Device: Magnetic Assembly Containerized System 4
Type: Interplanetary Scale Laser Communication System
Operators: The Magnetic Assembly
Manufacturer: The Magnetic Assembly
Introduced: 2322

Length: 10 meters
Height: 2.5 meters
Width: 2 meters

After the New Years Revolution and the disconnect from the American Union, the Magnetic Assembly needed to fully remove traces of the American Union from its supply chain. This was relatively easy, as the Hawking System had become increasingly self-reliant and housed some of the most capable production and design facilities in the Human Sphere. The MACS-5 comes from that removal process, and is basically the same hardware as the older interplanetary communications systems with some slight updates to bring it in line with what the Assembly needed.

The container itself houses similar power management and focusing systems as the Assembly's containerized laser system, however it uses a retractable laser-turret instead of a fixed-facing optic. Power and cooling connections on one side of the container allow it to hook into a ship's internal systems.

The Interplanetary Communications System houses a reasonably powerful laser designed to allow for communication between ships at extreme distances. The large optic can be used to both send a laser signal, or to receive one.

Normally short-range communications are sufficient for interplanetary-networking, so the interplanetary scale communications is typically used onboard exploratory ships like The Edward Deming, allowing the ship to enter an unexplored star system and maintain communications links with probes it deploys throughout the system without needing to establish extensive communications infrastructure. The powerful laser also tends to pull double-duty, allowing a retro-reflector on the target probe to be 'wiggled', reusing the communication beam by bouncing it back to send a return signal.