Star Frontiers Network

Advances in subspace theory have lead to the utilization of more than one level of subspace. Currently there are eight known levels of subspace, labeled Alpha through Theta.

The Alpha “wave” (wave is not necessarily the best term) is the classic level of subspace and continues to be used for general message traffic. An alpha signal takes 1 hour to cross one light year. A beta signal takes half that but is subject to increased distortion of the signal. Gamma signal takes half as much time as beta but again is subject to increased distortion.

This distortion is often referred to as subspace static. Despite the presence of “static” on the beta and gamma signal these channels have seen a rise in use because of the quicker transmission rate. Often militaries use them for the increase command and control possibilities. Beyond the gamma signal the message distortion becomes impossible for even the best filter programs to sort out.

Other levels of subspace were theorized before they were discovered. Originally it was assumed they were unusable due to the static in the signal. That was until a vursk graduate student named St’Nil at the University of Zebulon discovered a way to use the static to transmit a code much like ancient Morse code. The current code is now referred to as Nil code and it works on the next three levels of subspace; Delta, Epsilon and Zeta.
Currently it is impossible to broadcast on the Eta and Theta levels though scientists continue to search for a way.

By law the Zeta level is reserved for military use in the Clarion system and other systems are following in suit. Most financial institutions have co-opted the Delta level. Since each successive level has half the transmission time of the previous the transmission time on the Zeta level is 1.9 minutes. This gives the military near real time data, even if the message is in Nil code.

All of the least-time approaches from other planets into the Clarion system are now monitored by stealthed sensor platforms with subspace transmitters. Since the energy bleed from a ship leaving void space is quite noticeable to energy sensors the Royal Marines can maintain a close to accurate account of the number of ships arriving in system. The sensor platforms don’t cover the entire system but they do allow the Royal Marines investigate many more ships than they could otherwise.

SOP is for alert messages to go out by code and be followed up by voice and video over the Gamma level.

With the new discoveries in subspace technology the Royal Marines have deployed remote sensor platforms to monitor the least time arrival routs of all known jump routes into the White Light system. However, much of the system is not covered requiring regular patrolling. The remote sensors are equipped with energy senors, a computer, a subspace transmitter, and a bank of parabatteries (4 month endurance). Its housing made of composites designed to be invisible to radar.

When a platform detects the highly visible "void footprint" of an arriving ship it assigns a bogey designation and initiates a flash code on the Zeta level giving its ID number, the spacial co-ordinates of the arrival and the bogey designation. When other info is available, like course vector or any other information picked up by energy sensors. Since the transmission rate for the Zeta wave is 1.9 minutes per light year the Royal Marines enjoy real time data on ships arriving along the none jump routes. All of this data is processed at System Control on Clarion Station. The UPF fortress, Redoubt, receives a continuous update from System Control but this is largely monitored by computer.

Since the naval budget has been chopped and pruned over the last five years plans to cover the whole system with sensor platforms have been shelved. That coupled with the mysterious destruction of some platforms has made it difficult to maintain good coverage in some of the areas of high traffic.

The unexplained destruction of a few of the supposedly invisible sensor platforms has lead to a change in RM policy concerning servicing and recharging the batteries. Formerly all RM ships would perform this duty but because of these mysterious loses only the CMS Pelican performs this duty. The Pelican is the only RM ship equipped with ion engines which allows for her to cover the area with a jamming window to conceal the location of the stealth platform.

Aligning a Subspace Transmitter

Subspace transmitters require very careful alignment. To that end astro programs can maintain proper alignment for a transmitter on space stations, planets and remote sensor platforms fairly easily due to the predictable movement and known orbital mechanics of these bodies. Ships can have the same astro programs but often errors in alignment creep in duty the more fluid nature of ship maneuvering (entering combat is almost certain to cause the program maintaining the radio's alignment to lose track & GM will determine all other times when this happens as well). When this happens the astrogator must realign the subspace radio.

Aligning a subspace radio takes about 2 hours. Realigning a subspace radio that has lost track take 2 hours -(D10 X the astrogator's skill level in minutes). The standard procedure is for the remote sensor platforms to transmit to System Control and system control with issue orders or directives to the last know location or course of the ship it wishes to contact. Every RM ship checks in every hour and their message header includes fresh position or course information in its code to assist System Control in maintaining their alignments. Its a cumbersome system because all information must pass through a central processing node (System Control) but it works.