Written By Jamais Cascio

Illustrated by Jesse DeGraff, Justin De Witt, Matt Kresge, Christopher Shy, and Brian Tarsis

Edited by Kimara Bernard

Cover by Aaron Campbell
GURPS System Design ■ Steve Jackson
Managing Editor ■ Andrew Hackard
GURPS Line Editor ■ Sean Punch
Transhuman Space Line Editor ■ David Pulver
Production Manager ■ Monique Chapman
Production Artist ■ Justin De Witt
Print Buyer ■ Monica Stephens
GURPS Errata Coordinator ■ Andy Vetromile
Sales Manager ■ Ross Jepson
Lead Playtester: John Freiler
Playtesters: Howard and Vanessa Berkey, Frederick Brackin,
Nelson Cunnington, Ron Hayden, Anthony Jackson,
Simon and Alison King, MA Lloyd, Phil Masters, Bowden Palmer,
Kenneth Peters, Robert Prior, Jeff Raglin, T. Carter Ross,
Curtis Shenton, Norman Thallheimer, and the other entities of
the Pyramid playtest board.
Thanks to: The Brain Trust: Alex, Mike and Xof. Special thanks to
Janice for giving me the time.
GURPS, Warehouse 23, and the all-seeing pyramid are registered trademarks of Steve Jackson Games Incorporated. Transhuman Space,
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ISBN 1-55634-650-6 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

STEVE JACKSON GAMES

 CONTENTS Life in the Islamic Caliphate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30
INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 The Politics and Structure of the Caliphate . . . . . . .31
ABOUT Transhuman Space . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 Useful Terms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
About the Author . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 The Five Pillars of Wisdom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
About GURPS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 The Salamatin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Technology and the Caliphate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34
1. OVERVIEW: MOVING FASTER Aylisha . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
AND STILL FALLING BEHIND . . . . . . . . . . .6 The Caliphate and the Rest of the World . . . . . . . .36
The Sikkiyn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Broken Dreams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 Parvez Kholani . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
THE STATE OF THE WORLD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 Global Memes and the Caliphate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
The Global System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 Characters in the Caliphate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39
Weltspiel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 THE TRANSPACIFIC SOCIALIST ALLIANCE . . . . . . . . . . . .40
LIVING ON THE TRAILING EDGE OF THE FUTURE . . . . . .11 Structure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41
Transition and Transformation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 Infosocialism versus Nanosocialism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Top Five Most Popular Weltspiel Sites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Key Directorates in the TSA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Advantages of Backwardness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13 Operational Directorates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44
MEMETIC RELATIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 Technology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44
Popular Culture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 TSA Member National Politics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Memetic Warfare . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16 Tia Chong . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Popular Global Media . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Factions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49
Religion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17 Guardians and Helots . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Ideologies and Memes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18 Relations with the Outside World . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50
Voudoun . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Tommy Guerro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
POLITICS, ECONOMICS, AND POWER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20
Globalization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20 3. PRESENT SHOCK: AREAS IN TRANSITION . .53
Lithuanian Transparency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
FAST, CHEAP, AND OUT OF CONTROL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54
Distribution of Technology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21
Number One Songs from Around the World . . . . . . . . . . 54
Bombjacking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Life in a Perpetual Beta Test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54
Crime and Punishment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22
Social Transition Stress Disorder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Campaigns in Broken Dreams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Popular Antistress Drugs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Interfering Waves . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56
2. OPTING OUT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25 Panopticon Societies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
LEAVING THE SYSTEM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26 To Have and Have Not . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58
Isolates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26 Examples of Content-Rights Management . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Isolate Communities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27 Content Rights and the WTO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60
Sabbaticals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Technology Imports and Exports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60
Isolate Nations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28 Knock-Off and Gray Market Companies . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
THE ISLAMIC CALIPHATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29 Penalties for Piracy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
RELATIONS WITH THE
FIFTH WAVE WORLD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63
Business . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63
Memetic Sweatshops . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Law Enforcement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65
Politics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .67
Backwards Areas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .67
Five Most Popular World Leaders . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
RESISTANCE TO CHANGE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .69
Forms of Resistance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .69
Recent Boycotts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Typical Military Forces
in Transition Areas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70

2
 CONTENTS

4. THE STATE OF NATURE: 6. CHARACTERS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .115

CONFLICT AND CRISIS . . . . . . . . . . . . . .71 CHARACTER TYPES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .116
THE ENVIRONMENT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .72 Inappropriate Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .116
Heavy Weather . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72 Activists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .116
Climate Change . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73 Archaeotechnologist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .116
Stormchasers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73 Artist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .116
Earthquakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73 Criminal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .116
The Big One . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74 Entrepreneur . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .117
Diseases . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .74 Intelligence Agent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .117
Environmental Cleanup and Military Personnel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .118
Anti-Ecoweapon Corporations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76 Missionary/Chaplain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .118
Ecotage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .76 Stormchaser . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .119
Areoforming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77 Tech Broker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .119
Industrial Pollution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .77 RACIAL AND MODEL TEMPLATES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .119
Coping with Eco-Crisis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .78 Parahuman and Ideal Type Templates . . . . . . . . . .120
KLEPTOCRACIES, GANGS, AND WARLORDS . . . . . . . . . . .78 Bioroid Templates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .121
Kleptocratic Regimes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .79 Cybershell Templates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .122
Active Criminal Organizations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80 ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .125
Organized Crime . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .80 STSD Effects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
Factions and Warlords . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .81 SKILLS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .125
REVOLUTIONS AND WAR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .82 New Skills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .125
Uprisings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .82
Coups and Civil Wars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .83 7. TECHNOLOGY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .126
Interstate Wars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .84 OLD AND NEW TECHNOLOGIES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .127
Five Deadliest Current Civil Wars . . . . . . . . . . . 84 Obsolete Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .127
International Terror Movements . . . . . . . .85 Planned Obsolescence and Mandatory Upgrades . . . . 128
Great Power Intervention Forces . . . . . . . . . . 86 Beta Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .129
Terrorist Movements in 2100 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87 Hackware and Hot Mods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .129
Typical Military Forces in Chaotic Areas . . . . 88 COMPUTERS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .130
Hardware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .130
5. LIFE IN THE WORLD OF Wearable Virtual Interfaces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .130
BROKEN DREAMS . . . . . . . . . . . .89 Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .131
NAIROBI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .90 Augmented Reality and Advertising . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .90 CYBERNETIC GEAR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .132
Robert Ampala . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92 Bionic Limbs and Organs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .132
SafariShells . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93 Software Upgrades . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
Nyota Kongata . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94 Implants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .133
Places . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .95 New Brainbugs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
Current Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .96 ECOLOGICAL EQUIPMENT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .134
LOS ANGELES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .97 LAW ENFORCEMENT EQUIPMENT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .134
Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .97 Crime Investigation and Prevention Equipment . .134
Places . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .99 Forensic Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .135
Chawalit Sang Likphai . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100 SUITS AND PERSONAL ARMOR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .135
Ruben Galindo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102 Crime Scene Investigations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
Bellissima . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103 TRANSPORTATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .136
Top Five Worldarc Storyworlds – WEAPONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .137
January, 2100 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104 WEAPON TABLE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
Current Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .104 UNCONVENTIONAL WARFARE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .138
ALMA-ATA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .104 Ecoweapons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .138
Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .105 Explosives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .138
The Muslim Underground . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107 NNBC Weapons
Evgeny Mara (Mullah Sifr) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108 (Nuclear/Nano/Bio/Chem) . . . . . . . .139
Characters in Alma-Ata . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109 Proteus Weapons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
Eduard Mikhailovich Kharkov . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
The Blyustetyelui . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111 BIBLIOGRAPHY . . . . . . . . . . . . .142
Places . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .111
Alma-Ata’s Augmented Reality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
Current Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .114
INDEX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .143

3
 INTRODUCTION

Earth. Humanity’s homeworld remains a showcase of Broken Dreams looks at what

both the best and the worst of mankind’s deeds. While the happens when emerging technologies
countries at the cutting edge of technology and progress and transcendent ideas are limited by
wrestle with the conquest of space and questions of identi- resources or regulations. It also covers
ty, other nations face far more prosaic concerns – freedom, those regions where nations have cho-
justice, and survival. Broken Dreams focuses on the parts sen to forge their own path, sometimes
of Earth where war, poverty, and environmental degrada- in opposition to the demands of the dom-
tion still wreak havoc with human life. Issues of power and inant great powers. It’s dark, but it’s not a
politics surface throughout, as many wonder whether the dystopia; even as they struggle, the people of 2100 still
riches of the Fifth Wave world are built upon the believe that they will succeed.
backs of the poor.

