Comms & Mesh Gear

In a networked world, keeping in touch is key.

Radio and Sensor Ranges

Item Size	Urban Range	Open Range	Examples
Nano	20 meters	100 meters	Nanoswarms
Micro	100 meters	500 meters	Microbugs
Very Small	5 kilometers	50 kilometers	Ecto, Mesh Inserts
Small	25 kilometers	250 kilometers	Radio Boosters, Vehicle Radios/Sensors
Large	500 kilometers	5,000 kilometers	Spacecraft Sensors

Communications

A variety of technologies are useful for keeping communication lines open, even on alien worlds.

Breadcrumb System: This worn device leaves micro-sized “breadcrumb” motes behind as you move, roughly every 25 meters. These devices mesh with each other and other devices, allowing you to map your position in relation to the breadcrumb trail, and creating a mesh connection all the way back to the trail’s source. This is for tracking your movement, finding your way back, and keeping meshed with your camp or ship in derelict habitats, wilderness, and other areas where there is no local functioning mesh.

Emergency Distress Beacon: This powerful radio transmitter will broadcast any programmed distress call and positioning data for years. Though small and portable, this beacon has a range of 500 km in urban areas and 5,000 km elsewhere. It specifically transmits on frequencies monitored by satellites (if any) and spacecraft. The beacon only transmits, it does not receive messages. Beacons possess both impact and environmental sensors, and can be set to auto-activate if triggered by g-forces, vacuum, or other specified conditions.

Laser/Microwave Link: These portable devices are used to establish a tight-beam, line-of-sight communications channel with another laser or microwave link. The range of these transceivers varies widely with environmental factors, but approximates 50 kilometers in atmosphere and 500 kilometers in space (though horizon limits must be kept in mind, being 5 kilometers at ground level on Earth and less on smaller bodies). Lasers are subject to interference from fog, dirt, smoke, and similar visual chaff, while microwaves may be hindered by metallic obstructions. These links can only be intercepted by getting directly in between the beams. Some teams carry a micro version of this system, worn on their person, allowing line of sight intra-team communications that cannot be intercepted like radio.

Mission Recorder: This storage device is used to record all data from a mission — lifelogs, XP, sensor feeds, and so on — for later retrieval. This serves to backup all data in remote locations and for search-and-rescue teams to analyze if something goes wrong. Gatecrashers often hook these to radio boosters and leave them near the pandora gate.

Radio Booster: This portable device boosts the range and sensitivity of short-range radios, like those from implants, ectos, or microbugs. The booster must be within the shorter-ranged device’s range (or directly linked via fiberoptic cable). It will repeat any transmissions received from that device, but at its extended range of 25 kilometers in urban areas or 250 kilometers in remote areas (Radio and Sensor Ranges). Boosters are commonly used by characters traveling far from habitats or other civilized regions.

Satnet-in-a-Can: This medium-sized metallic-hydrogen missile can be launched on any world with a gravity of 2 g or less. A smart-material launch tube automatically extends struts and aims it at the proper trajectory. It deploys 32 small satellites into orbit, which after 1–2 days will be in position to cover the planet with GPS data, low-resolution hyperspectral imaging (down to 100 meters), and communication/mesh relay between anyone on the planet with a radio booster. The satellites can map the planet and provide weather data using Know: Meteorology 60.

Neutrino Communicators

Neutrino particles pass through solid matter with ease and are impossible to block. As a result, they make an ideal medium for communications. Unfortunately, they are also easy to intercept. Even a tight beam of neutrinos sent between two locations can be intercepted simply by placing another receiver behind the location the broadcaster is sending to. Neutrino communicators require a large power plant to power the high energy particle interactions required to generate the neutrino broadcast. Neutrino communicators usually broadcast neutrinos in all directions, though tight-beam transmissions are also possible. Quite often neutrino communications take advantage of quantum farcasting for security.

Neutrino Receiver: This small receiver is used for one-way neutrino communications. It can only receive, not transmit. It is commonly used for receiving ego backups transmitted by emergency farcaster implants; a host or server is required to store the backup.

