An inversion wave was an energy phenomenon capable of forcing a starship into normal space via a warp field collapse, with the possible side effect of creating a time warp. In 2372, Rom was able to create an inversion wave in the warp field of his brother's shuttle, Quark's Treasure, after it was discovered that a sabotaged command sequencer would not allow them to deactivate the warp drive. He created the wave by venting plasma from the warp core into the shuttle's cargo hold to cause a cascade reaction in kemacite being stored there. Modulating the reaction caused the inversion wave.