Stargate

Introduction

Stellar gates, sometimes called stargates, use massive amounts of solar power to warp spacetime in order to literally reduce the distance beteen two such gates. Currently, seven exist inside the Solar System, each reaching nearby, major star systems, and two more fully active pairs reside in the Sirian system, connecting Sirius to Procyon and Alpha Centauri. These giant megastructures reside some distance outside Neptune's orbit, providing (relatively) rapid transportation to nearby stars.

The massive energy required for these hundred-thousand kilometer behemoths makes it nearly impossible to use them around a red dwarf star, as even with the aid of mobius patterns, these seven gates require well over half of the sun's energy.

The seven gates so lead to the following star systems:

• Alpha Centauri (4.36) - The first gate constructed, activated in 2212 by the Centaurus Mission. It is sometimes called the Centaurus Gate. Alpha Centauri is host to the first gate not linked to the Solar System, connecting the system directly to Sirius.
  • Alpha Centauri has one further gate under construction to Epsilon Indi.
• Sirius (8.58) - The second gate constructed, fully active in 2216 through the Sirius Mission. Sirius has both fully active gates not linked to Sol - to Procyon, activated in 2219, and Alpha Centauri, activated in 2221.
  • Other gates are under construction to reach Epsilon Eridani, Tau Ceti, and Omicron Eridani. A number of further gates are planned.
• Epsilon Eridani (10.32) - Activated in 2218, by the Eridani Mission.
  • This system has four further gates under construction. These plan to reach 82 Eridani, Omicron Eridani, Procyon, and another to Sirius.
• Procyon (11.40) - Host to the Procyon Concord, this gate was actually completed and fully active in 2216, before Epsilon Eridani's was. It currently has only one additional gate active, giving the system direct access to Sirius.
  • Additional gates are under construction to Omicron Eridani, Groombridge 1618, and Epsilon Eridani.
• 61 Cygni (11.40) - Activated in 2220, by the Cygnus Mission.
  • Gates under construction in 61 Cygni will lead to Altair, Alsafi, Eta Cassiopei, and 70 Ophiuchi.
• Epsilon Indi (11.82) - Fully on-line in 2221, by the Indi Mission.
  • This system has three further gates under construction, to Alpha Centauri, Gliese 783, and Delta Pavonis. Materials are also in place for the construction of a gate to Tau Ceti, but barring a significant increase in gate efficiency, its completion will not come any time soon - the other four gates will drain nearly all of this star's light.
• Tau Ceti (11.88) - On-line in 2221, by the Ceti Mission.
  • Additional gate under construction will link this system to Epsilon Eridani, Omicron Eridani, and Sirius. Additional materials are set aside for a potential gate to Epsilon Indi but this will require a breakthrough in research.

Three further gate pairs are currently under development:

• 36 Ophiuchi will be linked through Gliese 783
• Gliese 570 will be linked through 36 Ophiuchi

Structure

Each of these will remain the seven largest megastructures created by human hands for some time, at least in terms of raw dimensions.