Tegaea Alcori
Back to Square One
Quantum Stage 1 – Enlightenment
OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION
Faster than light communications and transport have been the underpinning of the galaxy for tens of millennia. It is what has enabled the galaxy to expand, grow and progress as it has. However, technology has reached a point of near stagnation, and this is especially true of communications. Holonet and hyperwave transmissions are effective at carrying information, but they can be disrupted, jammed or even sliced. What if there was a means of instantly communicating from anywhere to anywhere?
To answer these questions, Firemane undertook research into quantum physics, specifically the field of quantum entanglement. It became possible as a result of this to create two entangled photons which would interact regardless of how far apart the generation fields were physically. These were then linked up a computer console and could pass text messages from one to the other by changing the state of one pair, which would force the other to follow.
The benefits of this technology, dubbed ‘Enlightenment’, are obvious. A ship paired with an Enlightenment device in the furthest reaches of space could instantly communicate with home base regardless of distance, space or atmospheric conditions or any other factor. Similarly, a building in a city under heavy siege and communication blackout can still easily dispatch messages and there is nothing the enemy can do to stop it. Quantum communication is a revolution, and eventually could become the standard for all galactic technology.
However, as always, there are issues and teething troubles. For one, the flow of data is so limited that only plain text can be transmitted. It has been theorised that in future many pairs could be entangled to provide a stronger data link, but that is in the future.
The key downside of Enlightenment is a lack of flexibility. Two devices must be paired, and only those two devices can communicate. For instance, a ship on the outer rim can communicate to the headquarters, but cannot change to contact another ship, even if it too has Enlightenment. This also means that the central hub must have a constant staff to monitor messages just like an old telegraph office. It also means there is a large amount of consoles needed at the destination hub.
The next issue regards security and durability. Whilst the message is instant and unstoppable, once it arrives at its destination it is stored like a regular piece of information. This can potentially be sliced if proper precautions are not taken.
Further, the consoles themselves are not designed to take damage. It would not be difficult to disable an Enlightenment console and snap the tether between the two pairs. If this pairing is lost it requires work, and regular communication methods, to re-establish the link.
Overall Enlightenment is a technology in its infancy which may change the galaxy. However, currently its strengths are balanced by limitations of use.
OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION
- Intent: To create something very different, new and sci-fi in the field of communications. This writer is not, obviously, a quantum physicist, and nor might this be possible in the ‘real’ world. Considering Star Wars already has faster than light communications and travel combined with other scientific ‘impossibilities’. The aim is that this submission has a clear utility but has several severe weaknesses which prevents it being an instant hit.
- Image Source: Here. Unknown artist.
- Canon Link: N/A
- Restricted Missions: N/A
- Primary Source: No SWRP sources. Various sci-fi settings and science papers scanned for information.
- Manufacturer: Firemane Industries and Technology
- Model: FM-QC1a
- Affiliation: Firemane Only (Requires explicit permission from this writer or Siobhan Kerrigan’s to use.)
- Modularity: No.
- Production: Limited
- Material: Standard communication console components. Quantum entanglement technology.
- Transmits between two points.
- Requires a pairing of two devices
- Able to transmit a text based message instantly between two points instantly, with no latency. This message cannot be blocked, scanned, disrupted or jammed by any means.
- Creates a pairing of two devices explicitly. These devices can only contact each other, so to contact multiple connections requires multiple pairs of devices.
- Instant. Quantum communication can instantly transmit a message between two paired devices instantly from anywhere in the galaxy. There is no lag in communications or need to establish a connection.
- Unblockable. Quantum entanglement cannot be blocked, jammed, intercepted, suppressed or stopped by any means. As the entangled pairs are theoretically the same molecule, transmitting between them is not really transmitting at all in the conventional sense.
- Paired. The entangled pairs are literally that. A device must be paired with one other device, it cannot change destinations on the fly or connect elsewhere. This also means that any central hub must have banks of these consoles, one for every destination.
- Bulky. The apparatus to operate these communicators are too large to place on anything smaller than a corvette or luxury transport. They cannot be carried personally, and cannot fit into Starfighters.
- Power. Power must be continually maintained or risk losing the pair. If the pair is lost they can only be re-established after a process.
- Storage. Although the messages cannot be intercepted in transmission, the console they are received at can potentially be sliced like any other mainframe or computer.
Faster than light communications and transport have been the underpinning of the galaxy for tens of millennia. It is what has enabled the galaxy to expand, grow and progress as it has. However, technology has reached a point of near stagnation, and this is especially true of communications. Holonet and hyperwave transmissions are effective at carrying information, but they can be disrupted, jammed or even sliced. What if there was a means of instantly communicating from anywhere to anywhere?
To answer these questions, Firemane undertook research into quantum physics, specifically the field of quantum entanglement. It became possible as a result of this to create two entangled photons which would interact regardless of how far apart the generation fields were physically. These were then linked up a computer console and could pass text messages from one to the other by changing the state of one pair, which would force the other to follow.
The benefits of this technology, dubbed ‘Enlightenment’, are obvious. A ship paired with an Enlightenment device in the furthest reaches of space could instantly communicate with home base regardless of distance, space or atmospheric conditions or any other factor. Similarly, a building in a city under heavy siege and communication blackout can still easily dispatch messages and there is nothing the enemy can do to stop it. Quantum communication is a revolution, and eventually could become the standard for all galactic technology.
However, as always, there are issues and teething troubles. For one, the flow of data is so limited that only plain text can be transmitted. It has been theorised that in future many pairs could be entangled to provide a stronger data link, but that is in the future.
The key downside of Enlightenment is a lack of flexibility. Two devices must be paired, and only those two devices can communicate. For instance, a ship on the outer rim can communicate to the headquarters, but cannot change to contact another ship, even if it too has Enlightenment. This also means that the central hub must have a constant staff to monitor messages just like an old telegraph office. It also means there is a large amount of consoles needed at the destination hub.
The next issue regards security and durability. Whilst the message is instant and unstoppable, once it arrives at its destination it is stored like a regular piece of information. This can potentially be sliced if proper precautions are not taken.
Further, the consoles themselves are not designed to take damage. It would not be difficult to disable an Enlightenment console and snap the tether between the two pairs. If this pairing is lost it requires work, and regular communication methods, to re-establish the link.
Overall Enlightenment is a technology in its infancy which may change the galaxy. However, currently its strengths are balanced by limitations of use.
