Substrate

The Substrate does not process conventional materials. It operates at the boundary between normal space and the dimensional fractures that Voidborn technology routinely exploits, extracting what the Collective calls "null matter" — a substance that exists in a superposition of states until deliberately collapsed into useful form. The extraction process requires computational resources that would power a small station, hence the enormous CPU allocation. Other empires have attempted to replicate the process. Their attempts produce either nothing or explosions. The Collective attributes both outcomes to "insufficient philosophical preparation."