merchant@dartvax.UUCP (Peter Merchant) (12/17/84)
{ I can' do it, Cap'n. I haven't got the power! }
I believe I remember an episode where something was said about
the dilithium crystals 'channeling' the power (whatever that means)
which answers the question.
The antimatter produces this amazing amount of energy. The dilithium
crystals distribute this energy. Thus, when the dilithium crystals go,
the ship loses it's power. The power is still there, they just can't
get at it.
Sound reasonable?
--
"Scotty! Save My Ass!" Peter Merchantchenr@tilt.FUN (Ray Chen) (12/19/84)
Dilithium, for some magical reason, is able to focus, channel, and control the power liberated by a matter/anti-matter reaction much, MUCH better than anything else. So, "present-day" equipment is geared towards dilithium. A starship is sure to have backup power distribution mechanisms but there's no reason to believe that one of them doesn't use dilithium. According to the "literature", top warp speed in the pre-dilithium days was warp 4.8. Large power systems without dilithium in them are "now" obsolete. Ray Chen princeton!tilt!chenr