A Drop Engine, also known as a Drop Reactor and as a FTL Drive, is a piece of equipment featured in Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare that allows spaceships to engage in faster-than-light (FTL) travel.
Overview
A technological masterpiece, the Drop Engine is a highly advanced propulsion system that reduces interplanetary travel from months to seconds by allowing a ship to travel faster-than-light. Expensive and dangerous like early supersonic flight, it is the domain of the military and a select few private corporations.
It would appear the name for the engine comes from the fact that when a ship engages in FTL travel, it is said to be going for a "Drop". Ships capable of FTL travel are referred to as "jump-capable" and the process of undergoing FTL travel is known as "jumping".
Operation
Drop Engines have been through several iterations. The first generation allowed interplanetary distances to be travelled in mere days. The third generation reduced travel time to minutes. The most recent fourth generation finally reduced travel time from minutes to seconds. For example, SWC-141 Retribution was able to travel from Saturn's orbit to Mercury's orbit within less than twenty seconds, when light takes over an hour to travel the same distance.
The exact mechanics behind Drop Engines are unknown. However, when travelling, a large sphere of blue light initially appears around the vessel, starting at the front and working its way back. Once it reaches the back, the vessel appears to shoot forward, leaving behind a series of blue trails that will swiftly dissipate. When it arrives at its destination, a circle of blue particles will briefly be produced around the ship; this seems to be a field of electrically charged particles, as it can potentially knock out the electrical systems of nearby equipment.
From the perspective of the ship, travelling at FTL speeds seems to occur within a glowing blue tunnel, interspersed with sparks of orange light. Transitioning to this state seems to be referred to as undergoing a "shift". It would appear that travelling within this state is known as being in a "pocket" and the travelling vessel needs to remain within this pocket until it exists the jump. Exiting a drop is referred to as an "influx".
It is unclear as to whether or not Drop Engines cause a ship to move at FTL speeds within the universe or whether they are moving through other dimensions; Ebele Yetide indicates that a ship activates "collision alarms" prior to dropping, though it is unknown whether this refers to colliding with other objects when travelling or simply when exiting a drop or perhaps to something else entirely. In addition, the trails a ship leaves are visible to outside observers at all stages of travel when dropping.
When the Retribution activates her Drop Engines, numerous panels on the bow of the vessel rise up and glow blue; these are shown to then be glowing red hot upon exiting before folding down. It is unknown what role these play in dropping as other ships do not seem to possess them.
Drop Engines appear to be produce a static field around their destination point a few seconds before arrival, which can act as a warning that a ship is about to Drop in, at least in the case of Olympus Mons.
Limitations and Risks
Drop Engines are known to be highly dangerous and expensive, despite apparently having undergone several generations of development. This means they are limited only to militaries and a handful of private companies. The various limitations of Drop Engines are probably why there is little human presence outside the Solar System despite the existence of FTL technology.
Travelling at FTL speeds can produce substantial strain on a ship, potentially threatening its hull integrity, although this is partially dependent upon how well the shift to FTL speeds was done. The forces involved can also rock and throw the vessel, at times enough to throw crew members off their feet, though this is again partially dependent upon how well the Drop was done, with crew training and experience helping create smoother transitions to FTL speeds.
While it is unknown what exactly would happen if a ship were to fail to remain within its pocket when travelling, comments by crew members of the Retribution indicate that it would promptly annihilate the vessel. The risk of failing to remain within the pocket can potentially be relatively high, with Retribution once having a 10% chance of failure. Undergoing a Drop seems to produce radiation, though it would appear that the levels produced can vary and are not necessarily enough to endanger a ship and its crew.
Drop Engines can also suffer from issues of reliably dropping at the desired location, experiencing margins of error and being off course from the intended point of influx. However, experienced crews can overcome this; Victor Diallo was able to allow Retribution to achieve perfect Drop accuracy after several Drops.
It seems that Drop Engines cannot simply be activated immediately but need to be prepared first, which is referred to as "spooling". The process of spooling can take up to several minutes and can be detected by third parties.
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