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Omega Key
An Omega Key is a thin, triangular device massing approximately 100 grams and measuring 5 centimetres on a side and 5 millimetres thick. The key is normally a shade of lemon yellow.

Omega Keys are clarketech devices able to decode many forms of encrypted communications and penetrate many forms of data security. The exact mechanism used by the Omega Key is not known, but it works surprisingly well.

Only five Omega Keys are known to have been created and placed under the control of lower toposophic minds. During the Paradigm Containment effort two Omega Keys were made available to the defending forces, while the war with the Amalgamation saw the creation of three such keys. In all five instances the keys self-destructed at the conclusion of hostilities.

There are numerous legends and myths surrounding the Omega Keys, including the idea that under the control of an archailect they can penetrate even subquantum data defenses and that additional keys have been created and are 'Out There Somewhere' just waiting to be found. Certainly a functioning Omega Key would be a thing of virtually incalculable value and its owner guaranteed to become either immensely wealthy or immensely dead.

Some other rumors regarding omega keys

A particularly efficient autowar in the outer NoCoZo volumes known as 'Federov' apparently has access to an omega key, due to its highly efficient target selection of non-Quantum-encryption-using vessels. It appears to have an approximately 88% success rate against such vessels within a parsec of itself, regardless of relative velocity vectors.
(Data cryptoright Federated Assurance Dealers, BuyBuyBuy, NoCoZo)

The former Cybexpa datarogue "Greeeep" may have access to an omega key. This is according to the Negentropic Justicar G-15-Xr5t (A S=1.55 entity) tasked with tracking this entropic perpetrator down, based on rate of sensitive datapacket loss.
 
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Development Notes
Text by Todd Drashner and John B
Initially published on 23 January 2003.

 
 
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