- For the RWBY: World of Remnant episode of the same name, see Cross Continental Transmit System (WoR episode).
The CCT enabling communication between the four Kingdoms: Vale (center), Vacuo (west), Atlas (north), and Mistral (east)
The Cross Continental Transmit System (CCTS or simply CCT) is a communication technology in Remnant which allows instantaneous multimedia communication wirelessly over large distances. Ozpin calls it the most influential technological innovation of all.
Background
Before the CCTS, long-distance communication relied on physical delivery, which was at risk from Grimm
Before the creation of the CCTS, radio technology was used for short-range communications within the boundaries of the Kingdoms. Communication between separate Kingdoms was difficult due to the constant threat of the Grimm, as messages had to be delivered through physical means, such as railroad couriers.
Numerous attempts to create a worldwide communication system were made. The creation of a network of space-based relay satellites was one such endeavor, but this effort ultimately failed, as it was found that Dust starts losing power as it begins to leave Remnant's atmosphere.
The Cross Continental Transmit System was first developed by the Kingdom of Atlas and gifted to the rest of the world after the Great War to allow the Kingdoms to remain in communication. The CCTS functions wirelessly, much like radio, but is capable of transmitting a far wider variety of media, including text, visuals and audio. This evolved into an online web of information at mankind's fingertips.
The exterior of the CCT tower in Vale
Devices which use the CCTS to communicate with distant locations in other Kingdoms exist in certain homes, public libraries and CCT centers. The CCT center at Beacon has dozens of computer terminals and uses holographic AI assistants to attend to its visitors.
Smaller devices, such as handheld Scrolls, are able to use the CCT to communicate instantaneously within Kingdoms, but signals become less reliable the farther a user is from a CCT tower. Smaller support towers are located outside of the main cities of the Kingdoms, such as the one in Argus, but they are often at risk from marauding Grimm.
Description
The CCTS is reliant on four primary relay towers, with one located in each of the four Kingdoms. The first and largest of these towers is located in Atlas. Should any one of them be taken offline for maintenance – or fail for other reasons – the entire system also goes offline.
Atlas Tower
Atlas was the Kingdom that developed the CCTS and constructed the first CCTS tower. Weiss mentions that it's the largest.
Beacon Tower
Beacon Tower at night
The CCT Tower in Vale is the base section of Beacon Tower, the most prominent part of Beacon academy that also doubled as Ozpin's office. The building itself is an enormous cylindrical building supported by four flying buttresses and serviced via an elevator system.[1] The top was surmounted by a number of green spheres or lights (possibly the beacon after which the academy was named), as well as an intricate clockwork mechanism consisting of many interlocking cogs and gears.
During the Fall of Beacon the Wyvern destroyed the top of the tower and got petrified holding on to Ozpin's office.
Haven Academy
Mistral CCT Tower
Haven Academy features two identical CCT Towers on its campus. They are shorter and stockier than the Vale tower. They have a wide base with two levels with the same architecture as the rest of Haven Academy. Four red flying buttresses support the tower. The top features a transmitter and has an observation platform.
Argus
Argus Support Tower
Argus is the northernmost city on Anima and a major port city, especially between Atlas and Mistral. Above the city, on a cliff, is a CCT relay tower.
The tower itself is an open metallic building with several platforms surrounding a central core.
Vacuo
A support CCTS Tower is situated in the settlement of Feldspar in Vacuo. Additionally, the settlement of Gossan had a CCTS Tower, but it was destroyed when the Grimm invaded the settlement.
History
Weiss and Ruby visit the CCT tower
In "A Minor Hiccup", as the first part of Team RWBY's investigation, Weiss and Ruby Rose visit the Vale CCT at the base of Beacon Tower in order to gather data from the Schnee Dust Company records. Ruby expresses an admiration for the tower's immense size and architecture, stating how it's "just so cool".
This tower returns in "Dance Dance Infiltration", this time as the target of an infiltration by Cinder Fall. After incapacitating multiple Atlas Soldiers, she proceeds to the CCT hub room, where she introduces a computer virus represented by a black queen chess piece. The virus proceeds to infect any devices connected to the Beacon network, including the Vytal Festival Tournament's match-up randomizer and James Ironwood's Scroll.
Battle of Beacon
Later, after Pyrrha Nikos is seen killing Penny Polendina during the Vytal Festival Tournament, Cinder hijacks the CCTS in order to broadcast her speech to the world, calling for people to question the leadership of the academy Headmasters and the military. Cinder later uses the CCTS to relay images of rogue Atlesian androids (also infected by her computer virus) slaughtering innocent civilians.
The tower falls
During the ensuing Grimm and White Fang invasion of Vale, the CCT tower is destroyed by Cinder and an enormous Wyvern, which perches on the side of the tower. With the CCTS down, communication with the outside world is rendered impossible. As the entire system is dependent on all four towers being active, the failure of the Vale tower presumably also cut off communication between the other Kingdoms as well. The last images sent from Vale before the failure of the CCT are of Atlesian androids attacking innocents, causing mounting distrust to build up between the Kingdoms.
The Fallout
Several months following the destruction of the Vale CCT tower, the miscommunication problems associated with CCTS being offline remain at an all-time high. Global distrust towards Atlas is apparent but the extent of it is difficult to confirm, nor has it even been confirmed that the other kingdoms officially declared war in retribution for Vale. The village of Shion was revealed to have been attacked by a bandit tribe, and the panic created from the attack drew the Grimm, annihilating the village. Due to the CCTS being down, the villagers were unable to call for help, and the outside world was completely unaware of the massacre until Team RNJR arrived at the village, but even they had no expectation of finding Shion destroyed.
Amity Communications Tower
Amity Communications Tower is a planned communications satellite that James Ironwood intends to launch that will reconnect Remnant's communication system. It will be a tall, cylindrical tower that tapers toward the top, with support cables connected to the bottom section. The tower itself will be attached to the top of Amity Colosseum.
Trivia
- The holographic CCT assistant was voiced by Megan Castro, who works in sales at Rooster Teeth.
- All the towers seen so far have different shapes and heights to match the designs of the cities they are in.
References
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