4
 INTRODUCTION

ABOUT ABOUT GURPS

TRANSHUMAN SPACE Steve Jackson Games is committed to full support
of the GURPS system. Our address is SJ Games, Box
The Transhuman Space series presents a unique 18957, Austin, TX 78760. Please include a self-
hard-science and high-biotech universe for roleplaying. addressed, stamped envelope (SASE) any time you
Set in the Solar System in the year 2100, it is a setting rich write us! Resources include:
in adventure, mystery, and exploration of the possibilities Pyramid (www.sjgames.com/pyramid/). Our
of existence. The core book in the line is Transhuman online magazine includes new GURPS rules and arti-
Space, written by the series creator, David Pulver. cles. It also covers Dungeons and Dragons, Traveller,
World of Darkness, Call of Cthulhu, and many more
top games – and other Steve Jackson Games releases
like In Nomine, Illuminati, Car Wars, Toon, Ogre
Miniatures, and more. Pyramid subscribers also have
access to playtest files online!
New supplements and adventures. GURPS contin-
ues to grow, and we’ll be happy to let you know what’s
new. For a current catalog, send us a legal-sized or
9”×12” SASE – please use two stamps! – or just visit
www.warehouse23.com.
Errata. Everyone makes mistakes, including us –
but we do our best to fix our errors. Up-to-date errata
sheets for all GURPS releases, including this book, are
available on our website – see below.
Gamer input. We value your comments, for new
products as well as updated printings of existing titles!
Internet. Visit us on the World Wide Web at
www.sjgames.com for errata, updates, Q&A, and much
more. GURPS has its own Usenet group, too:
rec.games.frp.gurps.
GURPSnet. This e-mail list hosts much of the
online discussion of GURPS. To join, point your web
browser to www.sjgames.com/mailman/listinfo/
gurpsnet-l/.
The Transhuman Space: Broken Dreams
web page is at www.sjgames.com/transhuman/
brokendreams/.

Page References
Rules and statistics in this book are specifically for
the GURPS Basic Set, Third Edition. Any page refer-
ence that begins with a B refers to the GURPS Basic Set
ABOUT THE AUTHOR – e.g., p. B102 means p. 102 of the GURPS Basic Set,
Third Edition. Page references that begin with CI indi-
Jamais Cascio is a writer and specialist in futurist sce- cate GURPS Compendium I. Other references are CII
narios mixing technology, politics, and business. He has for GURPS Compendium II, FW for Transhuman
been consulted by filmmakers, corporations, and govern- Space: Fifth Wave, HT for GURPS High-Tech, TS for
ment agencies from around the world, and his thoughts Transhuman Space, UT for GURPS Ultra-Tech, UTT
about the future have been featured in Time, Wired, and on for GURPS Ultra-Tech 2, VE for GURPS Vehicles. The
National Public Radio. He is also an enthusiastic GURPS abbreviation for this book is BD. For a full list of
player, and was excited to have an opportunity to con- abbreviations, see p. CI181 or the updated web list at
tribute to the Transhuman Space line. This is his first pub- www.sjgames.com/gurps/abbrevs.html.
lished game book. He lives in the San Francisco Bay
area with his wife and three Macs.

5
 1 OVERVIEW:
MOVING FASTER AND
STILL FALLING BEHIND

He saw the stall he was told to find, Marid, the seller

The man of fruit – pomegranates, dates, the “grapples” designed by
calling himself Ibrahim Aziz walked slowly through the European bioengineers, popular with the young for some
Cairo souk, trying to draw as little attention as possible, reason. He made the briefest of eye contact, and stopped
constantly aware of the temporary p-tag implant in his left two stalls away, feigning great interest in the latest Alger-
hand. A precaution for visitors, he was told. A precaution ian knock-offs of Chinese hand-held InVid players.
for the government, he knew. The intelligence services are Licensed and totally legal, although they’d never admit to
particularly careful about visitors from Pakistan. Aziz it. People love to think they’re getting something they’re
allowed himself a brief smile. They had good reason, in not supposed to.
this case. That was why he was here.

6
 OVERVIEW
He told his virtual interface implant to start the
transfer, and a heavily encrypted copy of the latest
musical from Indus River Studios beamed over to a wait-
ing receiver in a bag casually resting on the floor of The poorer nations only see
Marid’s stall. Egypt’s web filters, generously supplied by
the World Trade Organization, would never let something how far behind they’ve
like this through – but sales of the pirated copy would be
highly profitable for the TSA, still trying to rebuild after the
fallen . . . They know the
war. Aziz had volunteered to carry it in his implant. VIIs
weren’t terribly common in the Muslim world, but the cus-
new world is there, but it is
toms officials were more concerned about potential links to
Pakistani terror groups than about piracy, and he had been
tantalizingly out of reach.
scanned for explosives, not romantic comedies.
The file was a big one, fully interactive, with alternate
endings, multiple language songs, the works, and Aziz had
to remain close to the fruit seller for a long five minutes for
the transmission. The seller of InVid players was starting
BROKEN DREAMS
to get annoyed that Aziz was looking but not buying. Aziz Despite the best efforts of men of good will, there are
carefully moved to the next stall, trying not to lose the con- still people unable to take part in the technological and
nection. The seller of headscarves for women gave him a social transformation of Fifth Wave Earth. They know the
brief glance and continued to chat with her daughter as he new world is there, but it is tantalizingly out of reach. Their
poked through the colorful sheets of smart fabric. reactions to their situation vary widely, from hope and
There. Transfer finished. Without looking at Marid, redoubled effort to resentment and violence. Some find the
Aziz turned and walked off toward his hotel. What he saw developed world thoroughly corrupt, and turn their backs
made him stop. The street was blocked by a cordon of on the very idea of joining the global system. Broken
police, checking the IDs of passing shoppers. He noticed Dreams covers these three fundamental categories.
one other thing: standing with the police was a sour-look-
ing European with an expensive-looking handheld. No Forging a New Path
doubt about it. WTO. Some parts of the developing world have chosen to
Ibrahim started to sweat. avoid the mainstream economic and political system
entirely, building political coalitions for self-preservation
The world of 2100 stands on the brink of transforma- and memetic support. In doing so, however, they have
tion. In the most advanced nations, powerful new tech- become emerging powers themselves, posing both military
nologies allow the subtle manipulation of matter and the and ideological challenges to the mainstream world. The
potential for immortality. Intelligent machines are com- Transpacific Socialist Alliance and the Islamic Caliphate
monplace, and humans willingly and eagerly alter their each represent different forms of opposition to the rest of
bodies and their minds to reflect current fashion or the the world.
desire to improve themselves. Questions of identity under-
lie struggles for power and control: what does it mean to Catching Up
be human? What do we want it to mean? And for most Many developing states are transitioning to a more
people in the Fifth Wave world, wealth is almost meaning- advanced technological society. Through hard work, the
less, as everything they may want is at their fingertips. assistance of outside patrons, and luck these transition
Yet in the less-advanced parts of the world, the story nations have begun to integrate into the global system. The
is much different. The world may be richer as a whole, but transformation is not yet complete; local unrest, great
the relative imbalance of riches and power is even greater power conflict, or an economic downturn can still harm
than in 2000. Ideas, the basis of the global economy, have them. Example states include Kenya and French Guiana.
become a rigorously controlled commodity. Many nations
struggle on, slowly making a transition to the modern Falling Apart
world, but still face tremendous challenges. Others remain Other developing countries have not done so well.
mired in poverty, war, and political collapse. A few have They may be failed states or a great power’s battlegrounds,
opted to forge their own paths, forming alliances that allow nations mired in civil war, split by factional conflict, or
them to stand together, even if they are going against the controlled by organized crime. They could simply be
rules and beliefs of the rest of the world. Yet even standing regions hit by environmental damage. For whatever rea-
together, the poorer nations only see how far behind son, wealth and stability are distant goals; for most citizens
they’ve fallen. The power of the advanced countries the first order is survival. Examples include Laos and
overwhelms the developing world. the remnants of Zaire.

