Surveillance Matrix

[Hansen]

OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION

• Intent: Create the fundamental surveillance matrix fluff behind the Norr Ryk's surveillance state, for continued world-building. I really want to ingrain in the Norr's culture and society that because of their hostile planet, they have a brutal past and authoritarian present. The concept is epitomised by the phrases "If you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to fear." and "freedom for security." It want it to be unsettling with its' cold Imperial precision to anyone who cherishes liberty and civil rights within the setting and out-of-character.
• Image Source: Source.
• Canon Link: N/A.
• Permissions: N/A.
• Primary Source: Droid Brain, facial recognition camera, holonet, laser cannon, listening device, satellite, radionics, spycam, spy ray, traffic-monitoring scanner,

PRODUCTION INFORMATION

• Manufacturer: State Defence Industries.
• Affiliation: Grutter Norr Ryk.
• Market Status: Closed-Market.
• Model: Version 4.3
• Modularity: Yes.
• Production: Mass-Produced.
• Material:
  • Copper
  • Durasteel
  • Fibre-Optic

SPECIAL FEATURES

• Droid monitoring: Droid intelligence constructs are used at every level of the Matrix to analyse the sheer volume of information from various surveillance devices. When there are new and emerging methods to evade detection on the Matrix, it usually requires some awareness from the Ryk's government of the methodology before the Droid intelligence can be updated to identify the behaviour as malicious or seditious.
• Distress Calls: A critical public safety feature of the Matrix is the capability for the location of an emergency distress call and the caller to be accurately identified, whether atmospheric or exo-atmospheric, to be rapidly determined. In a public place, spy cameras and listening devices focus on the source of the distress call. Enhancing evidence collection, capturing audio and video evidence in real-time for first responders and subsequent criminal or coronial investigations.
• Biometric Monitoring System: Persons can connect their compatible biometric monitoring system or "Beems", as it is known in Galactic Basic, to the surveillance matrix, which allows the Droid Intelligence to monitor the health and wellbeing of the population and automatically contact paramedics when their physiology is in great distress.
• Geosynchronous Satellites: The Surveillance Matrix's backbone is Geosynchronous satellites; one is generally placed in orbit around a planetary body, and each of its constituent satellites, creating the spoke points in the web of surveillance and automated data-sharing. These satellites provide civil holonet and radionic communications across the world. They hover above and between the celestial bodies that comprise a system or sector. The Satellites have listening devices, traffic-monitoring scanners and potent cameras. These Satellites are unmanned and protected by automated, stationary turret sentries.
• Listening devices: Sophisticated covert listening devices are installed throughout public spaces in the Grutter Norr Ryk; typically, these listening devices can precisely record sound, wireless holonet or radionic communications about five-hundred feet away from the listening device. They're equipped with noise-cancelling technology to mitigate interference from noise not in the focus point's "line of sight". They are used within the Ryk under the legislative framework that: They may be used without a warrant and without consent specifically on: any holonet or radionic communication that utilises state infrastructure, in a public place or any other place where the surveilled person cannot reasonably expect privacy.
• Spycam: Closed-Circuit Surveillance Cameras, overt and covert, are pervasive throughout the Matrix in the public space; they are used in several roles and areas, such as Building site security, point-to-point traffic enforcement, public order control and public safety. The cameras are typically equipped with microphones for audio surveillance and high-resolution clear-channel and accurate infrared video recording; they also feature light amplification and magnification up to eighty times. They are connected with a government database containing copies of photographs taken for passports and holo-photo identification.
• Traffic-monitoring scanner: Within Norr Ryk space, all vehicles, aircraft and spacecraft, unless on privately owned land, must be registered to either an individual or organisation. Traffic-monitoring scanners and cameras are throughout Ryk's public infrastructure, particularly in significant or dense population centres and critical infrastructure. These scanners identify vehicles from their registration code transponder and log: Date, Time and coordinates of the identification. Ryk Law Enforcement can utilise these scanners to track the movement of suspicious vehicles or vehicles associated with suspects. Traffic-monitoring scanners are often used with the 'Spycams' to identify if vehicles match their registered description.

STRENGTHS

• Intrusion detection: When an attempt at breaking the network encryption on a Geosynchronous Satellite Array is made, or contact with one array is lost, the other connected arrays automatically raise the alarm transmitted through hyperspace identifying the local node site breached or lost. The only conceivable way to avoid this would be to take offline all of the connective Satellite arrays simultaneously.
• Justice is swift: The Droid Intelligence is capable of issuing fines and citations automatically and filing police reports and nominating people suspected of committing offences, and automatically uploading evidence collected across the Matrix. The Surveillance Matrix's droid intelligence can pre-prepare arrest and search warrant applications for Law Enforcement organizations by compiling narratives of a suspect's offending.

WEAKNESSES

• Deep space: The Matrix's effectiveness in detecting criminal offences is limited to the range of its constituent parts, such as Spy cameras, traffic-monitoring scanners and listening devices. Unfortunately, this means that the Matrix does not monitor deep space, particularly between the orbits of planets within a system or sub-sector.
• Droid Intelligence: An automated matrix network of this size requires high-level automatic monitoring. The Droid Brains are not programmed to 'Write', only 'Read' their instructions and programming; it isn't an actual learning machine and performs the assigned tasks. It can identify criminal, malicious or seditious behaviour from its programming. With this in mind, it can result in a delay in the Matrix placing unconventional or unorthodox methodologies, such as people using unusual or difficult-to-translate euphemisms near a listening device, which the Droid Intelligence may mistranslate for better or worse.
• Central 'Spokes': The Geosynchronous Satellite Arrays that form interplanetary, intersystem and inter-sector communication spokes can be interfered with through a variety of means, firstly: They are typically protected by about six automated stationary turrets, each equipped with four anti-starfighter twin-linked repeating laser cannons in dual mounts with a maximum range of about 1.5 kilometres. The sentries' droid brains are typically only sensitive or 'smart' enough to engage unidentified or unfriendly contacts that are starfighter-sized or larger; a lone spacer approaching them in EVA will typically go undetected. The Satellite Arrays can be boarded and their connection severed until restored by a technician either remotely or on-site.
• Listening devices: Even though they're equipped with noise-cancelling technology, it's imperfect. Audio quality is inversely proportional to the distance from the listening device; that is to say, the further away the source, the worse the quality becomes. Additionally, some of the listening devices are wirelessly connected to the surveillance matrix and can therefore have their data transmissions jammed and obfuscated without necessarily generating an intrusion detection alarm.

DESCRIPTION
The "Surveillance Matrix" is a Ryk surveillance and biometric monitoring system commissioned initially in 502 ABY by the Norr Workers Union. A plethora of security hardware, droid intelligence and communications equipment are working together to enhance the Government's ability to fulfil the following vital missions: Protect life and property, uphold the rule of law and maintain order. Leveraging modern faster-than-light communication, the Surveillance Matrix permits the Government to identify threats to public safety, traffic & criminal offences in real-time. And, of course, the less talked about benefit: Surveilling dissidents and opponents of the current power base and what passes for justice. Some consider the "Surveillance Matrix" system to be a violation of sentient civil and political rights with its' warrantless and broad surveillance. But there is undoubtedly a significant benefit for public safety in those persons equipped with a Biomedical Monitoring System and suffering a catastrophic health illness or injury will sometimes be identified before the patient experiences symptoms. Additionally, it is excellent in its' evidence-capturing role.