Tech And Slang
A Dictionary
Autopads
Fabric built from polyglycolic acid chains which can be backed with plastic. These medical tools are imbedded with a nutrient base and a culture of live human and pig mast cells and epithelial cells, along with styptic chemicals, sealing wounds and beginning the healing of the skin over injuries. These are very effective on abrasions and burns, less effective on deeper injuries unless specialized pads with muscle cells and nano-bots imbedded are used. (these are more difficult to obtain) Trauma-grade autopads can seal a severed limb and begin the healing. Low-quality autopads can be as little use as a bandaid.
Drones
A drone, in technological terms, is an unmanned aircraft. To achieve flight, drones consist of a power source, such as battery or fuel, rotors, propellers and a frame. The frame of a drone is typically made of lightweight, composite materials, to reduce weight and increase maneuverability during flight. Drones are more formally known as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) or unmanned aircraft systems (UASes). Essentially, a drone is a flying robot that can be remotely controlled or fly autonomously through software-controlled flight plans in their embedded systems, working in conjunction with onboard sensors and GPS. In the recent past, UAVs were most often associated with the former United States military, where they were used initially for anti-aircraft target practice, intelligence gathering and as weapons platforms. Drones are now also used in a wide range of corporate roles ranging from search and rescue to search and destroy duties, surveillance, traffic monitoring, weather monitoring and firefighting, to personal drones and business drone-based photography, as well as videography, agriculture and even delivery services. A blanket of search-and-destroy drones covers unaffiliated land and patrols all borders. Always assume a drone can see you.
Holo Tech
Holographic generators are used in every part of life, creating flexible, space saving and movable screens for devices. Wearable models are available, but they have only a 3 hour lifespan without a continuous power source and are quite fragile. They *can* be implanted in order to use the heart’s motion as a battery, but this is a risky procedure.
Nanoid tech
Nanites are defined as machines or robots whose components are at or near the scale of a nanometer (10−9 meters). Programmable nanites are being used for everything, ranging from medical to industrial purposes, both legal and illegal. Material made up of nanites can be programmed to vary its composition, changing appearance and weight as needed. This creates, in effect, self-repairing materials.
In medicine, nanoids are integral for diagnostics and tissue repair. An example is a sensor having a switch approximately 1.5 nanometers across, able to count specific molecules in a chemical sample. Short-term nanites are usually imbedded in surgical dressings, programmed to repair the body at the cellular level. The first useful applications of nanomachines was in nanomedicine. In the 2090s, biological machines were used to identify and destroy cancer cells.
Today, there are thousands of types of nanoids and nanites.
Phage Nanoids
Nanoids programmed to seek out all DNA-containing material that is not attached to a heat source and break it down at the molecular level. Useful for hiding one’s genetic traces.
Pre-Fab
Pre-printed panels and fittings, made from recycled plastics, are easily and cheaply set up to create low-cost and fairly durable dwellings. The main issue is making sure not to patch one type of plastic with another; modern agar-based plastics do not bond to petroleum-based plastics. Coloring agents are available, but most pre-fab is grey.
Slick Tech
A poly weave embedded with micro heat sinks and low level EM disruptors that serve to hide the signatures of warm bodies and running machinery. They are made of graphene strands and fiber optics, all coated in heat-deflecting samarium nickel oxide. A camouflage effect is given on the visual spectrum by fiber optics in the weave attached to low-grade AI programs that ‘look at’ surroundings, but the effect is spotty: the tarp flickers as it reloads and has a tendency to break down. When disconnected from a power source, they appear as grey or camouflage-patterned.
Slick suits have similar problems; a watcher can still see ‘something’ moving. Never entrust your safety completely to the tech.
Stay-Wakes
Emergency supplements blending modafinil, dopamine precursors, adrenaline and serotonin precursors. These supplements are useful ON A SHORT TERM BASIS to allow prolonged concentration. 8 day limit on dosages. BRAIN DAMAGE IS LIKELY AFTER AN OVERDOSE!!!
Synth
An invention of Base 1407, Synthetic Epithelium is a form of synthetic printed skin that is printed using the usual bio-inks, without any melanin or coloring agents. Any genome can be imbedded in these cells. The synth is used to cover the hands of operatives, hiding their own genomes when doing undercover work. It has a six-hour lifespan under moderate temperatures. After that, the cells will die and slough away. Contact with alcohol kills synth. Do not pour a drink on your hands when wearing synth.
Tabs
Personal devices equipped for social media, communication, art, navigation, programming and a wide variety of other purposes. These are the descendants of the 21st century handheld computers erroneously called Smartphones. When activated, the screen can be projected as a hologram, allowing the user to utilize the device as a keyboard.
Slang
Alpha
This has become common terminology for baseline-DNA human genetic profiles. Problematically, humans modified for good looks and health are often still called ‘alphas’, since people perceive them as ‘normal’. Instead, interrogate the issue of seeing Gammas as ‘other’.
Beta
A gene-mod ‘superhuman’. They need 40% less food than normal humans and drink 50% less water. Most need only 4 hours of sleep. The technology originated in China and is common throughout Asia and the African continent, where having children that consume less was believed to be a great benefit in the previous century It was applied badly in America, and Gammas are the result.
Children of Lilith
A pejorative used by American AgCo members against all forms of human genetic engineering. Refers to Lilith, Mother of Demons, in Judeo-Christian thought.
‘Buds
Ear buds; headphones.
Corps
A common term for the corporations that operate America.
Corporate Callout
A poem young Dusters learn as a way to remember the names and workings of all seven Corporations.
“NatBank buys us and ZonCom sells.
ArgusCo tells us where we dwell.
TechCo owns what we read and play.
AgCo decides what we eat today.
EagleCorp tells us to obey.
Cavanaugh drugs us to make us well.
But one day we’ll ring the Liberty Bell.
And then all the Corps will go to Hell.”
Duster
We are labeled by the establishment as terrorist, called Dusters because we eke a living out of the dusty wastes between city Grids. Our actual name is the Democratic State Force. We the force that will return representative democracy to the country at the end of this war. In the Dust, we are pioneering technologies that will make the Grid much more sustainable when we take it over.
Fringer
An unaffiliated exile from society who makes their living in the Dust. Often these people are ‘antisocials’ which can be anything from insane, to criminal, to morally offended by the Grid lifestyle. Be cautious.
Gamma
The child of a Beta; they have many of the Beta traits, but genetic errors cause many of phenotypic mutations, a number of these being psychological. Be cautious. Secondary usage: a broken, damaged or mistaken thing or issue. A foolish thing or idea.
Grid
A common term for the mega-cities and the sprawl around them.
Gridbuzzed
The emotional and physical overstimulation caused by constant high levels of noise and overwhelming sensory input that happens in the center of the big cities. Plan for time and care to recover from Gridbuzz after missions.
Spawn
I.E. Spawn of Lilith. See Children of Lilith.
This/that Noise
A common term for anything said that is harmful or without value. ‘Shut that noise down’ could be more properly phrased as ‘that idea is ridiculous/not smart/unpleasant’. Often used to encompass an entire unpleasant situation, as in the phrase ‘fuck this noise!’
Vids
Short for Videos, entertainment shot for holo-screens. Can be 3-D immersive or traditional.
Viper Drone
A search-and-destroy drone, equipped with very accurate sensory arrays, incendiary heat seeking missiles and ballistic artillery. These drones are programmed to destroy all personnel outside the areas described as acceptable for human presence by the Corporations. Always watch drone patterns and follow your officers’ commands during drone fly-overs; failure in this area is fatal.