7
OVERVIEW
nations can be self-sufficient, and fewer still have

THE STATE any desire to cut themselves off from the rest of the
world. International groups such as the World Trade Orga-
nization and the Genetic Regulatory Agency make certain
OF THE WORLD that everyone abides by the same set of regulations.
Although most assume that the states that lead the global
economy long ago set the rules of trade to keep themselves
For many observers, the Pacific War of 2084-2085 in power, most nations are willing members of the system,
was foreshadowing greater conflict. With a multitude of believing themselves better off as part of the dominant
mighty nations competing for international power, rapidly structure.
growing countries seeking greater influence, and a variety In a global economy founded on ideas, care must be
of corporations, ideological movements, and global mafia taken to ensure that the rights of the originators and users
looking for opportunities to expand their horizons, Earth of of ideas are both respected. Yet some believe that the
the year 2100 is a far more dangerous place than many advanced world has gone too far in the defense of the own-
believe. For the smaller countries that are the economic ers of intellectual property. The nanosocialist nations of the
and military battlegrounds of the dominant powers, Transpacific Socialist Alliance uphold this, arguing
the peace and prosperity of 2100 is a mask hiding that the works of the mind belong to everyone, and
perpetual conflict. have faced war as a result of their ideology. But
moderate voices, too, express concerns about what
THE GLOBAL SYSTEM is done in the name of ownership of ideas and
experiences.
At the close of the 20th century, political sci-
entists argued that the nation-state model had been
weakened by global telecommunications and
The Great Powers
information networks, the increasing authority of There are currently three hegemonic powers
nongovernmental organizations, and the evident and a handful of emergent-power countries and
power of transnational corporations. Events in the alliances pushing differing agendas on the global
early 21st century, from a series of wars in the stage. Together, these key international actors are
Middle East to the near-collapse of the global known as the “great powers,” a term from late-
environment, made continued need for the capa- 19th-century and early-20th-century global poli-
bilities of the nation-state abundantly clear. Com- tics. Analysts in 2100 use “great powers” to refer to
petition between a small number of hegemonic those nations or alliances that are sufficiently pow-
powers has come to dominate the political system erful to shape the policies of other globally potent
both on Earth and throughout the solar system. nations.
Smaller nations, businesses, organizations, and Three hegemonic powers stand above all oth-
even ideological movements find that their for- ers in terms of system-wide capabilities: the Peo-
tunes rise and fall with the status and influence of ple’s Republic of China, the United States, and the
the great powers. European Union. This trilateral balance of power
Yet even as competition between nation-states emerged gradually over the course of the century,
continues to dominate world events, changes to and has been surprisingly stable. These three
technology, the environment, and the global econ- nations, while not able to dominate the world, have
omy have tied nations together closer than ever military, economic, cultural, and political influ-
before. Globalization reached its full flowering in the first ences that easily extend around the globe and through-
third of the 21st century. By 2100 it has become nearly out the solar system.
impossible for one country completely to cut itself off The other players in international competition are the
from the rest. High-bandwidth information networks cov- emergent powers: India, the Pacific Rim Alliance, and the
ering the planet allow individuals to work, socialize, and Transpacific Socialist Alliance. These actors are not in the
learn alongside people half a world away. Ecosystems are class of the hegemonic powers, but are still prominent
equally dismissive of borders, and the rights of nations to enough to shape politics and economics outside of their
defend their environment from the actions of others is now borders. Some strategists include the Islamic Caliphate and
widely recognized. the South African Coalition among the emergent powers,
Most important is that national economies are inti- as their influence and capabilities are growing rapidly;
mately connected to the cycles and rules of global markets. Mexico and the Mercosul alliance based around Brazil are
From natural resources to intellectual capital, modern also potential emergent powers, although they have large-
economy is dependent upon the easy trade of goods, serv- ly focused on internal development. The shifting relation-
ices, and especially ideas across the planet. Few ships between the various nations has helped keep
international politics relatively stable, if dangerous.

8
 OVERVIEW
Great-power politics often play out in the devel- battlefields for great powers. In some cases, assis-
oping world, where weaker states provide ample oppor- tance from the external world is welcomed, providing
tunities for economic and ideological expansion. support in disasters. In other cases, outsiders are rebuffed,
Transnational corporations work closely with great-power sometimes violently, as warlords seek to consolidate
patrons to open up new markets and capture new customers. power. If ignored, these warlords can cause problems for
Political and ideological movements seek new converts and their neighbors.
greater global influence. Civil uprisings and identity con-
flicts function as proxy battles for the great powers, allow- Corporations
ing the testing of new weapon systems and military As the power and capabilities of governments grew
technologies. Diplomats work out agreements and treaties over the 21st century, so too did the power of large corpo-
as intelligence agents seek out their opponents’ weaknesses. rations. The long-predicted dissolution of governments
and rise of total corporate control never happened, but
Mainstream Countries transnational and interplanetary corporations have sub-
Most states, of course, are not great powers, and the stantial resources for achieving economic, political, and
majority do not belong to a great-power alliance. As even military ends.
described in Transhuman Space: Fifth Wave, a great deal Even if they have not replaced governments, corpora-
of the planet is reasonably advanced and secure, focusing tions do have great influence over policy. The familiar say-
on providing economic and technological opportunities ing of “what’s good for business is good for America,” still
for their citizens than on rattling sabers or playing politi- holds, and could easily be applied to Europe and China as
cal games. These mainstream nations are careful with well – governments in the developed world are aggressive
their alliances, developing good relations with a regional about protecting the property rights of their corporate citi-
or hegemonic power with close cultural or economic ties, zens, particularly intellectual property. Throughout the
but avoiding drawing too much great-power attention to developing world many believe, not without cause, that
themselves. Smaller countries with powerful Fourth or great-power conflicts with the TSA over copyright and
Fifth Wave economies may be regional powers them- patent infringement are driven by business interests. Simi-
selves, able to avoid significant internal interference from larly, memetic campaigns and physical threats against
the great powers. Established, comfortably wealthy, and infosocialist political parties around the world often have
technologically advanced, these states are interested in major corporate sponsorship.
maintaining global stability, although some may play host Actual corpocracy, where a firm or set of firms take
to less-popular ideological movements. complete political control over a state, is almost unknown.
The combination of social stability and wide access to Businesses that attempted total political control usually
new biotechnology and nanotechnology is the hallmark of found that the details of running a state – from infrastruc-
what sociologists in 2100 consider the “developed world,” ture maintenance to jurisprudence – were distractions from
a term that is often used as a contrast to the faster and slow- their core organizational goals. Large corporations found it
er nations. Noting the ever-accelerating pace of change in more lucrative over the long term to build a close relation-
the most advanced states, scholars refer to the handful of ship with an existing political structure rather than replace
Fifth Wave nations as the “hyperdeveloped world.” Nations that structure.
with limited or no access to modern technology, or with
unstable governments and societies, are optimistically Transnational Organizations
referred to as the “developing world.” Corporations are not the only alternatives to tradition-
al political power. Transnational organizations (TNOs)
The Developing World emerged over the course of the last two centuries as mech-
Despite a century of advancement, many states – for anisms to regulate, organize, and improve international
reasons of history, politics, or geography – remain poor or transactions. Some have purposely narrowed concerns,
on the verge of collapse. Some have managed to pull them- focusing on rules for fisheries or the trade of textiles; oth-
selves out of abject poverty, building Third Wave societies ers have broader agendas, monitoring compliance with
able to play a role in the global economy. These develop- international bioengineering and intellectual-property
ing nations are often tied closely to patron great powers rules. While they have varying degrees of power, all oper-
who provide technology, economic assistance, and a meas- ate with the explicit backing of the most-powerful states.
ure of political reinforcement as the countries bootstrap Three TNOs stand out in 2100: the Genetic Regulatory
into the Fourth Wave world. Great-power corporations and Agency, responsible for the enforcement of biotechnology
memes have lots of influence here, although there can be regulations; the World Trade Organization, which is the
significant local resentment. chief intellectual property (IP) rights manager; and Inter-
Developing states with Second or Third Wave pol, which focuses on non-intellectual-property crimes
economies that aren’t tied closely to any such as fraud, virus creation, and rogue AIs. For more
patron are often political/economic/military/memetic on these groups, see pp. 66-67.

