The Codex is the Collective's store of knowledge. Every planet, asteroid, nebula, and whatever else the Collective discovers, is archived within the vast catalogue of information that is the Codex. Any knowledge gathered from the Swarms or Sentinels is automatically uploaded to it, allowing the Core to sift through the vast quantities of information stored. Every AI construct has a interlinked connection to the Core back on Gammu, allowing for a constant, uninterrupted, stream of data.
Should a Swarm unit, specifically, be destroyed in the field, it's data will be lost, unless it is within close proximity to a Collective network node. Every Swarm unit is equipped with an emergency self-destruction feature to prevent theft of technology or data. If a unit reaches a preset critical damage value it combusts and therefore makes all technology aboard the vessel including the ship itself unusable. If a Collective node is in close proximity however chunks- or even the whole data stored on the destroyed vessel can be transferred before combustion.
While all Swarms have a purpose to gather knowledge and scout for potential resource sites, there are a few specific Swarms that are sent with key instructions to locations of interest for the express purpose of building the Codex. These Seekers have a greater level of sentience than their fellow Swarmers, but are still ultimately more akin to virtual intelligences than their Sentinel brethren.
