Quantum slipstream drive

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Quantum slipstream drive (QSD) was a form of transwarp drive, scientifically known as reversible-field quantum restructuring quadraxial drive, permitting speeds up to the equivalent of warp factor 9.9999999999999999999999998125.  A system developed to omit the first 24 nines after the decimal point left a more manageable exponential warp factor of 81,250.  This technology allowed a ship to cross the Federation in a matter of hours (a journey ordinarily requiring weeks), and the span of the galaxy in approximately six months (one way).

Slipstream drive enabled vessels to enter and navigate slipstreams, flowing layers of subspace, using course corrections at highly accelerated velocities.  Entrance was gained via a narrowly focused, directed warp field initiated by manipulating the fabric of the spacetime continuum at the quantum level.  It worked by focusing a quantum field through a ship's deflector dish to generate massive changes in local space curvature, projecting a subspace tunnel in front of the vessel.  Once a ship entered this tunnel, forces inside propelled it at incredible speed.  More than one vessel could use the same slipstream, allowing ships to accompany another vehicle generating it.  To maintain slipstream, the quantum field needed to be constantly modified through a ship's deflector dish; however, complicated calculations and short reaction time made this method of navigation manually unsafe.  For this reason, an autonomous computer system was designed to oversee and process the necessary calculations.  To exit slipstream, the generating ship reduced field strength by fifty percent, typically by reversing drive polarity.