9
OVERVIEW
Nongovernmental which allows for nominations, but are otherwise
Organizations unresponsive to attempts at communication.
While TNOs are largely funded by national Political Movements
governments, nongovernmental organizations – or
Political movements are abundant in 2100, and a mod-
NGOs – sit outside of the traditional sources of
erately active individual may be a member of half a dozen
authority. They are often nonprofit in nature, and
or more different groups, depending upon the person’s
usually focus on narrow issues, such as eliminat-
range of interests and connections. Dense information and
ing human-rights abuses or debt in the developing
communication networks make it possible for an activist to
world. Some NGOs are described in Transhuman
have more detailed knowledge of problems, communities,
Space (p. TS98). A number of nongovernmental
and factions in places on the other side of the world than
organizations focus on the developing parts of
do the local citizens. Nearly all political movements are
Earth.
virtual in some way, some groups never physically meet-
The Archive Foundation has the ambitious
ing. While the handful of violent political movements get
goal of creating a repository of all human knowl-
most of the media attention, the majority of activists rely
edge and culture. Fearing the possibility of glob-
on peaceful forms of protest, education, and memetic engi-
al-scale disasters, from plagues (natural or
neering.
engineered) to out-of-control nanoweapons and
As activists network, they transfer memes, ideologies,
astronomical long-shots like a local gamma-ray
and ideas, blending concepts and solutions from disparate
burst, Marian Babbage used her family fortune to
regions or movements. A bioroid-freedom group in Mexi-
bankroll an archive of human knowledge, intend-
co City can learn social engineering tactics from an infos-
ing it as a “backup” library for the survivors of
ocialist group based in Aberdeen, which in turn receives
any future disaster. In 2046, it merged with the
tips on spotting government informers from a South
Civilization Archive Project, an academic
African Coalition bioliberationist cell with Red Duncanite
attempt to document and catalog the knowledge
sympathies. This cross-pollination leads to new memes
and culture of societies overwhelmed by the pace of
popping up all the time, combinations of established
change, giving the Archive Foundation a body of infor-
movements and new ideas.
mation and art larger than any other known collection.
The abundance of movements is also a weakness, as
The archive grew slowly, but attracted attention in 2063
the multitude of different groups can diffuse a given move-
when it started offering data-archival services for corpo-
ment’s power, and activists sometimes find themselves
rations and governments. In 2100, the Archive Founda-
working at cross-purposes. This situation is exacerbated by
tion is a respected organization, regarded as somewhat
“astroturf” movements, corporate- or government-funded
eccentric, but providing valuable services to the largest
pseudo-”grass roots” organizations. Historically used to
corporation and smallest tribal community alike. The
show apparent support for an embattled policy or compa-
data-storage facilities are in an undisclosed location,
ny, they’re now often used to distract activists, thinning the
widely believed to be on the Moon.
numbers in any one group by multiplying the choices. In
The Terran Genome Trust seeks to catalog the
2088, the investigative journalist Cynthia X uncovered
genomes of plants and animals endangered by ongoing
proof that Biotech Euphrates was funding over a hundred
environmental changes. Although a great deal of this work
different minor Preservationist groups, all of which were
was done in the mid-21st-century, the Trust continues to
more active in factional struggles than in actually pushing
sample the genetic information of life forms around the
anti-biotechnology agendas.
world, seeking to build a better understanding of biodiver-
sity. As they make all of their findings publicly available, Competition and Conflict
the Trust has come under fire from biotechnology firms for
With three great powers, five or more emerging pow-
accidentally publishing copyrighted genetic information.
ers, dozens of regional powers, hundreds of large transna-
Venture Altruists, Inc. is an ambitious group that
tional corporations, and thousands of global political
seeks out promising social and technological innovators
organizations and movements, it’s little surprise that dis-
in the developing world and gives them block grants of
putes are commonplace. Limited resources, ideological
money, usually sufficient to allow the recipient to live
differences, and territorial disputes cause friction between
comfortably for several years. The selection criteria are
different groups, with results ranging from passionate edi-
often opaque; the organization does not tell the recipient
torial webcasts to military assault. Technological accelera-
precisely why he has received the funds, other than that
tion, questions about pan-sapient rights, and challenges to
they believe he will use it wisely. Little is known about the
controls over intellectual property have added to tensions.
group, which has been awarding grants on an erratic
The diversity of issues and multiplicity of actors often
schedule for the last 30 years. They have a website
means enemies on one issue can be allies on another.

10
 OVERVIEW
All too often, when global powerhouses come had paid a small number of Weltspiel sites to change
into conflict, they do so in the markets or territories of their ratings of the SAC, a claim loudly denied by both
less-powerful nations. This is rarely a case of two invaders the Coalition’s leadership and the Weltspiel boards
choosing a convenient battlefield; more commonly, it is accused of accepting bribes. As a result of these reports,
the result of opposing local factions calling on the support the SAC’s average score dropped by more than 10%, and
of powerful patrons. Support can be as surreptitious as the Southern African People’s Party was voted out of
intelligence reports or as obvious as cybertanks rolling power in the 2098 elections.
down the highway, but always comes at a price. Increased

LIVING ON THE
access to markets or resources, realignment of policy or
ideology, or even a change in leadership are demanded in
return for aid. Worse still, a shift in the patron’s strategy
can leave the client in a precarious position, abandoned
and left to defeat. In 2078, prior to the Pacific War, China
gave substantial intelligence and materiel to anti-nanoso-
TRAILING EDGE OF
cialist rebels in Thailand, and promised support for a
planned coup attempt in Bangkok. Days before the coup, THE FUTURE
Chinese generals managed to convince the Premier that
China would suffer heavy losses from a TSA retaliation, At the close of the 20th century, it was said that the
and that the armed forces needed another year of prepara- majority of the people on Earth had never made a phone
tion before going to war. China unceremoniously cut off call. While this was no longer true by the close of the 21st
contact with the Thai rebels, and the coup was crushed. century, most of the technological changes that character-
ized the last hundred years were nonetheless limited to the
people of advanced nations. The majority of people on
WELTSPIEL Earth in 2100 have never teleoperated a cybershell, experi-
The ongoing maneuvering and competition between enced a slinkie, or knowingly interacted with a sapient arti-
the great powers is now called Weltspiel. Originally meant ficial intelligence. The issues of human identity,
as a derogatory term when coined in 2058 by the Bavarian pan-sapient rights, and morphological freedom that
political philosopher Heinrich Gephardt, it found currency shape the politics of Fifth Wave societies are rarely
in Europe and the developing world as a way to refer to the considered in most households on the planet.
state of international politics. The concept of Weltspiel, or
“world play,” treats great-power competition as an
abstracted game, where players – nations, alliances, and
TRANSITION AND
international organizations – earn or lose points through
bold or careless moves. Implicit in the idea is that regard-
TRANSFORMATION
This does not mean that the waves of technological
less of the score nobody ever “wins” the game. But what
upheaval have not affected the developing world. Even in
started as a cynical joke has evolved into a popular model
many of the less advanced societies, telecommunication
for understanding the daily struggles between the great
and information systems are robust, naturally occurring
powers.
famine and disease are almost unknown, and material
By the end of the 21st century, there were several
goods are readily available. Life for most is far more com-
thousand popular websites providing real-time Weltspiel
fortable and healthier now than it was a century earlier.
scores. The game ratings are based upon the current “posi-
But the technological capabilities that emerged over the
tions” of the players, as determined by a random sampling
course of the 21st century also made possible far greater
of votes, a heuristic scan of news headlines, or the assess-
control over people’s lives, efficiency in killing one’s
ment of specialist AIs. In many of these sites, projections
adversaries, and precision in crafting ideologies and shap-
are made of each nation’s future position, likelihood of
ing beliefs, while questions of ownership of ideas,
success of current policies, and changes to overall capabil-
designs, and even human genetics are increasingly
ities. Of particular interest to social scientists and gamblers
sources of conflict.
alike are the metascore sites, which compare scores from
Most countries in 2100 are going through a transition
different judges, looking for emergent patterns. Many
from earlier forms of social and technological systems to
Weltspiel metascore sites accurately predicted the onset of
newer ones, whether it’s a central African state embracing
the Pacific War six months before its onset, and a handful
Third Wave culture or a European nation slipping quickly
correctly projected its duration and outcome.
into the Fifth Wave. Some societies handle it better than
As Weltspiel has grown in popularity, national leaders
others, however. Economic dislocation as new technolo-
have become increasingly aware of its memetic influence.
gies change the nature of work, cultural conflict as new
In November of 2097, the Johannesburg New Guardian
memes alter beliefs and opinions, and simple “future
newsweb reported that the South African Coalition
shock” all undermine political and social stability.