Neutrino Transceiver: This transceiver can transmit and receive neutrino signals, with a range of at least 100 astronomical units. It is large, with a size of 8 cubic meters (in a cube 2 meters on a side), but can be loaded onto large vehicles. To function, it must be connected to a large power plant, such as one found in habitats or large spacecraft. The cost and size of this device includes the computer necessary for quantum farcasting. Because it is exceptionally safe and secure, quantum farcasting via neutrino communications is the primary means of both long-distance communication between habitats and egocasting. The neutrino signal cannot be blocked and it can only be decrypted if a character has access to the computer that is sending or receiving the signal.

Quantum Farcasters

Quantum farcasters are special computers designed to protect a communications channel with unbreakable encryption. To function, two or more quantum farcaster computers must first be entangled together (on a quantum level) in the same physical location. The farcasters are then separated, at which point they may continue to exchange encrypted data via quantum teleportation. This data exchange requires a standard communications link (i.e., fiberoptic, radio, laser/microwave, or neutrino), and so is limited by the speed of light, but it is a high bandwidth form of communication. The quantum encryption used by these entangled farcasters is unbreakable, and any attempted interception is immediately detected and neutralized. A quantum farcaster cannot be used to securely communicate with any farcasters other than the ones it is entangled with.

Miniature Radio Farcaster: Miniature farcasters communicate with each other using standard radio transceivers. As noted above, they can only securely communicate with the other farcasters with which they are entangled. Most miniature farcasters are very small and worn as jewelry or fitted into clothing or other equipment. Because the entanglement process requires special equipment, these radio farcasters cannot be nanofabricated.

Quantum-Entangled Communication

QE communication is instantaneous and works over any distance, even hundreds of light years away, but is also very limited. QE communication requires pairs of entangled particles known as qubits. To use QE, large numbers of qubit pairs are created and then separated from each other. Millions of these separated particles are stored in special containers known as qubit reservoirs. If two QE communicators each have a qubit reservoir containing qubits that are each entangled with qubits in the other communicator’s qubit reservoir, then you can use the two QE communicators to commutate with one another instantaneously.

Each bit of data transmitted between QE comms uses up one qubit. Once all of the qubits are used up, the two QE comms can no longer communicate until they each get a new batch of entangled qubits. Qubits are expensive to produce, contain, and transport, making this a rare and expensive form of communication. As a result, extremely high bandwidth communications like full sensory XP and egocasting are avoided.

Because the entanglement process requires special equipment, QE comms gear cannot be nanofabricated.

QE Comm: This is a small, handheld FTL communications device. It must be equipped with a qubit reservoir to enable quantum-entangled communications.

Emergency Reservoir: This pair of very small reservoirs are intended for critical or emergency situations, using voice or text only, or similar low bit-rate exchanges. They can be used for 1 minute of high-resolution video, 1 hour of voice-only communication, or a substantial amount of text.

Qubit Reservoir: This pair of small-sized reservoirs holds enough qubits for 10 hours of high-resolution video or 100 hours of voice or text-only communications.

Mesh Hardware

This gear forms the fundamental components of the mesh (Devices, Apps, & Links).

Enhanced Server: These servers are faster and more secure, commonly used by hyper-elites or secure corporate systems. Apply a −10 modifier to Infosec Tests made to hack them.

Fiberoptic Cable: Fiberoptic cables are used to establish wired connections between two devices. Given the ubiquity of radios and the tangled mess wires cause, they are typically only used for privacy (unlike radio communication, fiberoptic signals cannot be intercepted/sniffed or jammed) or in areas with heavy radio interference.

Host: Hosts include tablets, work stations, and similar terminals. They are capable of running a single infomorph.

Motes: These micro-sized computers come in packages of 500 and are designed to be spread over a wide area (manually, by drone, or other creative means) to create an ad-hoc mesh network. Individual motes use grip pads to adhere to surfaces. They are also equipped with cameras (visual spectrum only) and microphones.

Server: A server is a large-sized, non-portable computer, capable of running VR simulspaces and multiple infomorphs.

Specialized Server: These servers are optimized for specific functions, customized with specialized operating systems. Each provides a +10 modifier to one type of skill test made while using this server.