#odsy drive

[scienceofmasseffect]

ODSY drive, contemporary drives and Reapers

The Reapers are technologically superior to the organic species of the galaxy --  but the degree of that superiority is a matter of debate in the intelligence community.

The Reapers' thrusters and FTL drives appear to propel them at more than twice the speed of Citadel ships. Estimates of their location in dark space suggest they can travel nearly 30 light-years in a 24-hour period.

- Mass Effect Codex, excerpt of Reaper Capabilities

Pondering over how fast the ODSY drive is, I began to dig into the codex and crunch some numbers. We were not told how fast FTL travel really is until Mass Effect 3 came and pegged the organics’ ship tech vaguely to being less than half of 30 light-years a day of the Reapers’ top speed.

So, how fast do Systems Alliance et al fly? Mass Effect Wikia noted in their FTL article it to be “dozen” light-years, but I was not able to find any backing up evidence in the codexes, save for the codex excerpt I’m using.

Let’s put the fork between contemporary Milky Way FTL drive speeds between 7.5 and 12 light-years a day. That should give us a good range of less than half of Reaper velocity.

The distance from Milky Way to Andromeda galaxy is 2 500 000 light-years. Andromeda Initiative states that the journey will take 600 years.

ODSY thus covers the distance of... 2500000/600=4166,67 light-years in a year.

In a day it would cover... 4166.67/365.25=11.41 light-years in a day.

That would be going into the upper bracket of projected contemporary drive velocities! Internally consistent!

What about the Reapers then? We know the light-years/day but we need the light-years/year now.

30*365.25=10957.5

Nearly 11 000 light-years in a year! Reaching Andromeda would only take then... 2500000/10957.5=228.15 years. Reapers could’ve gone to Andromeda and back in one extinction cycle’s span easily! Fortunately for us, their creators never programmed them to extend the “life preservation” program to other galaxies.

I find these numbers internally consistent and thus am content with them. ODSY represents a revolutionary step in drive technology, in which denizens of the Milky Way become capable to cross dark space similarly to Reapers, but not as capably as them.

TL;DR

Contemporary space drive velocity: 7.5-12 ly/d

ODSY drive velocity: 11.41 ly/d or 4166.67 ly/a

Reaper drive velocity: 30 ly/d or 10957.5 ly/a

[scienceofmasseffect]

Potentials of the ODSY drive

ODSY Drive System With the Arks unable to refuel by traditional means in dark space, the journey to Andromeda is only made possible by the ODSY Drive System. The ODSY is a massive experimental drive core specifically designed for this trans-galactic voyage. It is capable of recycling static energy that would typically cause a starship to explode, instead storing it to power the Ark’s primary systems. Meanwhile, an electromagnetic ram-scoop will gather hydrogen from the Ark’s surroundings, converting it into fuel as needed.

-Andromeda Initiative briefing video

As positive or negative electric current is passed through an FTL drive core, it acquires a static electrical charge. Drives can be operated an average of 50 hours before they reach charge saturation. This changes proportionally to the magnitude of mass reduction; a heavier or faster ship reaches saturation more quickly.

If the charge is allowed to build, the core will discharge into the hull of a ship. All ungrounded crew members are fried to a crisp, all electronic system are burned out, and metal bulkheads may be melted and fused together.

The safest way to discharge a core is to land on a planet and establish a connection to the ground, like a lightning rod. Larger vessels like dreadnoughts cannot land and must discharge into a planetary magnetic field1.

As the hull discharges, sheets of lightning jump away into the field, creating beautiful auroral displays on the planet. The ship must retract its sensors and weapons while dumping charge to prevent damage, leaving it blind and helpless. Discharging at a moon with a weak magnetic field can take days. Discharging into the powerful field of a gas giant may require less than an hour. Deep space facilities such as the Citadel often have special discharge facilities for visiting ships.

- Mass Effect Codex, FTL Drive: Drive Charge

The ODSY drive, which seems so far been utilized solely for Andromeda Initiative’s purposes is a revolution in drive technology. Recycling of static energy eliminates discharge needs and ram-scooping more fuel makes the ships self-sufficient.

If (or when) utilizied in the Milky Way, the ODSY drive could become a serious contender to replacing the Reaper-built mass relay network. A ship drive that renders empty space and barren discharge and refueling sites irrelevant to spread of inhabitation and economic exploitation.

Given the careful wording of massive drive, I am interpreting it that ODSY drive is only economic in its very early experimental stages for vessels as big as the Arks and Nexus, that severely dwarf Systems Alliance cruisers. So not an instant opening of flood gates for Citadel in old Milky Way yet.