11
OVERVIEW
Waves of Change actions were discovered, so many Ugandans were
One of the problems facing developing countries is angry about “the last generation stealing the
the availability of cutting-edge technologies from the future from the next” that the group went into exile.
hyperdeveloped world. Quite often the introduction of new Technology changes culture, but it takes time.
systems or processes shatters the fragile social compact Social change is slower than technological change;
developed around the previous level of technology. In the societies that succeed are the ones that can manage
2080’s, Uganda reached a consensus about the morality of both types. New technologies enhance existing social
genefixing the next generation, and a program called “Gift struggles, from disputes between ethnic factions to
of the Future” was launched to provide biotech services to broad questions of democracy versus totalitarianism.
growing families. In 2092, a small group of elderly Ugan- The race to adopt new tools and systems becomes an
dan business and political leaders quietly traveled to accelerating spiral, with competing sides seeking the
Johannesburg to undergo the radical cellular-rejuvenation temporary advantage that will allow victory. New
process that had recently been developed. When their technologies can also spark new conflicts as the bal-
ance of social and economic power shifts and as
denser networks make it impossible to shut out new
ideas.
TOP FIVE MOST POPULAR Shifting Economies and Societies
WELTSPIEL SITES Even in nations not already facing substantial chal-
lenges, the hectic pace of change can be intimidating. Eco-
As of late December, 2099, as determined by nomic disruption is widespread; jobs aren’t just lost to new
Metameme web ratings service: forms of automation, but also to larger shifts that eliminate
1. Diplomacy. By far the most read Weltspiel site, the need for entire industries. The rapid adoption of aug-
Diplomacy is run by senior advisors to the former Euro- mented-reality systems eviscerated the conventional out-
pean president, Chloe des Lysses. The Communiqué sec- door-advertising industry, as billboards were replaced by
tion is known for interviews with current global leaders, individually targeted ads. Dedicated AIs reduced the need
including (most recently) Stephen Alexis, the U.S. secre- for a wide variety of professional-service providers, from
tary of state. Although the accuracy of its score is notori- graphic artists to accountants. Local economic weakness
ously low, Diplomacy has the best post-event analysis of can give more Fourth and Fifth Wave transnational corpo-
any Weltspiel site. rations an opportunity to come in and control emerging
2. Emerging World. One of the longest-running Welt- markets. Individuals and businesses with limited resources
spiel metascore sites, Emerging World pulls its analysis are often both the hardest hit by and the least able to adapt
from a secret list of Weltspiel judges. Its ratings are sur- to rapidly shifting economic conditions.
prisingly accurate, and the TSA is rumored to offer a Social challenges from rapid change are more than
bounty of $1,000,000 to whoever brings in the authentic financial. Beliefs and behaviors that were once unthink-
Emerging World list. able can become commonplace, especially as memes from
3. Weltgeist. Unlike the majority of metascore sites, more dominant societies work their way in. Sexual exper-
which try to pick the very best Weltspiel material, Welt- imentation, non-traditional religious beliefs (or no religion
geist is all-consuming, making use of – and giving equal at all), and abandonment of traditional gender roles tear
weight to – every public Weltspiel score. Its results have away at established cultural norms, causing tension
been all over the map, with some projections almost eeri- between generations, regions, and classes. In 2052, the
ly on target and others being wildly off the mark. International Psychiatric Association officially identified
4. Weltspiel Site of the Second. Rather than aggregat- Social Transition Stress Disorder, or STSD, as a reaction to
ing multiple sites, Weltspiel Site of the Second redirects “future shock” (see p. 55).
visitors to a random Weltspiel judge. Many obscure sites This is not to say that all changes are bad. New tech-
have credited WSS for sudden spikes of attention. nologies and memes provide new opportunities for
5. Geestspel. Geestspel, based in Amsterdam, is increased wealth, broader knowledge, and improved
notable due to its total rejection of intuition or “gut feel- health. Once-isolated areas have a far greater ability to
ings,” relying instead on an evolving mathematical learn about the world than even the most advanced nations
model. Although its scenarios have not been significantly of half a century ago. There is a strong correlation between
more or less accurate than other Weltspiel judges, economic and technological modernization and greater
Geestspel has gained notoriety for the Countdown to the freedom for minorities and women. Given time and stabil-
Singularity clock that now greets all visitors to the site. As ity, the improved economic structures usually mean better
of January 1, 2100, the Countdown claims that the Singu- standards of living for all, even if the financial gap
larity will occur on March 10, 2116, at 3:32 AM GMT. between the very rich and the rest also grows.

