Two Jumps from Minbar - SPOILERS

[QMCO5]

For you experts on the B5 universe I have a trivia question. In the fifth season episode "The Fall of Centauri Prime" Delenn's white star ship is attacked by Centauri vessels and put out of commission. When Sheridan is told of the situation he is informed that Delenn was "two jumps from Minbar," which he repeats to Londo in requesting assistance. The term "jump" is used to refer to entering or exiting hyper-space by means of jump gates or jump engines. It would seem that Delenn's white star would only have one "jump" to get to Minbar. That is, any vessel using hyper-space jumps in at the point of origin and jumps out at the destination. So, why two jumps?

QMCO5

 

[Elizar]

From what I've seen, jumps are also used for distance. Sure, it only takes one Jump into hyperspace. But, I believe it refers to how many jumpgates between one point to another. You don't have Jumpgates right next to each other, but in ares where they are needed. So, she would be 2 jumpgates from Minbar.

 

[**DONOTDELETE**]

Remember that most ships need to use the jumpgates to get in and out of Hyperspace. It's possible that small vessels need to come out before going back in again.

 

[A_M_Swallow]

The Whitestar will have been following the standard route from Babylon 5 to Minbar. There is no marked direct path so the Whitestar will have to go via other planets. The spaceship will have to enter and leave two more jumpgates. This is similar to having to drive through two towns before getting to your destination.

 

[ElScorcho]

That's what I was thinking. The beacons would probably not be placed in a straight line between two specific points, but rather in a network consisting of major destinations.

 

[Elizar]

yes, but you don't have to stop at those towns.

You can continue in the line of the jumpgates without coming out of hyperspace.

I don't see any reason for a ship that uses gates to have to come out at every one. Only if it was a passenger liner needing to drop off people.

 

[A_M_Swallow]

1. No one said that the spaceship had to return to normal space at the jumps.

2. There is a limit to the number of hyperspace beacons attached to each jumpgate, if more routes are needed two jumpgates are used. Ships return to normal space to travel between the two gates.

 

[LightNZ]

yes, you may not have to come out and then jump back in, But you will have travelled two jumps. Probably just a standard way of saying it.

 

[Lord Refa]

I believe you really have to make two jumps. Let me explain hyperspace the way I see it, based on hints from the show and posts from JMS I read the past few years.

Hyperspace is a very complex concept, none of the younger races understand it completely. Because of it's complexity you can't just talk about 'straight lines', because there aren't any !. They use hyperspace to go 'around' distance, not through it.
Each jumpgate can access a number of connections or routes to other gates, some nereby and some far away. The way the gates are connected is also very complex, and distance tends to get distorted. So in some cases a short cut between 2 hyperspace routes can be made by jumping back to normal space, and then jump to another hyperspace route using the same jumpgate. You can't just 'follow your course' in hyperspace, because it doesn't work that way.

This explains why the army of light could stand by in hyperspace in Shadow Dancing, without the Shadows noticing them. The Shadows came from another hyperspace route, which probably wasn't near the route the army of light was on. Both were near the same star system, but far away from eachother.

(btw: the beacons are used on those routes, so you won't get lost along the way. The Vorlons, who invented the jumpgates, were probably advanced enough to 'see' other gates from their entry point, and didn't need the beacons. But they created the beacon system so that the younger and primitive races could travel between the stars.
Better yet: the Vorlons and other First Ones are advanced enough to actually know where they are going, without having to use gates or beacons or charted teritories)

 

[Demon]

the Vorlons and other First Ones are advanced enough to actually know where they are going, without having to use gates or beacons or charted teritories

And if the Shadows gave some of their technology to the Technomages, that would explain Gideon's comment in Well of Forever about the Techmoages being able to travel so far off the beacon that no one ever sees their ships in hyperspace.

 

[Elizar]

yes.

 

[Lord Refa]

exactly, that was one of the things I based my theory on

 

[FlipperPA]

I've always thought of hyperspace in Bab as kind of like a highway, with the "jumps" being the exits on the highway (or motorway for the Brits.

)

Thinking of it this way has always helped me. ;-)

 

[Elizar]

Now this makes a lot of sense to me.

 

[RW7427]

Elie, you look smart in this thread. I am impressed.

 

[QMCO5]

Thanks, Lord Refa. I like your answer.

QMCO5

 

[Lord Refa]

At your service, QMCO5. I always like answering interesting questions.

 

[Elizar]

 

[DarkVorlon]

Does this apply also to the First One ships? Well ok Vorlons seems to jump but I bet that they don't need those primitive beacons. Anyway Shadows doesn't seems to "jump" but to phase in and out of hyperspace and what about the walkers of sigma 957 with their cool hyperflux gate!!! Dam are the First Ones awsome or not?