Communications in the Verge and Bleed
Average Tech Level: TL 11
Associated Skills: Computer Operation/TL11 (IQ/E), Computer Programming/TL11 (IQ/H), Cryptography/TL11 (IQ/H), Current Affairs/TL11 (Any) (IQ/E), Electronics Operation/TL11 (Comms and Media); Electronics Repair/TL11 (Radios, etc.) (IQ/a), Engineering/TL11 (Civic, Electronics, Military) (IQ/H), Propaganda/TL11 (IQ/A), Typing (DX/E), Writing (IQ/A)
Associated Skills: Computer Operation/TL11 (IQ/E), Computer Programming/TL11 (IQ/H), Cryptography/TL11 (IQ/H), Current Affairs/TL11 (Any) (IQ/E), Electronics Operation/TL11 (Comms and Media); Electronics Repair/TL11 (Radios, etc.) (IQ/a), Engineering/TL11 (Civic, Electronics, Military) (IQ/H), Propaganda/TL11 (IQ/A), Typing (DX/E), Writing (IQ/A)
Communications
The oldest and most widespread of the various communications technology in the Verge and Bleed is the radio; every habitat, every world, every station, and every ship, no matter how bioconservative or technoprogressive, is awash in radio traffic, with all the myriad strains of humanity communicating with one another through radio traffic. The smallest radios are no larger than tiny buttons while the larges ones are the size of trucks or bigger. Radios large and small are ubiquitous and almost all devices contain a radio microcommunicator of some size. Basic mesh inserts also include a radio communicator as well that operates through mental commands. However, there are other communication methods as well throughout the Verge and bleed, and not all of them rely on just radio waves.
While the Computers page gives prices and ranges for tiny to small communicators - the kind found in computers and other devices - this section looks beyond how communications and computers are connected, and explores other methods of communication.
While the Computers page gives prices and ranges for tiny to small communicators - the kind found in computers and other devices - this section looks beyond how communications and computers are connected, and explores other methods of communication.
Communications
As one might assess, the most important skill with communications is the Electronics Operation (Comms) skill. However, no roll is required to operate comms under typical circumstances, the major exception being whether or not the user is trained. Communications are either broadcast or directional; broadcast signals can be picked up by every communicator attuned to the frequency within range, while directional signals are beamed towards a particular target and, unless noted, are typically blocked by line of sight. The range for communicators is given in yards and miles, and while signals can propagate beyond their listed "effective range," they are more difficult to pick up; to extend range, the operator can make an Electronics Operation (Communications) roll at -1 per 10% added to the range, to a maximum extension of 100%. For more information about bandwidth and communications, see Ultra-Tech pg. 43.
Communications often make use of encryption software; for more information, see Computers. All of the links mentioned below use the public-key encryption method.
Communications often make use of encryption software; for more information, see Computers. All of the links mentioned below use the public-key encryption method.
Cable Jack. A socket and cable for plugging into other cable jack-equipped gadgets, or into a building's wired network. It can be added to any gadget that is greater than negligible weight. [$5.00; neg.]
Fiber Optics Cable. These cables are used to establish wired communication between two devices; given the ubiquity of radios and the tangled mess wires cause, they are typically only used for privacy or in areas where heavy interference due to radiation is expected (for instance, around neutron stars or in the shadow of gas giants). Unlike radio signals, cable signals may not be intercepted. One sure fire way to tell a mesh from a grid is that grids use cables as their backbones; meshes have no backbone. They come in rolls that are 10ft long and are laid down using the Electronics Repair (communication) skill. It has a data transfer rate of 100 TB per second, although larger cables move faster, up to 1 EB a second. [$10.00; 0.5lb] Laser Link. Laser links are devices that are used to establish a tight-beam, line-of-sight communications channel with another laser link. This is a highly directional channel, and the narrow beam and LOS requirement makes them hard to eavesdrop on. The beam is invisible and eye-safe, and tunes itself to penetrate snow, fog, etc. They may also be tuned to use the blue-green frequency to reach underwater. The signal range is 1% normal underwater, with a maximum range of 200 yards. All of them incorporate gyrostabilizers, and they are often found in urban areas attached to pylons for secure comm links; these are called "free space optics" and are used as a cheaper solution in radio-crowded area than stringing up fiber optic cables. They can transfer 1 TB of data per minute. Medium Laser Link. 2,500 mile range. [$2,000.00; 5lbs; 2C/10hr; LC4] Small Laser Link. 250-mile range. [$400.00; 0.5lbs; 2B/10hr; LC4] Tiny Laser Link. 25-mile range. [$100.00; 0.05lbs; 2A/10hr] Micro Laser Link. 5,000-yard range; usually broad casts at a lower output with a range of 25 to 50 yards. [$20.00; neg.; AA/100hr] |
Radio Link. Radios are broadcast devices that use radio waves to transmit message across the ether to anything that is tuned to the proper frequency to pick it up. Because of this, they are very easy to eavesdrop on. All incorporate spread-spectrum technology, which makes communications clear and reliable by improving the spread of signal strength over lower frequencies. The frequency hopping also keeps the transmitter from being "bright" in one frequency for long periods of time. The data transfer is 0.1 GB per minute, but range drops significantly when transmitting audio-visual signals, by up to 10th the initial range.
Medium Radio Link.500-mile range. [$1,000.00; 5lbs; 2C/10hr; LC4] Small Radio Link. 50-mile range. [$200.00; 0.5lbs; 2B/10hr; LC4] Tiny Radio Link. 5-mile range. [$50.00; 0.05lbs; 2A/10hr] Micro Radio Link. 1,000-yard range; usually broadcasts at a lower output with a range of 5 to 10 yards. [$10.00; neg.; AA/100hr] Sonar Link. This uses modulated sound beams for broadcast communication; they travel at the speed of sound, which is almost a mile per second underwater and 0.2 miles per second in air (at sea level). A sonar link that's designed for underwater operation, but it can be tuned to operate in air, although if it does so, it has 1% the listed range multiplied by the air pressure in atmospheres; it does not work in a vacuum. The signals can be detected (but not understood) at twice the comm range by passive sonars, or by anyone with Ultrahearing or Vibration Sense. The only way to jam the signal is powerful, specialized sonar jammers - or underwater explosions. The rate of transfer is very slow; 0.1 MB/minute. Medium Sonar Link. 60-mile range. [$1,000.00; 5lbs; 2C/10hr; LC4] Small Sonar Link. 6-mile range. [$200.00; 0.5lbs; 2B/10hr; LC4] Tiny Sonar Link. 1,200-yard range. [$40.00; 0.05lbs; 2A/10hr] Micro Sonar Link. 120-yard range. [$10.00; neg; AA/10hr] |