Severance

Severance is the process of splitting an entity's physical neural matrix (resident in a manifold) from its connected substratic network. Usually, the two are joined via delegation links, and changes, including damage, inflicted on the physical neural matrix also reflect on the substratic network. Severance is the process of breaking these delegation links. The process does not happen naturally, and is only achievable by decreasing the manifold vacuum level of the threshold enough that the links are broken, usually via severe manifold distortion. Substratic technology or psionic entities may be able to tear the link apart at a higher level. As by nature substratic networks self-emerge from sufficiently complex systems, the process of severance immediately creates a new consciousness which is linked to the original neural matrix, unless it is prevented from doing so by a sustained distortion field. An unlinked neural matrix will cease to function, rapidly degrading into entropy.

As mentioned, most conscious entities are manifold-authoritative, that is, the neural matrix is authoritative over the substratic network. Some powerful psionic entities, including Exon, are substrate-authoritative, meaning the substratic network controls and rewrites the physical neural matrix. Unlike manifold-authoritative, which is "writeback", meaning any damage inflicted in the Substrate also damages the neural matrix, damage to the physical neural matrix of substrate-authoritative entities does not affect the substratic network. Substrate-authoritative entities manifest a physical neural matrix that is in a "read-only" configuration and does not expose any of the underlying network layers, just the outputs.