Swarm Wall

In order to ensure that the nanite cluster is fully powered at all times (and potentially to accomplish additional goals known only to itself) the cluster has formed Swarm Walls throughout the Fragmentation, each with some similar traits.

While much is unknown about the Swarm Wall, several things have been confidently asserted as fact by the older Androids who have watched the Cluster for some time now.

Traits
Each swarm wall is a spheroid with a "light side" and a "dark side" where the cluster is like a raging river- the wall is thin and moves rapid enough to shred anything that crosses it. The color pattern for each swarm wall is different, some being shades of red, blue, green, yellow, and so forth. Many swarm walls have been observed to contain as many as four colors spread across the spheroid.

Between the light and dark sides of the wall are areas where the nanites are thinned out and move at a slower speed, making that area navigable for vessels that are suitably prepared. The speeds and density of the nanites in these sections vary from region to region, but the intensity can be predicted based on the color in the area.


 * White or Yellow:
 * No distinct patterns in the nanites
 * Any vessel should be able to cross this swarm wall, but an exposed cockpit will likely result in death of the pilot
 * Green:
 * Also identifiable by triangular patterns in the nanites
 * More volatile than the blue walls, a vessel should lower and lock their solar sails before attempting to traverse this wall.
 * Blue, Violet, Red
 * Progressively more dangerous!
 * Blue is also identifiable by square patterns
 * Violet is also identifiable by pentagonal patterns
 * Red is also identifiable by hexagonal patterns

Very few of the old ones have reliable stories of crossing a red swarm wall!

If all androids on a ship perish within a swarm wall (but the ship survives), the nanite cluster will relocate the ship to a safe location near where it entered the wall.

Purpose
Based on knowledge retrieved from around the Fragmentation, the old ones are familiar with many of the common traits of a solar system.

It has been theorized that the nanite cluster gains its power from a star that is on the light side of the cluster, capturing nearly all of the powerful radiation and light coming from that direction.

It is not uncommon to observe rock fragments come through the dark side of the swarm wall, at varying speeds. The old ones suggest that the dark side of the cluster exists to shield the Fragmentation from space debris by breaking it up and slowing it down as it crosses the swarm wall.

The current theory regarding the colored sections of the swarm wall are varied, but the most common theory is this: The nanite cluster expends different levels of power to maintain each region of the fragment, and the nanites within each section draw their power from the dividing walls where the swarm moves more slowly. The amount of power being drawn by the nanites to perform maintenance and support tasks in each section will dictate the color of the swarm wall on at least one side of that region- both within it and outside of it.