The Oscillation Overthruster represents the culmination of many years of research and experimentation by such august scientists as
Emilio Lizardo,
Prof. Hikita,
Buckaroo Banzai and his parents. The OO allows one to penetrate other dimensions by acting on a solid surface in
threespace; through the creation of multiparticle
standing waves inside the object under projection, the surface is 'rotated' out of threespace into the Eighth Dimension. Passing an object through the
convex hull surface thus rotated will, in effect, move the object entirely
out of threespace by converting the object's three-dimensional
momentum into
eighth dimensional displacement.
Hints as to the phases of its proper functioning can be had from the various status displays visible to the public during the initial test run of the Jetcar; Dr. Hikita's status display of Jetcar systems went through three phases. At the activation of the OO, the word 'SINED' appeared in the display, indicating that the standing wave oscillation carrier frequency had been phase-locked, and that transfer of the wave pattern to the particle accelerator atop the Jetcar cab had commenced. When the entry point surface had been rotated out of threespace, essentially committing the Jetcar to dimensional crossover, the display indicated 'SEALED'. After the Jetcar had displaced through the rotated surface (in that particular case, a mountainside) the display indicated 'DELIVERED'.
While the actual workings of the OO are a closely held secret of the Banzai Institute for Strategic and Neuromedical Research, some facts can be gleaned from those observations of the device permitted to the general public and the press at large.
It's small. Dr. Banzai, at demonstrations at the New Brunswick Convention Center, shows a device perhaps eight or so centimeters along its longest axis. The OO is designed to 'snap' into an enclosing Dimensional Matrix Alignment system through the use of small clamps and three 'pop-up' dimensional sensors, each of which sounds a distinct tone when activated.
It's expensive. How much its manufacture cost is unknown; however, remarks by various of the Hong Kong Cavaliers have indicated that the research budget of even the Banzai Institute was strained for nearly a year during its creation.
It's powerful. Although only able to perform its prime function, that of rotating a threespace surface into eightspace, when it is coupled with a full set of Dimensionally-aligned particle accelerators, matrix sensors and an electro-nuclear mix management system (sometimes referred to by the generally auto-enthusiast Hong Kong Cavaliers as the 'Carb'), the OO is in itself quite powerful. Even without its ancillary systems, the OO is capable of causing local stresses in the probability matrix of the underlying quantum foam - if brought into close proximity of, say, a high-level alpha particle source, it is quite capable of causing small explosions due to improper statistical matter annihilation. Extreme care is advised.
The OO, during its brief sojourn at Yoyodyne in the possession of Penny Priddy, succeeded in destabilizing the matrix alignment of the (incomplete) overthruster employed by John Whorfin and his crew in the construction of their Lectroid troopship. Although it is doubtful that Whorfin/Lizardo's OO would have functioned properly in any case, due to its age, we do have evidence (in the 'person' of John Whorfin himself, present in our threespace) that it was capable of at least partial surface rotations. However, the quantum instability field emitted by the Banzai/Hikita OO apparently overwhelmed the rudimentary matrix alignment systems of the Lizardo/Hikita OO, leading to the unfortunate threespace events chronicled elsewhere.
At present, the OO remains in the possession of the Banzai Institute. While spokespersons for that body deny that it is being subjected to any further experimentation or utilization (and the lack of a run space inside its walls long enough for the Jet Car to achieve rotational sync velocity would tend to support this claim) no one can deny the continual sequence of events surrounding Dr. Banzai which can only be described as 'strange.' Investigations into the matter continue.