The Collective - Operations Centre Key System

[The Collective]

Collective Operations Centre Key System

Unlike the Sentinels, the swarms are lacking when it comes to free will. They operate like extremely advanced computers following a very specific set of instructions. They are the eyes and ears for the Core intelligence of Gammu and are an integral part of the Collective's plans.

Due to how data is handled, each Swarmer is networked to those of the same hub and share intelligence and data freely. They cannot send this data home and they are limited to how much they can carry. Much of their storage for information is spent on background routines that affect how it calculates survival and bolsters it's own chances at doing just that. For this reason, above all else, they are programmed to return to Gammu at all costs, but only once they've acquired adequate amounts of data.

It is up to the individual swarms to define what is sufficient. Their core runtimes focus on three locations in particular, and data surrounding them. These are "The Expanse", "The Frontier", and The Ravine. The Swarms are extremely protective of the former and the latter, significantly more so than anywhere else.

Once a Swarm has done its duty, all the drones that make it up return as one. Information is never lost provided there is one active Swarmer. Once they've returned to Gammu, the Core Intelligence downloads the data, and sends the swarm to repair, recharge, and recuperate.