Hyperspace 101

Faster than Light travel is well beyond the grasp of Human technology. So to allow interstellar travel without the need for multi generation flights, Humans use Hyperspace as a shortcut between distant points.

Hyperspace is in fact a parallel universe that is much younger and much more energetic than Normal space. It's small size, and higher quantum energy state creates a hot dense universe compared to Normal space. 

Each point of time space in normal space, is directly tied to a sister point in Hyperspace. By opening a transit point which allows a normal space object to transfer into Hyperspace A starship can side step into Hyperspace. It then travels at much slower speeds to the sister point of it's desired destination and transits back into Normal space.

While it goes no faster than a 20th century airliner, it has to travel a far shorter path ( route two on drawing) than it would using normal space ( route one in drawing). 

All objects in normal space effect not only normal space/time, but Hyperspace/time. Most objects are far too light to cause a noticeable effect in Hyperspace. However large stars and solar systems create a mass shadow which attracts matter in Hyperspace toward the center of the mass shadow. 

The lack of any gravitation in Hyperspace prevents this condensed dust and gases from forming into planets and stars, but it does cause the creation of irregular masses of condensed matter, an gas. These obstructions react violently to having transit points opened in their mass, which means vessels must transit into open regions to avoid a rather violent explosion, or accidental collision, on entering Hyperspace.

All systems have naturally occurring safe points which are formed when eddies and ripples in the systems mass shadow sweep debris clear in a small area. these transit points for the Sol system occur at a point where the Solar gravity ad mass interact with Jupiter's mass and gravity, usually in a region inside the asteroid belt.

the Trans Jupiter Transit zone occurs in an area swept clear by the combined interaction between Jupiter and Saturn over millions of years has created a stable channel of open Hyperspace that is safe to transit into from Real space. 

Artificial transit points, and transit gates are possible, and common. a large array of electromagnetic emitters, and regular housekeeping patrols to remove large dangerous debris from the gate area. sweep a small region of Hyperspace clear and allow small vessels to enter Hyperspace just outside the moons orbital radius.

These artificial transit gates allow vessels such as shuttles and yachts which are not large enough to carry life support for the week long cruise out to transit Zone Alpha to enter Hyperspace within hours of an earth launch and then cruise on their own to distant destinations.

While not instantaneous it is possible to travel across the 100 light year radius of human occupied space in as little as one month. In practice traveling along well traveled and safe routes a passenger can expect a one month voyage between Earth and Avandiir, ( the T.A.U imperial capital world, distance 20 light years) with trips ranging from one  to four weeks being most common. 

The travel times between major capitals are roughly on par with the travel times between Europe and The Americas by means of Sailing vessels. this does limit reaction times, and increases the cost of transport, but the low cost of hyperspace capable craft, and the need, and demand for off world goods makes interstellar commerce and travel an affordable prospect.

In practice Military, and independently owned  vessels, use less favorable higher risk route through hyperspace. The higher risk level, allows them to make a voyage that would take  commercial liner of hauler, am onth, in ten to twelve days.

Experimental Hyper ways, artificial tunnels with transit gates at either end, allow passengers and commuters to ride a subway system from cities on one continent to another in less than thirty minutes. Hyper slings, allow special stations in orbit to fire a capsule directly into the Hyperspace/Normal space/Subspace boundary layer) on a preprogrammed course to a capture station, these capsules are usually for cargo but several military forces have experimented with using them as a means of delivering vehicles, troops, and combat machines to neighboring systems with little delay time. 

experimental trials of Skip drives which effectively skip a vessel off the Hyper-subspace boundary and eject them back into real space have been proceeding for several years. the dangers, and expense of the calculations required to bounce off two separate dimensional boundaries, and reenter normal space without vaporizing make the system little more than an interesting experiment  for the foreseeable future. 

this system does offer the hope of traveling several light years at a time instantly with no delay, and no perceivable passage of time. But a 12 percent success rate, and half the probes skipped so far detonating on arrival make it seem like a poor investment to anyone but pure research agencies. 

By opening small transit points and beaming broadband signals into Hyperspace, it is possible for faster than light signals to be transmitted between planets. Distortions, and noise caused by EM emissions within hyperspace, do interfere with signals limiting range and bandwidth. But the system allows distant computer networks to bounce data requests, and communications packets between the Networks on one planet and another with relay stations stationed inside hyperspace at regular intervals. 

real time faster than light voice and video signals are possible, however there is a lag time due to processing, and the inherent delay caused by crossing the distances between transponders in Hyperspace. Since the signals travel at the speed of light, and the may be an actual distance of hundreds of thousands, or millions Of miles to cross