GB: Infinite Improbability Drive
Infinite Improbability Drive
Due to quite insane - yet very logical - explanation of how this device was created, I shall not mention it. You can, however, go search for it in the library and enjoy what you may not quite understand.
The infinite improbability drive is a wonderful new method of crossing interstellar distances in a mere nothingth of a second, without all that tedious mucking about in hyperspace. It was discovered by lucky chance, and then developed into a governable form of propulsion by the Galactic Government's research center on Damogran.
S.S.Thor makes use of this drive for many different reasons, such as faster speed and the improbability variable, which is being used in order to find Magrathea, the planet that will rebuild other planets - the probability of finding Magrathea is extremely low, and hence why they need improbability. The Captains have chosen to leave up to the IID where we shall go (basically, we are traveling randomly through space) - it IS possible to put coordinates to the Drive, Captains just chose not to.
It’s necessary to note that it’s not perfect. Side effects of using the Infinite Improbability Drive include temporary (and sometimes permanent,) changes to environment and morphological structure, hallucinations, and the calling into being of large marine mammals. At the end of every month, the Drive is used and improbable things happen, lasting for one day to a week. These side effects don’t always happen to everyone, however, and who they happen to is mostly left at random.
The Drive only has enough power to affect the area in its immediate vicinity and a bit beyond - that is, the Thor and perhaps about a kilometer beyond the station's hull. It can't affect a planet unless it's on a planet, and the Thor's design doesn't allow for atmospheric navigation, so it will not affect a planet.
A very important side effect of the Drive is, however, wormholes, that are used to rescue people from planets that were destroyed. Those planets don’t have to be anywhere close to the spaceship and could have been destroyed ages ago - wormholes do not obey laws of time and space, so it doesn’t matter when it happen and where it happen. All it matters is that happened and a wormhole will bring one or more people from those planets on board of the Thor. Something I’d like to point out is that the IID is the one that “chooses” who will be rescued.
Other important effect of the IID is keeping us alive. All refuges were supposed to be dead and we are in a permanent state of unstableness, therefore moving away from the Thor is dangerous and you will eventually die. It doesn’t mean you can’t leave the Thor. "Dying" is a matter of how long you stay away from Thor, not proximity of the ship. It depends on the person and the circumstances under which they were rescued, and so it may take just few weeks or over a year.
Once we find Magrathea and rebuild our planet, we won't need the Improbability drive anymore, and so the IID will be overrided, Magratheans do some "vodoo" that can coordinate the new planet to the body's metabolism which will stabilize it in the same way the Drive does (Captain’s words, they read it in a brochure).