Transponders
Transponders
Every legal ship broadcasts its identity. Every movement is tracked. For Robert Fannec and the resistance, transponders are both essential cover and constant threat.
Overview
Transponders are mandatory identification systems that broadcast a ship’s identity, registration, destination, and cargo manifest to traffic control systems. They’re the foundation of legitimate space travel—and the bane of anyone trying to move undetected.
Without a valid transponder, a ship can’t dock at regulated ports, can’t use standard shipping lanes, and becomes an immediate target for SLPS intercept.
How They Work
Continuous Broadcast
Transponders transmit identification data on standard frequencies. Traffic control systems across the Confederation receive and log this data, creating a comprehensive record of ship movements.
Registry Integration
Each transponder links to Confederation ship registry databases. Name, owner, port of origin, cargo capacity—everything is on file and cross-referenced.
Tracking
The network of relay stations and traffic control centers means that ship movements are logged throughout civilized space. Someone’s always watching.
Circumvention
For those operating outside the law, transponder management is essential:
Black Market Transponders
Forged identities purchased from criminal networks. Quality varies—cheap transponders fail under scrutiny, good ones require significant investment.
Modified Systems
Technical modifications that allow switching between identities or temporarily disabling broadcast. Highly illegal, highly useful.
Going Dark
Operating without any transponder is possible in remote regions but suicidal near Confederation authority. SLPS treats unidentified vessels as hostile by default.
Spoofing
The Acus’Rube uses modified transponders that can broadcast different identities as needed. Ma’Tak’s engineering makes this possible; Ace’s hacking keeps the false identities viable.
Significance
Transponders represent Confederation control in miniature. The system works because most people want to be tracked—legal commerce depends on it. But for those who oppose the Parliament, the constant surveillance is a cage.
Every time Robert’s ship docks, he’s betting his life on forged documents and Ma’Tak’s modifications. Every journey is a calculated risk.
Connections
- The Acus’Rube - Modified transponder system
- Ma’Tak - Maintains the forgeries
- Ace - Hacks supporting databases
- SLPS - Enforces transponder requirements
- Black market - Source for false identities
Transponder technology and its circumvention features throughout the Fannec Records series.