Shields

Warship shields (or screens) are multi-layered bubbles of force, much like the shields from most other science fiction universes. Unusually however, they change colour before failing: a shield starts off as invisible, then appears red, orange, yellow, all the way down to violet, ultraviolet and finally a brief moment of blackness as the shield fails.
Unlike most science fiction shields however, those in the Lensman universe are almost quasi-solid - they are described as bulging inwards in some areas and remaining out in others. Should one patch break however then the entire shield fails and the next line of shields must take up the challenge (presumably with the previous shield's generators contributing).
The final line of defence is the wall shield: a nearly-solid wall of energy skirting the outside hull of a ship: if this falls then the ship is dead in the water as no hull is capable of withstanding the monumental energies wielded in the Lensman universe.

Be warned however: offensive weapons by and large tend to overpower shields: only a planet-based shield is capable of withstanding the awesome power of a super-maulers' single, terrifically powerful Primary Beam - anything less will simply be scythed clean in two, wall shields and all.

Record 1183 - technology - Last update 28 Mar 2007, 23:10:23

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