Superluminal communications: Difference between revisions

For much of their spacefaring history, [[human]]ity and the [[UNSC]] were reliant on starships to carry information across interstellar distances. By the final years of the [[Human-Covenant War]], however, the UNSC had developed technology enabling them to tap into [[wavespace]], a dimensional realm similar to [[slipspace]], to carry messages across short interstellar distances along a series of relays and retransmission stations, allowing colonies and ships to be connected in virtual real real time.<ref name=warfleet10">'''[[Halo: Warfleet]]''' p.10</ref><ref group="note">In ''[[Halo: The Fall of Reach]]'' Chapter 16, [[Jacob Keyes|Captain Jacob Keyes]] contacts [[Michael Stanforth|Vice Admiral Michael Stanforth]] from the [[Sigma Octanus system]] on a FLEETCOM priority channel and they have a real-time exchange. Stanforth is implied to be in a different system at the time. In addition, in [[Dr. Halsey's personal journal|her journal]], Halsey receives an after-action report of the [[Battle of Sigma Octanus IV]] on July 18, 2552, the same day the battle took place. This would be impossible without a near-instantaneous communications system, as a ship could not have possibly traveled from Sigma Octanus system to [[Reach]] in a matter of hours; it took two weeks for [[Battle Group Leviathan]] to make the journey. Furthermore, according to [[Halo Graphic Novel, Page 122|page 122]] of the ''[[Halo Graphic Novel]]'', some sort of superluminal communications system was used by [[Catherine Halsey|Dr. Catherine Halsey]] to contact Earth while onboard the {{UNSCship|Gettysburg}}. The transcript seems to show Halsey transmitting commands in real time. Even if this is accomplished using a script, it still takes about 36 minutes for the data to be transmitted from Earth to somewhere near [[Eridanus Secundus]]. The log in the ''Graphic Novel'' has an opening timestamp of 04:16 on September 12th, 2552; chapter 27 of ''Halo: First Strike'' opens at 04:50 on September 12th, at which point the data has apparently been received. The distance is unknown, however, and so the exact speed can not be calculated. Further examples of such superluminal communication are seen in the [[Data Drop]]s.</ref> The energy required to open a wavespace link is immense, however, bandwidth across the relay is limited, and signals carried in wavespace are prone to distortion the further they travel, limiting their effectiveness.<ref name=warfleet10"/> Using [[Forerunner]] technology, signals can instead be carried across slipspace, allowing colonies and even starships to remain in contact at much faster speeds.<ref name=warfleet10"/> The UNSC's discovery of Forerunner technology on [[Trevelyan]] in early [[2553]] enabled even smoother information transfer and the capability for ships to maintain communications while in slipspace; this technology was installed on the {{UNSCShip|Infinity}} and select ONI vessels.<ref>'''Halo: The Thursday War''', ''page 287''</ref><ref>'''Halo: Mortal Dictata''', ''page 202''</ref><ref group="note">In ''Halo: Mortal Dictata'', it is stated that the discoveries on Trevelyan are what enabled the UNSC instantaneous interstellar communications. Since there are multiple examples of effectively real-time communication before the discovery of the shield world in earlier media (including the first ''Kilo-Five Trilogy'' novel ''Halo: Glasslands'') it can be assumed that the discussed upgrades improve the system already allowing practical near real-time correspondence on timescales imperceptible to humans but relevant to AIs and data transfer.</ref> Such communicators can be built compact enough to fit into man-portable communications kits.<ref>'''Halo: Glasslands''', ''page 418''</ref> UNSC ''Infinity''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s superluminal communications capability includes 16-channel "slipspace wavecom datalinks".<ref>'''[[Halo Mythos]]''', ''pages 132-133''</ref>