ABSOLUTE ZERO- A measurement of temperature on the Kelvin scale at which all molecular movement stops. It is equal to -273.15 deg. C or -459.67 deg. F. Interstellar space is only about +3 deg. K.

ANTIMATTER- Particles of matter which have an opposite charge of normal matter. (Antiprotons are negatively charged and anti-electrons are positively charged.) It is the precise mixing of matter and antimatter that makes warp speed possible in the Trek Universe. When the two types of matter meet, they annihilate each other with an enormous burst of energy.

CENTIGRADE- A unit of temperature. Centigrade is based on the boiling and freezing points of water, Earth's most abundant liquid. Water freezes at 0 deg. C and boils at 100 deg. C.

CENTIMETER- a unit of measure in the metric system that replaced inches and feet in most of the world by E.D. 1999. It is equal to .39 inches in the old system. 100 Centimeters equal a meter and 1000 meters equal a kilometer. 1/10 of a centimeter equals a millimeter.

DEKYON FIELD- a Trek Universe particle that travels through time and across subspace. It is dispersed throughout the universe, is detectable, and may be manipulated to send signals through time.

DILITHIUM CRYSTAL- a crystal of pure Dilithium used to focus and direct the beams of matter and antimatter to create the energy needed for warp drive.

KLICK - Term used by military, a Kilometer, 3/5 of a mile

LIGHT YEAR- a unit of linear measure that equals the distance that light travels in a year. It is equal to 5.878 Trillion miles in the old system or 9.5 Trillion Kilometers or 0.30682+ Parsecs.

MAGNITUDE (Astron.)- a logarithmic unit of measure of a star's apparent brightness from earth. A star of magnitude 1.0 is 2.512 times brighter than a star of 2.0 magnitude. A star of 1.0 magnitude is 100 times brighter than one at 6.0.

SHIP'S COORDINATE SYSTEM- Upon commission, a starship's coordinate system is calibrated to that of the Milky Way Galaxy, and it's orientation is then always referred to in relationship to the primary x, y, and z axes of the galaxy.

STARDATE- an official system of measuring time that factors in the effect of warp speed on linear time. In the Twentieth Century, Trekkers used a form of the stardate that stated year/month.day. (e.g.: Sept. 13, 1998 became 9809.13.) Time travelers to that era never thoroughly explained the system to our ancestors; hence the incorrect usage.(Even after the institution of the Stardate, earth people still use earthdates when speaking among themselves.) Starships recalibrate their chronometers with time beacons after extended warp to conform to the official Stardate.

SUBSPACE-The type of space entered into when a ship engages warp speed. Subspace is not limited by the speed of light, so messages sent on subspace frequencies may, under ideal conditions, travel at warp 9.9997 for 22.65 light years before they require boosting by a relay beacon. See The Next Generation Technical Manual, chapter 8, for a thorough discussion of Subspace communications.

TERAWATT- A measure of power equal to 1,000,000,000 KW

TRANSWARP DRIVE- drive system that is designed to overcome the primary warp field efficiency barrier. (Efficiency decreases as warp increases so that warp 10 uses an infinite amount of energy.)

TREKKER- The correct term used by the aging members of original Star Trek fandom. "Trekker" refers to a ST fan who is intelligent, well- informed, and not at all rabid. Trekkers also enjoy other genres of Science Fiction and Science in general, especially as it relates to Earth's future in space.

WARP BUBBLE- The energy field surrounding a ship whose warp engines are engaged. Damage to normal space occurs in busy space lanes from the older fixed nacelles. Newer ships have movable nacelles to change the shape of the warp bubble., preventing tears in the fabric of space.