Specifications

Initial prototypes of the Anti-Morphing Ray were a large black-and-gray tube mounted on a short tripod, with sensors at one end of the tube and connections for power cables at the other. Controls were variously placed around rear of the device and at the junction between the tube and the tripod. On the front end was a playful inscription reading “This End Towards Andalite” in Galard.

It was paired with another technology, the Remote Psychological State Stimulator, due to a believe that heightened psychological states such as ecstasy or dread may make the Andalite’s Z-Space signature easier to lock onto.

Later versions attempted to move much of the equipment to a backpack, which was connected to a large pistol-like emitter by a thick cable. Tests of this variant on Andalite-Controllers at the end of the war were promising, but the technology limited by it’s need for vast amounts of power and the scarcity of sensors capable of detecting Escafil Fields.

Captured post-war development of the technology by Andalites led to a number of anti-morphing systems intended to prevent escapes by morph-capable prisoners of war.

Usage

The Anti-Morphing Ray’s operation requires an understanding of morphing and Escafil Fields. When somebody goes into morph, their body is replaced via cascading cellular regeneration, where the original body’s cells are replaced one-by-one with entirely new cells built according to the instructions of the acquired DNA. Meanwhile, the original cells are shunted into Z-space and reassembled into the original body (see Ascalin ‘Snapback’ Event, file DCSN-18), where they are then held in a form of pseudostasis to protect them from the vacuum of Z-Space. This pseudostasis is maintained by unstable Escafil Fields that link the true body in Z-space to the newly created puppet body in normal-space.

Because Escafil Fields are unstable, the process is equipped with two safety mechanisms to protect the user. First is that if the field at any time becomes too unstable, the field ‘crystallizes’, or freezes in it’s current configuration. While this prevents the morpher from demorphing, it has the advantage of preserving the morpher’s life in hopes that they may be able to be restored at another time. This is exactly what has happened to nothlits, meaning that theoretically they could be cured with the correct application of anti-morphing technology.

The second safety mechanism built into the morphing technology is that if the field breaks down entirely, the morpher will spontaneously begin demorphing before they get trapped in Z-Space. Once the demorphing process starts under any circumstance, it will run through to completion, usually saving the morpher’s life.

The Anti-Morphing Ray works by disrupting the Escafil field in such a way that it triggers a demorph. Other prospective versions of the weapon could theoretically cause field crystallization, turning the morpher into a nothlit, or sever the field without causing demorphing. In the event of the second option, the morpher would effectively be dead within minutes, stranded in Z-Space with no air, food, or water. However, this leaves a now-feral puppet body behind, which can be a severe problem if it is something large and powerful like a tiger.

As of 2020, no known variant of the Anti-Morphing Ray has been produced that turns the victim into a nothlit or kills them outright.

A hypothetical use of the device was proposed by Prince Aximili-Esgarrouth-Isthill in his paper titled Observations on Novel Technologies in the Earth Theater of the Yeerk War (June 20th, 2002, published from the Andalite cruiser Intrepid). In this paper, Prince Aximili outlined that with the correct sensors, dedicated power supply, and some work to identify weakpoints in a crystallized Escafil field, it may be possible to restore a nothlit to their former state. However, as of 2020, this proposal also remains untested. 

Limitations

Anti-Morphing technology is a line-of-sight technology, rendering it useless against unseen targets.

Additionally it requires special sensors with a massive power draw. For this reason, portable emitters remain very large, requiring either a cumbersome power pack with a limited number of discharges or a fixed mounting in a room or vehicle with adequate power.

Limitations

Numerous limitations exist with this technology, and numerous cautions are advised

The maximum size and complexity of the object stored in the Z-pocket is dependent on the user. A cursory knowledge of the target item’s construction and composition is recommended to better guide the storage and recall process.

For large and complex items such as generators, forcefield projectors, or small vehicles, it is recommended that the user disassemble the object before attempting to store it.

The average upper limit for stored object size is roughly 1 cubic meter.

Additional limitations

Z-Pockets can not be used in morph. Interference from the Escafil Fields used while in morph prevents storage or recall of stored items. Attempts to ‘brute force’ the process have resulted in a number of incidents involving Escafil Field crystallization, trapping the user as a nothlit, or Escafil Field collapse, resulting in the user being sucked into Z-space.

Z-Pockets should not be used while in Z-space, as interference from the ship’s Z-space propulsion system may disrupt storage or recall of objects.

Z-Pockets should not be used on living creatures with high complexity, such as animals.

