{x}_\mu$ regulates momentum change, smooth acceleration and deceleration within the warped space.

Exit Phase: The term $\large \mathcal{L}_{\text{AdS Transition}}$ represents the energy changes and interactions needed to revert to 3D space.

EQUATION OF TRANSITION

$t_{\text{transition}} = \frac{2d}{\sqrt{\frac{2P}{m}} + \sqrt{\frac{2Q}{m}}}$

Where:

$\large d$ Effective warped distance, perceived distance traveled in shorter AdS subspace than normal space

$\large p$ Momentum during the acceleration phase. This value is dependent on the initial thrust and acceleration of the spacecraft in subspace.

$\large Q$ Momentum during the deceleration phase. This reflects the energy needed to slow the ship down as it approaches its destination.

$\large m$ Total mass of the ship, including the details (Mass, crew, cargo) which affects energy requirement

STRESS BUILD-UP

a Stress Intensity function S(τ) that accumulates over proper time τ, The stress that ship experiences during AdS travel:

$\tau = S_0 + \kappa_1 \,\epsilon\,\tau + \kappa_2 \,\epsilon^2\,\tau^2 - \delta\,e^{-\lambda\,\tau}$

Where:

$\large S_0$ : Baseline structural stress at $\large \tau = 0$

$\large \epsilon$ : Drive energy coupling constant (from the reactor).

$\large \kappa_1$ : Linear stress‐growth coefficient $\large (\kappa_1 \ll \kappa_2\)$ .

$\large \kappa_2$ : Quadratic fatigue coefficient (models field fatigue over time).

$\large \delta$ : Cooling/recovery amplitude (how much stress is relieved).

$\large \lambda$ : Cooling rate constant (how quickly the reactor/system recovers).

$\large \tau$ : Proper time elapsed in the AdS subspace.

xychart-beta
    title "AdS Drive Stress Over Proper Time, Δτ is normalized to 1.0"
    x-axis ["0.00","0.09","0.18","0.27","0.36","0.45","0.55","0.64","0.73","0.82","0.91","1.00"]
    y-axis "Stress Intensity S(τ)" 0 --> 100
    line [5,12,18,26,35,45,55,65,75,82,90,95]

ENERGY CONSUMPTION

$E(\tau) = E_0 + \eta\,\epsilon\,\tau + \zeta\,\epsilon^2\,\tau^2$

$\large E_0$ : Baseline energy already spent at $\large \tau = 0$ .

$\large \epsilon$ : Drive energy coupling constant.

$\large \eta$ : Linear consumption coefficient.

$\large \zeta$ : Quadratic “efficiency loss” coefficient.

$\large \tau$ : Proper time elapsed in the AdS subspace.

xychart-beta
    title "AdS Drive Energy Consumption Over Proper Time"
    x-axis ["0","τ₁","τ₂","τ₃","Δτ"]
    y-axis "Energy Consumed E(τ) in PW" 0 --> 10000
    line [2500, 4600, 6000, 8600, 10000]

Gallery of Anti-de Sitter jumps


	Visible Anti-de Sitter distortion accompanied by bright Flash caused by the shift into subspace (@retrovisor)	Anti-de Sitter Jump happening inside Lagrangian Cloud captured from side perspective


	Early Anti-de Sitter drive travel visualisation in SpaceEngine