Gates beyond the critical zone

[MrPieChee]

Gates which are too close to the antarean surface for ships to escape it’s gravity are said to be beyond the critical zone. Ships traversing Antares have to find a gate if the venture past this point or be consumed.

But what happens when the ship returns? It pops out of the gate well below the critical zone….

[Tim Bancroft]

The critical zone is deep into what is regarded as the Antarean photosphere – it’s not a case of gravity but the cumulative effects the lethal currents have on ship shielding at that depth. A ship that goes down that deep has to pop into a gate only because going down _and back_ will cause so much damage things become dicey or destructive.

Similarly coming back out at thaat depth: a ship will be able to rise to the calmer, less dangerous higher regions but would struggle to go up and back down in one trip.

Once at the higher levels, of course, in the relatively calmer regions, a ship could try and repair the damage but it just couldn’t survive going down and back up in a short space of time.

[MrPieChee]

Well that explains it then!

Thanks

[Author]

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