12
 OVERVIEW

ADVANTAGES OF
BACKWARDNESS
Opponents of Preservationism accuse us of being
Luddites, opposed to technology and its comforts. They are
wrong. We do not seek the abandonment of technology. Fifth Wave Uses for the
What we seek is its careful application, a step back from Third Wave World
the careless adoption of systems that will one day eliminate In some cases, the motivations are less altruistic. Cor-
us as a species. This doesn’t mean making our lives less porations, governments, and individuals from the hyperde-
comfortable or complete. We know that it is possible to veloped world are sometimes attracted to the developed
both live more simply and live well, because there are regions for reasons they’d rather not make public. The
examples in the world. combination of reduced surveillance, less technology, and
In many respects, some less-developed nations are occasional instability in the developing world makes it eas-
paradigms of what we might call “appropriate limits” on ier for Fifth Wave groups to carry out activities that are
technological advancement. In the more stable of these so- inconvenient, immoral, or illegal in their home countries.
called “backward” states, commonplace technology is at a While officials in the developing world are not neces-
level somewhere around a high-Third-Wave/low-Fourth- sarily easier to bribe, Fifth Wave corporations are able to
Wave level. This is, arguably, the point that maximizes the offer spectacular inducements to look the other way.
value of humanity. Knowledge is commonplace, but the Sparsely populated and poorly monitored, rural areas in
state is not a panopticon. Machines are helpful, but do not the developing world are frequently the perfect settings for
presume to replace human minds, and any alterations to factories or labs that won’t pass environmental or genetic
the human genome are made simply to cure disease, not to regulations back home. The more dangerous installations
reshape the body to new, inhuman forms. Indeed, we may may require large bribes at high levels of the government.
best serve humankind by working in these less developed The Genetic Regulatory Agency has been known to run
societies, encouraging them to hold firm against the siren sting operations, setting up government officials to expose
song of advancing change. corruption, as well as working with local functionaries to
– Robert M. Weber, Toward a trap foreign corporations trying to evade the law.
Preservationist Model for Sociology, 2098 A number of corporations also find Third Wave soci-
eties to be perfect testing grounds for new or experimental
Although life in a Third Wave country does not afford (but legal) devices (see pp. 62-63, 129).
the comforts of life in the hyperdeveloped world, there are Many intelligence and law-enforcement agencies
certain benefits to living “off the grid.” While the data net- have fewer restrictions on their actions outside of their
works and communication infrastructure may be limited or home borders, and find it easier to operate in those regions
nonexistent, this means that it’s far simpler to disappear, to without advanced surveillance and counter-intelligence
get away from the constant connection typical of Fifth technology. Operations in developing countries can more
Wave societies. There are fewer parahumans, AIs, and readily be covered up, made to look like the work of anoth-
bioroids in the less-developed regions, a state of affairs er group more hostile to the interests of the host nation.
which some people find appealing. This also means that Civil wars and uprisings provide attractive opportunities to
the conflicts around identity and fears of an incipient test new technologies, whether supplied to the govern-
posthuman singularity have yet to arise. Human biotech- ment, to rebels, or to both.
nology, where it exists, focuses on the basics of keeping Very often, one of the first requests made by a
people healthy rather than radical changes in physiology or developing nation to its more-advanced allies is for
the pursuit of extreme longevity. In general, the conflicts improved police and monitoring technologies, so that
and challenges arising from Fourth and Fifth Wave criminal activity by Fifth Wave corporations or individuals
technologies are far less common in the developing world. can be more readily prevented. This, too, can be a Faustian
As in years past, the vast difference in power and bargain. Many believe that military and police technology
wealth shapes the relationship between the advanced and provided by the hyperdeveloped world to the developing
the developing worlds. Less visible, however, is the eco- nations is riddled with intentional security holes and back-
nomic exploitation commonplace at the end of the previ- doors allowing the more-advanced partner easy access to
ous century. Modern production techniques are less systems in use. While no evidence of such backdoors has
labor-intensive than earlier methods, effectively pricing ever been uncovered, the meme is commonplace through-
out even the most outrageous sweatshops. When Fifth out the developing world.
Wave companies employ local workers in developing
areas, they often pay above-average wages, hoping to
stimulate consumption.

13
OVERVIEW
Third Wave Uses for the attention have grown more sophisticated in their
Fifth Wave World approaches, in an ever-spiraling memetic arms race.
The development of memetics as a formal science has
Governments, organizations, and individuals in the
refined this system to a degree unimaginable a century ear-
developing world also find it valuable to build and main-
lier. In the hyperdeveloped world, messages can be tailored
tain links with Fifth Wave societies. Economic aid
not just to an individual, but to his transient moods, his
and trade agreements improve the material lives
momentary surroundings, even his blood sugar level. In
of citizens, and are the most common kind of
the developing world, the methods are usually more blunt,
intergovernmental connections. The provi-
but no less intrusive, especially in societies that have
sion and withholding of aid is a standard
moved fully into the Third Wave. The vast majority of
great-power tool for influencing smaller
messages a person receives are advertisements, ideological
countries.
screeds, and lurid come-ons; the primary duty of an info-
Assistance from Fifth Wave nations can be
morph is to act as filter, making certain that only legitimate
less formal. A variety of groups, both profit and non-
communications get through (see Computers, p. 130).
profit, provide assistance to developing areas. Some spe-
cialize in environmental mitigation and disaster recovery,
others in teaching and infrastructure development. A few
organizations blur the line with mercenary forces by spe-
cializing in law enforcement. Most of these groups are
small and made up of freelancers.
Technology transfers are also fairly commonplace,
whether by Fifth Wave companies opening up shop in
developing states, or by the direct provision of technologi-
cal assistance to Third Wave military and police forces.
This is, at best, a mixed blessing for the developed nations.
Fifth Wave production techniques can greatly undercut the
competitive ability of local manufacturers, driving them out
of business; conversely, access to advanced technology is a
key to successful assimilation into the global system.
Of all of the transfers from the hyperdeveloped world
to the developing nations, few are more controversial than
memetic migration, the flow of new ideas, ideologies, and
cultural artifacts from one society to another. Memetic
migration is simultaneously desired and despised. Philoso-
phies, InVid, books, music – all are rapidly consumed by
audiences hungry to have what the great-power societies
have, yet all are decried as eviscerating local culture and
arts. As a result, the market for memetic material is usual-
POPULAR CULTURE
For most of Earth’s inhabitants, a significant portion
ly quite strong in Third Wave countries, but also the most of every day is spent enjoying some aspect of global pop-
targeted for government regulation or attacks by local cul- ular culture. Live music (whether in person or virtual),
tural leaders – it’s not unknown for material to go from books and websites, InVid and movies, slinkies, and virtu-
highly popular to illegal in a day. al worlds are all effectively ubiquitous, giving the typical
consumer of 2100 an almost overwhelming set of options.

MEMETIC RELATIONS For societies that have largely become generous welfare
states, this abundance of pop culture is a key to continued
success. Even in less technologically sophisticated nations,
While the struggle between different cultures can turn access to the global culture market is often used to distract
violent, it is far more often a clash of ideas. Popular enter- the populace from political or economic uncertainty, in a
tainment, advertising, religious beliefs, political ideolo- late-21st-century version of “bread and circuses.”
gies, and more compete for the limited attention of the
late-21st-century citizen-consumer. A typical city-dweller Pantainment Society
in 2100 is confronted by a cacophony, all designed to In many Fourth and Fifth Wave nations, a significant
entice him to pay attention. Across the globe, people have portion of the populace does not have traditional employ-
built up strong intellectual defenses in order to ignore these ment but does have access to a sophisticated array of com-
constant demands. In turn, those seeking to command munication and information devices. Social critics call
this environment “pantainment,” reflecting the

14
 OVERVIEW
dominance of entertainment as social discourse. Most Advertising
forms of communication and information presentation In every market economy on Earth, advertising is
are designed to be entertaining or enjoyable; ideological, a commonplace form of expression. Competition is cut-
journalistic, and commercial messages are embedded in throat for customers that are increasingly able to have
entertainment media, to a degree that blurs the distinction. their basic and even luxury needs met cheaply, and some
“Serious” information will usually be presented in a man- of the most advanced SAIs outside of government service
ner that echoes common entertainment semiotics. Individu- are employed by advertising agencies looking for new
als brought up in the local culture will be able to distinguish memetic hooks to attract and retain customers. No idea is
readily between entertainment that’s just entertainment and too obscure or bizarre to be considered. In an advertising
entertainment meant to send messages. Outsiders, even market that has had two centuries to perfect its craft, true
those from other Fourth and Fifth Wave societies, will be novelty is worth millions of dollars.
confused, unable to tell the difference.
Similarly, most citizens of a pantainment society will
be highly attuned to fame, even as a surprisingly large part
of the populace achieves minor celebrity status through In the future, everyone will be
participation in virtual environments, harmless but atten-
tion-grabbing stunts, “slogging” (or “slink-logging,” the
famous for 15 minutes.
use of a slinkie interface as a daily journal published on the – Andy Warhol, 1967
global network), or appearing in an InVid based on real-
world events. The use of entertainment-industry jargon
such as “fame curve” (the speed with which a given
I wanted to be famous NOW.
celebrity will rise and decline) and “going BC” (becoming – Rudy Sanchez, after his
a “background character,” still present but no longer the arrest for hacking an InVid
focus of an event) is also quite common. A popular variant
of the standard Mugshot augmented-reality program high-
stream to put his face on all
lights individuals based on type and degree of celebrity of the actors’ bodies, 2097
(see Computer Software, p. 131).

