"Your real point, I think, is that if real, this subverts the normal SF
division of drives into normal space vs. hyperspace drives, and says that
your normal space drive IS a hyper space drive."
That's exactly my point. This raises the possibility that pretty much everything we think we "know" about the separation of normal and hyper/jump space propulsion is wrong. However, faster than light travel will probably still require a large amount of energy (and the capacitors to handle that energy), so it might be a significant amount of time before the equivalent of Captain Kirk is zipping back and forth through space.
In Traveller terms, it could be that this is an alternative means of propulsion, but isn't nearly as efficient/cost effective as HEPLaR + jump drive.
division of drives into normal space vs. hyperspace drives, and says that
your normal space drive IS a hyper space drive."
That's exactly my point. This raises the possibility that pretty much everything we think we "know" about the separation of normal and hyper/jump space propulsion is wrong. However, faster than light travel will probably still require a large amount of energy (and the capacitors to handle that energy), so it might be a significant amount of time before the equivalent of Captain Kirk is zipping back and forth through space.
In Traveller terms, it could be that this is an alternative means of propulsion, but isn't nearly as efficient/cost effective as HEPLaR + jump drive.