The β-system is a prominent technology in Shin Ultraman, it allows its users or a chosen target, foremost, to become giants, along with other relatd abilities. This technology and its abilities are possible thanks to the existence of the Planck brane.
Usage
The Beta System operates by drawing on extra/stored mass within the Planck brane to enlarge the chosen target turing them into a giant. The process is explained as 'expanding on the planck brane', rendering the user functionally invulnerable and a giant version of themself. To do this three components are needed; the Beta System itself, an ignition device, and a power source for the system. Mefilas explained that for his system, he used Negentropy to maintain its power levels, but Lipiah/Ultraman, used his own internal Spacium Energy. This may be why Ultraman's system is the miniscule Beta Capsule, while Mefilas had to make use of the Beta Box . Mefilas stated that such a compact version of the system was beyond his scientific ability.
Additionally, this is the source of Ultraman's limited time on Earth, as while he is assimilated with Kaminaga, and sharing a life force, using the Beta System is an extra strain on his energy reserves, causing him to deplete his energy faster than normal.
The Beta System is also the means by which Kaminaga transforms into and from Ultraman, with either body being stored in the Planck brane. However, this act had the unintended side effect of showing that humans had a proclivity to the technology's use, being able to be turned into giants easily.
The main use of the Beta System during the film is as a weapon, as its users are rendered functionally indestructible by conventional weapons. Only another Beta System user, or a force that transcends our conventional three dimensions like the six dimensional singularity formed by defeating Zetton, are capable of being a threat to a user. However, Zetton demonstrated weaponry that was able to stagger and possibly even cause harm to Lipiah. Zetton, however, was made by the science of the Planet of Light.
Other uses
- Storage: Both Mefilas and Zoffy have used the Planck brane for storage. Mefilas did this overtly by having his Beta Box kept in the Planck brane Dimension when not in use. Zoffy, merely used it for prestidigitation when he conjured Zetton's Capsule.
- Transportation: Mefilas used the Planck brane to transport his Beta Box, meanwhile, Ultraman was able to traverse the Planck brane directly, exiting in it at his leisure. Though not stated, there is strong evidence to believe the Planck brane is also how aliens like Zarab, Mefilas and especially Zoffy, another being from the Planet of Light, traverse around the universe at reasonable speeds.
History
The date, and circumstances of the Beta System's inventor(s) and the Planck Brane's discovery are never mentioned in the movie. What is known is that the technology is likely fairly common, and likely rather old as it is used by every sentient alien being that appears in the film.
The technology lies at the center of the physical conflict of the film, as Ultraman's merger with Kaminaga and Mefilas' experiment with Hiroko Asami, showed that humans had a previously unexpected proclivity with the technology. The concern being that any human with the system can be easily be turned into a bioweapon, which would spark competition among the space faring civilizations of the multiverse for control of this resource, mankind. This is because Bioweapons are the main form of interstellar warfare in the setting, as the Interstellar Accords are in effect. These universal agreements came into affect after interstellar wars proved too dangerous for the universe/multiverse, and limited all interactions between civilizations to be done between 'orgnic agents'. Bioweapons, also called Kaiju, became the accepted alternative as they were harder to produce and construct than conventional weapons such as, presumably, fleets of battleships, megastructures and super weapons. Humanity being weaponized meant whoever controlled them had a significant advantage over everyone else. This threat to multiversal peace was enough that the Planet of Light opted to just eradicate mankind rather than letting a major conflict break out over them, and possibly because they could potentially be made into weapons that could threaten their place of dominance.
Planck brane
The Planck brane is the foundational concept upon which the Beta System operates. Without it, the technology is useless. The principle of the Planck brane and thus the Beta System is thus: the universe is composed of three spatial directions and one of time, but there is at least one more direction that can be traversed a Fifth dimension that is unnoticed by our human sciences, and by our scientific equipment. With there being three, in total, extra dimensions not visible to humanity, that the system utilizes.
The term 'Planck brane' refers to the term 'Brane', especially the D-Brane mentioned in String Theory. To avoid a long, long explanation, D-Brane generally refers to the Dimension Boundaries, which generally overlap. In short the different universes, including our own. While the Planck brane refers to the dimensional boundary that these D-Brane exist with in, i.e. the Fifth Dimension, Fourth if you do not count time. In short the Planck Brane is not only an extra dimension to store material/mass, etc, but also covers the concept of the Multiverse. This lines up with the fact that the concern of alien intelligences having malicious interests in humanity is said to be multiversal in scope.
Regardless, Kaminaga's explanation in the film, also mentions more dimensions that the Beta System use, and likely makes up the Planck brane, with it being an umbrella term for all the extra Dimensions the Beta System grants access to. At the end of the film Ultraman uses the Beta Capsule to create a 'Sixth Dimensional Hole', which fits with explanations listing three extra dimensions.
Gallery
Trivia
- The usage of the terms Planck brane somewhat differ from their real world terms, as similar as they are. In the movie the Planck brane and the Multiverse are treated as synonymous with each other, when in real world theoretical physics their relationship is a bit more complicated than that.
- The Beta System/Planck brane, bears many similarities with other science fiction tropes such as Subspace, Hyperspace and Hammerspace, overtly or by implication.
- The Beta System is also similar in concept to the Star Symbols used by the people of U40. The difference being their size manipulation device is Ultra exclusive and doubles as a Color Timer.
| Kaiju Items | |
|---|---|
| Substances | Tilsonite | Cosmic ray | Pedanium | Minus Energy | Zettonium | Deathcium | Victorium | Slimtonium | Kaiju Seed | Chaos Bringer | Magnerium | Absolute Particle | Damudoxin | Kaen-102 | Elemental Powers (Darkness, Light, Gravity) |
| Machines | Portable Artificial Brain | Micronizer Device | Shaplay Brooch | Terrible-Monster Creating Machine | Capsule Kaiju | Tector Gear | β-system |
| Recurring weapons | Bat Calibur | Pedanium Launcher | Darkness Broad | Battlenizer (Giga Battlenizer) | Dark Spark | KillerTrans (Shepherdon Saber) | Jashin Blade | Beliarok |
| DNA samples | Gudis Cell | Evolu Cell | Sphere Cell | Beast Factor | Belial Factor |
| Others | Tsuifon | Yapool's Alternate Dimension (D4) | Auto Intelligence | One Trillion Degrees Fireball | Red Sphere | METEOR (Maquette Capsules) | Ultra Oscillation Wave | Armored Darkness | Reionic Burst | Armored Mefilas | Darknesphere | Narak |