Noise Wave

''The Hunter-VG is reacting! "NOISE WAVE DETECTED. ...ACCESSED! Strange Noise Detected! WARNING! Abnormal A Button Behavior! DO NOT PRESS!"''

The term "Noise Wave" refers to any of a multitude of unique locations in MegaMan Starforce 3 that have spawned as a result of large amounts of Noise. Individual Noise Waves vary in terms of function and parameters; some exhibit the characteristics of a pocket universe, while others act as wormholes. Noise Waves are typically dark, ominous locations, housing a multitude of powerful virii and strange beings known as Noisms, the Noise-based answer to the normal EM Hertz. Dormant Noise Waves are absolutely invisible to the naked eye, human or digital, and indeed only mildly sensible to EM Beings and technology (often there will be a clue, mainly the Hunter-VG screen experiencing slight distortion). Upon being activated, the Noise Wave entrance blossoms into a dark, pixelating hole through which only EM Beings can enter. When a Noise Wave gate has been activated, it does not revert to total invisibility as before after its use, but a much smaller black shape that is only visible to EM sight, such as exhibited by the Visualizer. The Hunter-VG terminal comes equipped specifically with the function to indicate and unlock Noise Waves, though they may open accidentally in the presence of other EM beings, such as Hertzes.

Once inside the Noise Wave it is typically impossible to escape through the conventional means of Transing Out, which necessitates a search for the exit - those who enter into a Noise Wave are often deposited randomly within the confines of the area, at an unknown distance from the gate. Upon exiting a Noise Wave, foreign inhabitants seem to be relatively unharmed, although MegaMan, the only EM Wave Changed Being known to regularly enter Noise Waves, usually experiences a forced de-Wave Change when exiting to the Real World. Noise Waves are also curious in that, by and large, they are accessible only through the Real World, as distinct from natural Cyber Cores accessed from the EM Wave World. As such, it seems that Noise Waves exist on a different (possibly subjacent) plane of reality than the Real or EM World.

 Spoiler warning: Details of plots, secrets and/or endings may follow.

There exist four known types of Noise Wave. (NOTE: These classifications are unofficial and used solely for distinction purposes.)


 * Network: The primary Noise Wave type is used almost exclusively by Dealer as a method of transporting its members, goods, and viruses to various locations throughout the world. This type is unique in that Mega Man has exhibited the ability to Pulse Out of this form of Noise Wave. Also, this form of Noise Wave is much more vast, twisted, and asymmetrical than its lesser cousins, though it provides a great deal of convenience, due to its wormhole-like capabilities. This particular form of Noise Wave exists in the form of a large networked space, much like the Wave Road, and proves to be a superior form of travel, requiring a much shorter distance to travel between locations. One feature of this breed of Noise Wave is that, while the initial Noise Wave leads from Echo Ridge to WBG studios, later Noise Waves may be networked back to Noise Wave 1 - indeed, the only Noise Wave of this class that is entirely self-contained is Noise Wave 3, which is the outer layer of Noise enshrouding Meteor G. This vast network of Noise connects Echo Ridge, WBG Studios, Alohaha, National WAZA Headquarters, Dealer's Secret Shelter, and the Deep Space Wave Road. These are each marked "Noise Wave 1, 2, 3," etc, and are distinguished from the outside by the purple lining of their gates.
 * Core: The far more common form of Noise Wave, this seems to be a Noise-based variant of the EM Space or Cyber Core. These small, limited Noise Waves occur sporadically across the globe, and spawn in new locations with the increased levels of Noise - for example, Omega-Xis may notice a Noise spike when examining a specific object, though the Hunter-VG will not prove able to unlock the Noise Wave until more time has progressed, the Noise levels having consequentially grown larger. Some Noise Waves may spontaneously appear in their entirety with the increase of Noise, such as the Noise Wave that appears within the statue of Echo Ridge Elementary's principal. Curiously, this form of Noise Wave may prove to appear in one of two sub-types of its own. The first type seems to be a Noise-corrupted Cyber Core, such as the one that exists in Bud's doghouse, while the second type may appear in any random location, regardless of whether or not it has any technological base, such as the Noise that exists in Bud's bed. These Noises are labeled according to the object in which you find them, such as "Doghouse Noise" or "Cactus Noise", and are distinguished from the outside by the blue-green lining of their gates.
 * Jamming: When Dread Joker and Acid Ace met for the final time and almost destroyed each other, they were both uploaded into Meteor G, giving King almost direct access to a great deal of their powers, in particular Dread Joker's attack "Dread Laser". King used the Meteor G version of the attack to engulf both National WAZA Headquarters and WBG Studios in a great mass of Noise known as "Jamming", which appeared to the outside world as a massive, glowing, red wall. Fortunately, Omega-Xis and Geo Stelar had become resistant to Noise's effects and Omega-Xis proved able to smash open holes in the wall of Jamming. Inside the wall of Jamming exists a Noise Wave remarkably similar to the Core type, with some distinctions: these Noise Waves are housed within the Jamming itself (and thus disappear with the Jamming when it is dispersed), they house no collectible data, and, coincidentally, this is the only form of Noise Wave to have ever hosted non-EM Wave Changed human beings: Dr. Goodall, Lee Stern, and Belle, who were the only remaining people inside the WAZA Headquarters and WBG Studios when they were each hit by Jamming and caught in the resultant Noise Wave. These Noise Waves are marked, "Jamming 1, 2, 3," etc.
 * Rogue: These Noise Waves appeared when Jack Corvus commenced his raid on Echo Ridge Elementary in search of MegaMan. As the only two who could proceed in the presence of such great Noise, MegaMan and Rogue ended up scaling the school's Wave Road only to find their path blocked by what were described only as balls of Noise. These particular Noise Waves housed strange, grinning beasts made of Noise that could only be defeated by the two working in tandem. Rogue had encountered other of these beasts before, only having barely survived those struggles - he revealed that the noise emitted by the creatures explodes violently if left unchecked for too long. Upon the defeat of the creature, its particular Noise Wave disappears from around it - MegaMan and Rogue ended up battling against four such creatures as they summited the Wave Road. These Noise Waves are not given particular labels, as MegaMan and Rogue enter to destroy them rather than to explore.

The first two Noise Wave types are static - according to Omega-Xis (who cites a TV Show he once saw), once they have been opened, they will never again shut. The second two, by comparison, are situational - once MegaMan concludes his business within them, they eventually cease to exist.

Trivia

 * After MegaMan encounters the (Network) Noise Wave that spawns at National WAZA Headquarters following Meteor G's destruction, he eventually meets Spade Magnes "R", who is surprised to discover that he was proven wrong in his assumptions about the planet Earth - MegaMan, instead of being as "dainty" as Magnes first figured, proves to be strong enough to use the Noise Wave, in turn inspiring the revelation that the Noise Wave phenomenon isn't merely localized to Earth.
 * The Jamming-based Noise Waves have no relation to the Jammers (Jaminga) from the first Star Forece game.
 * No known side-effects are known to have occurred to the humans who had once been captured by the Jamming, but each was given a medical examination to ensure their safety.