Communications and QEC

Codex
Communications have always been a concern for interstellar colonists. Trade, defense, and political representation depend on reliable lines of communication.

The most sophisticated method is quantum entanglement communication (QEC). This utilizes a pair of particles that are linked on a quantum level: any effect on one particle is mirrored instantaneously by the other, regardless of the distance between. Pathfinder implants use miniaturized QECs to remain in contact with their AI partners.

However, manufacturing these particle pairs is a delicate and difficult process, especially with resources limited in Heleus. Long-term, the Andromeda Initiative plans to establish a comm relay network, transmitting data between buoys linked by mass-free corridors of space. The Scourge has hampered these efforts.

In the meantime, Initiative starships act like maritime mail packets, carrying secure data packages that transmit to approved colony receivers once they're in range. The transmissions are limited by the ship's data storage and the capability of receivers, but improvements are ongoing.