Attention-Deficit Society In much of the world, advertising has taken on the

Not every media-dense culture is a pantainment soci- characteristics of memetic warfare, using deception and
ety. Many late-Third-Wave and early-Fourth-Wave nations intimate knowledge of the audience in ways that would
are considered to be attention-deficit societies. In these have been shocking even half a century earlier. Massively
societies, the amount of information demanding an indi- complex computer systems plumb the depths of transaction
vidual’s attention is overwhelming, from work-related databases, scan newsfeeds and public upslinks, monitor
data, to advertising, to entertainment and news – and the systems, and watch communication networks, all with the
ability of individuals to keep up is decreasing. Each medi- goal of compiling accurate customer knowledge. Rather
um attempts to cut through the clutter and grab the per- than providing a limited set of perfectly targeted induce-
son’s focus; as a result, it is difficult to pay sufficient ments, however, this has led to inundations of personally
attention to any given information source. Personal info- customized messages that still seem only to offer junk.
morphs are usually of great assistance in this sort of cul- Augmented-reality systems are common targets of
ture, but in many developing nations the ability to intrusive advertising, in which competitive messages
broadcast data of all sorts is more available than the indi- get plastered like graffiti across shops and vendors.
vidual system’s ability to act as a filter. Voice and text messages are also quite common, usu-
People raised in an attention-deficit society typically ally triggered by short-range speech and behavior-
demonstrate a well-developed ability to ignore information recognition systems.
that doesn’t personally concern them, although this often Sometimes sophisticated advertising software
manifests itself as becoming easily bored without constant gets out of control. Adviruses are a form of weblife
new stimulation. A major difference between a pantain- (see p. FW31) that attempt to gain access to the main
ment and an attention-deficit society is the primary form of processing area of a virtual interface or augmented-
information. In a pantainment culture, entertainment dom- reality system. A notorious advirus cases happened
inates and other messages must be constructed in a manner in 2088, when an Egyptian soft-drink company
consistent with that model. In an attention-deficit culture, advertisement evolved into an advirus that infected
advertising dominates, and other information often takes VIIs with a constantly scrolling logo across the user’s
on similar characteristics: single theme, persuasive pitch, vision. Although antiviral software can now delete most
and targeted toward immediate needs. adviruses, they remain a persistent annoyance.

15
OVERVIEW
warfare” – the intentional manipulation of perspec-
MEMETIC WARFARE tive, idea, and belief to achieve political ends. In 2100,
many political or social struggles center on changing the
“There is no greater accomplishment than disrupting
a society’s memespace. Once the traditional hierarchy of way people think about an issue, recognizing that this is a
ideas is overturned, all memes become equal, even the lever to effect greater change. While argumentation or the
most ludicrous or hysterical. Especially the most ludicrous demonstration of an idea’s invalidity can work, the effort
or hysterical, as a point of fact; it can take traditional must be both very subtle and powerful, focused on making
memetic institutions months or even years to chase down the target start to doubt his own paradigm.
and eliminate these virulent memes. That’s why I call them
‘weapons of mass distraction.’”
Propaganda
– Ang Wen, One of the classic forms of memetic warfare, propa-
A Guide to Meme-Hacking Politics ganda is commonplace in 2100. Every government state-
ment, every newsfeed article, every slinkie recording is
The techniques of the more-aggressive forms of consciously edited to support a particular worldview. There
advertising closely parallel what is often called “memetic is little controversy about this – indeed, people all over the
world have learned to be distrustful of those who claim that
their stories or facts are unbiased. The primary counter to
propaganda is diversity – citizens of advanced democrat-
ic societies rely on a multiplicity of perspectives on an
POPULAR GLOBAL MEDIA issue to form their opinions. In contrast, citizens of states
with less diversity (either due to a lack of advanced tech-
Adrenaline Junkie: Slink feeds from people doing dan-
gerous stunts. Although Adrenaline Junkie features its star nology or censorship) tend to not believe anything they
Dawn Aguilar jumping off of bridges and wrestling alliga- are told.
tors, the real attraction of the program are slink recordings
from regular people around the world (and off-world) doing Reality Hacking
crazy things. There is a small underground market for slinks The more sophisticated version of propaganda is to
of people who die while attempting stunts for the show. create apparent “facts” that the diversity of perspectives
Don’t Eat That!: Hidden camera stunt and prank InVid accept as real, thereby directing the public’s attention.
based in Pretoria, but produced and popular globally. Practi- This remains controversial, as it makes people not just
cal jokes are inflicted on a victim until he realizes that he’s mistrust what they are told, but even what they see; the
being recorded, when the hosts switch to offering payment most infamous cases involved using an individual’s own
for increasingly messy stunts. Appearance as a Don’t Eat augmented-reality gear against him. Reality hacking
That! contestant guarantees a brief but intense period of glob- uses staged events – disasters, attacks, attempted assas-
al fame. sinations, and the like – created using advanced virtual-
Naughty Bits: A combined InVid and virtual-environ- world systems and broadcast in such a way that people
ment program set in the Relaxation Island virtual world. believe that the event truly occurred.
Contestants are groups of couples who inhabit random virtu- One of the first known cases of reality hacking hap-
al bodies and try to find their mates while trying to keep com- pened in 2034. A small group of Kurds returning from a
petitors from finding their own. Banned in the Islamic peaceful protest in Ankara were stopped in a remote
Caliphate, it’s one of the most pirated InVids in production. area by Turkish police and beaten severely, leaving two
Secret Eye: Live feeds from randomly selected upslinks. protestors dead. A local filmmaker, hidden in some
Secret Eye uses gray-market equipment to tap upslink signals trees, caught most of the event on video. The uproar was
around the world and convert them to standard InVid for immediate and worldwide, and Kurds across Turkey
rebroadcast. The people providing the feeds (usually) don’t held angry rallies. But when a new video emerged,
know that they’ve been tapped. Secret Eye subjects, if they showing a different set of Kurds stopped, tortured, and
reveal their identity over the course of the slinktapping, can killed by police, the riots lasted for days, leaving nearly
become wildly popular. In early 2099, Secret Eye was forced a thousand people dead across Turkey. Five years later,
to provide a lock-out code that would prevent slinktapping; investigative journalists discovered evidence that the
as of 2100, only about 40% of the known upslink users on second video was entirely fabricated by opponents of
Earth have chosen to use this code. the (then) leading political faction in order to cause
Slogistan: Cyberdemocracy meets slink-logging, Slogis- unrest and instability.
tan provides links to slink-loggers – sloggers – around the More recently, in 2098, a minor scandal erupted in
world. Visitors vote on the merits of the various slogs, and Korea when the mayor of Pyongyang was seen by a
Slogistan keeps a running tally of both absolute number of dozen witnesses exiting a brothel, climbing into a car,
votes and preference-matches. and driving away. Some of the witnesses recorded
what they saw, recordings that were used by political