Z-Pockets should not be used to store the user in Z-Space. There is no known mechanism for retrieving a user from Z-space if they inadvertently trap themselves there.

Z-Pockets are limited to approved members of the Andalite military only on an as-needed basis. Unauthorized use may result in a loss of rank and discharge. Reckless use may result in exile or execution. All approvals are made by the Apex Level of the Andalite Intelligence Division.

Statistics

Number made: 2,000

Number in use (2020): <2,000

Number of users: (classified)

Number of accidents: (classified)

Usage and Limitations

Due to their immense power draw and technological requirements, ships capable of faster-than-light travel will have either a Spatial Distortion Drive or a Z-Space Engine, but not both. Because of this, Spatial Distortion Drives are considered to be a tool of limited use by the Andalites and many other civilizations for a couple of key reasons:

Spatial Distortion Drives are significantly slower than Z-Space drives because the ship travels through normal-space, which is a much greater distance than entering Z-Space.

Spatial Distortion Drives often consume just as much power as a Z-Space Engine of similar size, if not more. Because larger Spatial Distortion Drives allow for a greater energy differential and thus higher velocity, the power requirements quickly become overwhelming even for advanced civilizations such as the Andalites. While a Dome Ship’s Z-Space engines require the energy of a small star to operate, a Spatial Distortion Drive of similar size and configuration may require the energy output of a globular cluster!

However, across short distances, Spatial Distortion Drives possess a number of key advantages:

Spatial Distortion Drives can cross distances such as the width of a solar system in reasonably quick times without ever needing to plot a course through the chaotic terrain of Z-Space.

Ships using a Spatial Distortion Drive do not experience temporal effects when approaching or surpassing light-speed.

Ships using a Spatial Distortion Drive are extremely hard to track by conventional electromagnetic sensors due to light-delay, which can make them virtually invisible from the front and very hard to hit in combat.

The extreme forces at the edge of the bubble can destroy incoming projectiles, protecting the ship from kinetic attack.

Due to these disadvantages and advantages, the role for this method of faster-than-light travel becomes clear. Civilizations with access to both technologies will use Spatial Distortion Drives for personal sporting craft, in-system mining vessels, and in-system patrol vessels. Anything meant to travel to other star systems will use a Z-Space Engine instead.

History

Andalite Spatial Distortion Drive technology dates back over 3,000 years and served as the first form of FTL travel enjoyed by the Andalites. Exploration vessels such as the legendary Khentaras were launched in every direction to boldly graze where no Andalite had grazed before. Andalite patrol vessels, especially those in the Andal homesystem, rely on this technology for ambushing invading fleets or assisting in the event of an emergency somewhere among the asteroid belts.

Yeerk Spatial Distortion Drive technology owes it’s existence to several civilizations, drawing on design features from the Andalites, Ongachic, Hawjabran, and Desbadeen. Notably the Nova-Class Empire Ships, some of the largest and most powerful ships in the Yeerk War, featured both a Spatial Distortion Drive and a Z-Space Engine, giving them unparalleled tactical and strategic mobility. However, the two engines could not be activated together, as the ship only produced enough power to run one at a time.

The Yeerk Directorate took the use of Spatial Distortion Drives a step further by outfitting their 32 “Beetle” Fighters with a miniaturized version of the technology, making them superb interceptors and attackers. As these were the only ships the Directorate was permitted to build, every resource was poured into these fighters to make them the best possible.

Human Spatial Distortion Drive technology, known to the general public as a Warp drive or Alcubierre drive, was first theorized in 1994 by the Human physicist Miguel Alcubierre. His work caught the attention of the Yeerk Empire due to a number of minor differences between his theorized drive and the ones used by the Yeerk Empire. They refined the design over several years, and at the end of the war the technology was turned over to the Humans as part of the peace agreement.

After the Yeerk War ended, Human researchers continued investigating the technology despite the promise of Andalite Z-Space technology, and in 2004 a collaborative effort between Boeing and Lockheed-Martin produced the first Human-built FTL vessel, the Wayfinder. The first Human-built Z-Space-capable ship, the OV-201 Berenson, followed two years later.

Future Developments

In 2020, a collaborative project between the Humans, Desbadeen, Andalites, and the Directorate is underway. The goal is to create a vessel equipped with a combined Z-Space/Warp Drive. The vessel in question would enter Z-Space and then activate it’s Spatial Distortion Drive while there, leading to even greater velocities than achievable by Z-Space alone.