Races | Technology
Shortwave Radio Network
The Shortwave Radio Network was originally developed by the Weber Communication Company to connect the major settlements — New Kourou, Hope, Morningstar, and Firetown — during the Beta Age, overcoming the severe resource constraints that followed the crash landing of the Last Frontier.
Gamma Age Usage
In the Gamma Age, the shortwave network remains crucial for governance and security, with strict federal control over its operation and access:
Law Enforcement: Federal and Local Sheriffs use portable radios for patrol communication and emergency response.
Inter-Settlement Coordination: Administrative and political leaders use it for resource allocation and crisis response.
Emergency Alerts: Immediate threats, such as environmental hazards or security incidents, are broadcasted across settlements.
Technical Features
Power Sources: Solar, geothermal, wind turbines and microbial fuel cells ensure sustainability.
Durability: Devices and relay stations are designed to withstand VOI 700 D’s harsh environmental conditions.
Transmitter Locations:
Each settlement housed a primary shortwave transmitter, forming the core of local communication, while WCC built and managed key relay stations to extend the network’s range and reliability. The most critical relay stations were strategically positioned to optimize coverage and withstand the harsh environmental conditions of VOI 700 D:
Mount Atrana Communication Outpost: Serving as the central signal amplifier, the
Mount Atrana Communication Outpost ensures long-range communication between the mountainous regions and the lowland settlements. Its remote location made it difficult to access, but its elevated position allowed for seamless transmission across vast distances.
Morningstar Relay Station: Located in the Industrial Ring of Morningstar, the
Morningstar Relay Station ensures stable shortwave transmissions for law enforcement and administrative coordination.
New Kourou Relay Station: Positioned in the Industrial Ring, the
New Kourou Relay Station also serves as the administrative hub for network management.
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Short Wave Communication Devices in the Gamma Age
The Shortwave Communication Device (SWRWC), known as the “Weber,” continues to be an integral tool in the Gamma Age, though its usage is tightly regulated. Different models are employed for specific purposes under federal supervision.
Device Types and Their Usage
Guarding Trooper Model:
Users: Federal and Local Sheriffs, Deputies, and Federal Courier Riders
Design: Rugged and highly durable, with secure communication channels and extended frequency range
Purpose: Used for patrol communication, crisis response, and secure long-range coordination
Desktop Model:
Users: Headquarters of law enforcement, government offices, and administrative organizations
Design: Stationary, with enhanced audio clarity, larger power reserves, and direct GAIA network connections
Purpose: Used for inter-settlement coordination, resource management, and legal communication
Civilian Model (Discontinued):
Confiscated following the Peace Treaty’s prohibition of private communication devices. These models were once essential for settlers’ private communication and public broadcasts.Now they are used as spare parts for the Federal Devices.
GAIA: The Digital Backbone
The artificial intelligence GAIA — once an everywhere-present shipboard companion in the Alpha Age — was forced into a decentralized, town-hall-vault model during the Beta Age when the orbital cloud burned up and power became scarce.
In the Gamma Age this fragmented network is no longer ad-hoc but tightly federated under the newly formed Federal GAIA Agency. The Federal GAIA Agency operates a star-topology of Local GAIA Hubs (one per settlement) that report only to “The Kernel” located in the basement of New Kourou's Federal Council Building. Civilian access is prohibited; all queries flow through federal ministries, and GAIA’s audible channel is reserved for the Supreme Councilor alone.
Key Features
Controlled Decentralisation: Each hub can run up to 18 months on its own QFB + geothermal feed, but policy parameters propagate one-way from The Kernel; no settlement can push data back upstream except through the Agency.
Daily Updates: Shortwave transmitters and shellac records facilitate nightly data updates between GAIA and settlements.
Quota Optimiser: GAIA executes the *Annual Plan* of
Communardism, balancing food, labour, and
Quantum Fusion Batteries-charge across hubs; outputs arrive as stamped directives, not interactive dashboards.
Data Transmission Process
The use of computers in the Gamma Age
During the Beta Age, computers were already limited to critical applications due to energy and resource constraints. In the Gamma Age, their use became even more selective:
Energy Demands: Treaty-imposed energy caps restricted widespread use.
Recycling and Maintenance: Computers were assembled from salvaged components, and non-functional parts were carefully repurposed.
Critical Institutions Only: Computers were reserved for governance, law enforcement, and essential public services.
Institutions Equipped with Computers
Shellac Records as Data Storage
Introduced during the Beta Age, shellac records became central to the Gamma Age communication system, offering a sustainable and practical method of data storage.
Key Applications
Administrative Data: Production quotas, resource plans, and legal directives.
Daily Updates: GAIA synchronization relies on shellac records to maintain consistency across reservations.
Sustainability
Renewable Material: Made from the resin of native scale insects on VOI 700 D.
Durability: Robust enough for daily use, yet biodegradable when no longer needed.
The limitations on energy use have phased out public radio broadcasts. Instead, ExoHumans rely on printed media for mass communication.
Publications
Distribution
Both newspapers are delivered by the Federal Courier Service, ensuring information reaches all reservations.
Tactical Advice for Dungeon Masters
The Gamma Age communication system offers rich gameplay opportunities for Dungeon Masters, blending technical challenges with political intrigue, exploration, and moral dilemmas.
Adventure Hooks
Network Sabotage – Mount Atrana Crisis: Communication across VOI 700 D is compromised when the shortwave transmitter at the Mount Atrana Communication Outpost goes offline. Players must travel to the outpost in the Atrana Mountains to restore the network. The disruption could result from environmental damage, sabotage by rogue factions, or political interference within the Federal Confederation.
Challenge: Dangerous terrain, unpredictable weather, and uncovering the true cause of the outage while avoiding traps or ambushes.
Stolen Data: A shellac record containing sensitive GAIA directives is stolen en route to the New Kourou administrative center. Players must track the thief and recover the record before it falls into the wrong hands. The mission forces the players to confront difficult choices—do they return the data, destroy it, or use it to their advantage?
Challenge: Tracking and stealth, negotiating with rival factions, and managing moral ambiguity.
Courier Escort: Players are tasked with escorting a Federal Courier delivering critical updates through the Atrana Mountains to Morningstar. Along the way, they must protect the courier from native creatures, natural hazards, and potential ambushes by outlaws or rebel groups.
Challenge: Tactical combat, resource management, and problem-solving during a dangerous multi-leg journey.
Lost Transmission – Echo from the Beta Age: A Beta Age broadcast is unexpectedly detected at the Mount Atrana Communication Outpost, puzzling the operators. Players are sent to investigate its origin, which could lead to a hidden facility or a cache of forgotten Beta Age technology.
Challenge: Exploration, deciphering old communication protocols, and solving environmental puzzles to unlock forgotten secrets.
Player Interaction Opportunities
System Repairs: Introduce technical challenges that require players to repair the shortwave transmitter at Mount Atrana or upgrade communication devices with limited resources. Players may need to search for rare components in remote settlements or negotiate with NPC engineers.
Success: Grants tangible benefits such as expanded communication range or secure encrypted channels.
Moral Dilemmas: NPCs might offer critical information or assistance in exchange for questionable favors. Players must decide whether to help maintain the outpost’s autonomy from federal control or align with the Federal Confederation to restore order.
Example: A rogue technician asks players to secretly smuggle parts to maintain an independent broadcast channel, creating tension with federal authorities.
Related Pages and Further Information
Short Wave Relay Stations within the Federal Confederation
The Ages of ExoHuman History: