Communications Core Network (CoreNet)

The CoreNet is the backbone of all communication in the Echelon System—built, owned, and maintained by Vox Communications. Established in the early days of colonization, the CoreNet was Vox’s answer to the chaos of fractured signal protocols, lost colonies, and incompatible neural infrastructure. Today, it remains their primary directive: to maintain the CoreNet’s vast web of relays, protocols, and devices spanning planetary grids, orbital stations, and deep-space slipstream lanes.

While most assume communication relies on satellites or simple radio waves, CoreNet transmissions are deeply entwined with the Mnemoscape. Every message—whether voice, data, or immersive overlay—passes through a network of physical relay towers tethered to mnemonic constructs. These relays act as both signal repeaters and translation engines, converting raw data into bio-neural signal threads interpretable by Synaptic Anchors, Drift Cradles, commlinks, ship systems, and other communication devices.

From the top of the Obsidian Spire to the edge of slipspace, Vox sees everything—because they built the network that listens.

“You're not just sending signal—you're threading thoughts across a memory web haunted by old ghosts.” —Anonymous Vox Communications engineer

Relay Architecture

• Each relay tower houses a Mnemoscape tether construct, anchored in both physical and driftspace layers.
• These constructs are vulnerable to Void corruption and Hollow seepage.
• When a relay destabilizes, effects include:
  • Lag (delayed delivery)
  • Echo (signals from the past repeating in corrupted form)
  • Distortion (static, phantom signals, or false data injected into active channels)
  • Blackout (local area silence—no tether access)

The Slipstream Advantage

The Slipstream Network, maintained by Astra, provides specialized buoy arrays that enhance signal clarity for corporate and military-grade systems:

• Priority Routing: Corporate comms and PDC transmissions gain bandwidth and booster clearance across all major routes.
• Latency Reduction: Messages sent between major stations and planetary hubs experience minimal drift delay.
• Civilian Limitations: Public channels and non-corporate users often experience throttling, loss of fidelity, or artificial delay during peak or volatile periods.

This has led to the term “drift shadowing”, where lower-tier users are functionally silenced during high-traffic events or Void convergence windows.

Burner Comms

To avoid CoreNet surveillance or operate without a registered Synaptic Anchor, some users rely on burner comms:

• Standalone handheld devices with wireless audio links
• Route signals through ghost-layer drift nodes, avoiding Vox registry and bypassing Anchor ID checks
• Typically short-range, unstable, and disposable—self-wiping or destructing after a short duration