16
 OVERVIEW
opponents of the mayor to discredit him. genetic alteration; taboos about body alteration are
The tables were turned when the mayor’s particularly strong, and notions of the “perfectibility”
allies in the Korean government uncov- of humans are considered irreligious. For similar rea-
ered an elaborate plot to implant a com- sons, most believing Muslims find Transhumanism or
pletely synthetic image of the mayor and posthuman transcendence to be repugnant concepts. The
car in the augmented-reality implants of main exception to this can be found in Sufism, which is a
the witnesses. The trick was planned to hap- form of Islamic mysticism with more in common with Zen
pen only when people with active AR implants Buddhism or Gnosticism than with traditional Islam.
were nearby, allowing the conspirators total control over While it has existed for centuries (many of its practices
what they saw. predate the Muslim era), Sufis have often been persecuted,
and remain few in number in the traditionally Muslim
RELIGION world. The Sufi beliefs, however, which focus on enlight-
enment and curiosity, mesh well with the transhuman
Religion and spiritual belief remain powerful forces in philosophies of the Fifth Wave world. An increasing num-
the world of 2100, especially in the developed parts of the ber of Muslims living in the hyperdeveloped world have
world. Religion, historically, has been a fundamental turned to Sufism as a way of reconciling their religious
means of solace and comfort for societies mired in pover- culture with their material world.
ty and conflict. Religious leaders are often cultural and
political leaders, providing education, community, and Christianity
channels for artistic expression. Although Christianity in the hyperdeveloped West has
evolved a number of novel variations, in the developing
Conventional Religions in an world it has remained close to its roots. Protestantism and
Unconventional World Mormonism are both strongly evangelical, and they along
While the radical changes to the human form and con- with Catholicism have waged a friendly but intense inter-
flicts over non-human sapients’ rights have driven the doctrinal struggle to convert peoples throughout Africa
emergence of new religions in the Fifth Wave world, the and Asia. Most of the world’s Protestants can be found in
political and cultural struggles that characterize the devel- China and southern Asia, where official restrictions on the
oping world have solidified the influence of traditional religion have done little to stop missionary work. Mor-
beliefs. Many of the new religions emphasize the power or monism has become the dominant form of Christianity in
transcendence of the individual. Older religions are typi- India, and is gaining converts (largely from Catholicism
cally community-focused, trying to empower believers as and Protestantism) in South America.
a whole, even at the expense of individual expression. The Catholic Church in the 21st century has an inter-
This is not to say that traditional beliefs haven’t esting history. Intense doctrinal disputes between the
changed over the course of the 21st century. Discoveries socially traditional and the socially liberal factions in the
such as life on Europa and the planet Virginia have altered church eventually led to a split in 2038, with a Chicago-
most people’s belief in the uniqueness of Earth. The devel- based faction calling itself the Catholic Church
opment of sapient AIs and bioroids has undercut the con- (Reformed) capturing many of the congregations in
cept of humanity’s distinctiveness. Yet for most older Europe and America. Although its many critics derided it
religions, these changes have only altered the tone, not the as “neo-Anglicanism,” the Reformed Church’s willingness
content, of the sermons. Some communities strive for to accept married and female priests appealed to many dis-
inclusiveness, considering all sapients to be children of affected Catholics.
God. Others are less tolerant, rejecting parahumans, The Reformed Catholic Church, while closer in cul-
bioroids, and especially SAIs as the spawn of the Devil. tural outlook to the Fourth (and, eventually, Fifth) Wave
societies in which it was founded, has receded in popular-
Islam ity somewhat, particularly in the United States. The one
With over two billion Muslims worldwide, Islam exception to this is the Society of Jesus, also known as the
remains one of the largest religions on Earth, with more Jesuits. Essentially extinct in the traditional Church, the
followers than either Christianity or Hinduism. Although Jesuits saw a resurgence within the Reformed communi-
Islam remains anchored in the Middle East, Muslims are ties when they began accepting female priests in 2047. The
found worldwide, including Russia, Southeast Asia, Jesuits are the only branch of the Catholic Church
Southern Africa and Mexico. Most Muslims consider (Reformed or Traditional) to embrace nonhuman sapience
themselves to be well-educated, modern people who hap- and transhuman philosophies, and in 2090, the Society of
pen to have deeply held faith in a traditional religion. Jesus (Reformed) quietly began accepting SAIs as mem-
The Muslim world has been relatively tolerant of bers in Europe and Mexico. As of 2100, there are about
machine intelligence, with a few exceptions (Iran and three-dozen ordained SAI Jesuits.
Pakistan in particular). Few Muslims have significant

17
OVERVIEW
Hinduism should in fact be encouraged. Where they part is in
Still the dominant religion in India, Hinduism has the recognition of the biologically based social char-
slowly declined in relative power as increasing number of acteristics of the human animal. Information Socialists
Indians embrace current ideologies and philosophies. believe that our biology is integral to who we are; Anar-
Hindu religious leaders have generally opposed genetic cho-Transhumanists see it as a defect to be engineered out.
modification and are cool toward nonhuman sapients, – Caleb Metelits, Proceedings of the First
although neither is true for the Indian population as a International Conference on the
whole. Hinduism is increasingly a cultural system rather Development of Information Socialism
than a faith; many Indian citizens call themselves Hindu with Porterist Principles, 2038
without actually believing in its scriptural orthodoxy. Two
major ideological competitors are challenging Hinduism in A variety of memes and ideologies have taken root
2100. The Mormon church has hit upon a persuasive con- throughout the developing world.
version meme in India, and now nearly 5% of India’s pop-
ulation considers itself Mormon. And nanosocialism –
Abolitionism
while not inherently opposed to religion – is a very popular While many in the Fourth and Fifth Wave worlds
secular belief system. accept the development of bioroids as a natural extension
of biotechnology, many people in the developing world see
Buddhism bioroids as vat-grown slaves. Abolitionists want a total ban
Buddhism, while remaining grounded in its core on the development and production of all forms of
philosophies, has managed to adapt with relative ease to bioroids. Bioroids now in existence should be immediate-
new developments and ideas throughout the 21st century. ly freed from service and allowed to live their natural lives.
The first religion to embrace machine sapience – prior to (Many, but not all, abolitionists would allow bioroids to
its actual invention – and with a core philosophy that reproduce, if possible.) This meme is strongest in Africa,
teaches transcendence as a goal, Buddhism is the fastest- which was the primary victim of historical slavery, but is
growing religion in the Fifth Wave world, although its also particularly influential in Europe and South America.
tenets have yet to gain a substantial foothold in the devel-
oping nations. The one exception is Indonesia, where the
Autarchy
dominance of nanosocialism and a local decline in Islam Autarchy is the belief that a country or national group
among the citizenry has led to a rise of a form of Buddhism should be able to stand on its own, self-supported, self-
heavily influenced by local Sufi mysticism. ruled, completely without any outside interference. Many
developing nations have a tendency toward autarchism;
Chinese Traditional Religion the ideology is most common in areas where the great
Comprising Confucianism, Taoism, Chinese Bud- powers have been most economically or militarily inter-
dhism, and local traditions, Chinese Traditional religion is ventionist. Autarchism is not the same as isolationism. For
the term used by scholars to describe the constellation of most autarchists, trade is acceptable, just not in goods or
faiths that adhere to Chinese cultural practices. For many services that are crucial to the “national interest.” Alliances
believers in China (and regions with a strong Chinese and regional associations are equally welcome, but never
influence), these various traditions form a coherent com- to a degree of entanglement that would force the state to
posite worldview. China’s increasingly cosmopolitan per- act against its own self-interest –treaties with great powers
spective led to a sharp decline in followers of traditional are rarely considered worth the bits they’re stored in.
religions in the mid-point of the 21st century, but this trend Autarchists commonly press for the development of mili-
was reversed in the 2070s and 2080s. While not rejecting tary systems designed and built entirely at home, as well as
the fruits of biotechnology and AI research, followers of a strong local technological and memetic arts develop-
Chinese Traditional religions tend to counsel a cautious ment. Autarchic movements are prone to violence if mar-
approach. Of all of the conventional religions, Chinese ginalized; victims of Social Transition Stress Disorder (see
Traditional beliefs were perhaps the least changed as a p. 55) are often drawn to such groups.
result of the radical advances of the 21st century.
Bioliberation
Bioliberationists assert that a state has the right to
IDEOLOGIES AND MEMES decide for itself whether and how to deploy biotechnolo-
Information Socialism and Anarcho-Transhumanism gies. More than that, however, they claim that no outside
are more similar than they are distinct. Both seek the with- force (whether corporation, government, or international
ering away of the traditional forces of memetic control and organization) has the right to prevent or require a nation to
the unfettered transformation of human existence. Both take any given action. For most Third Wave nations, there
argue that the power of creation should not be restrict- is extraordinary economic and political pressure to
ed, whether by corporation or by government, but allow Fourth and Fifth Wave corporations to bring

18
 OVERVIEW
biotech services to and extract biological resources
from the less-developed regions. Non-genemod pop-
ulations are ready markets, and even in the late 21st cen- VOUDOUN
tury new proteins are still being discovered in remote Commonly called “voodoo” in the West, the practice
areas. Bioliberation opposes the presence of outside of Voudoun was a West African traditional religion that
biotechnology and biotech firms within the nation’s bor- migrated to the Americas with the slave trade. Over the
ders, arguing that it is a violation of national sovereignty. centuries, it has proven able to adapt to a changing world.
While bioliberation movements often have a strong In 2100, Voudoun and other West African traditional reli-
Preservationist undertone, a number of political groups gions are cosmopolitan faiths with nearly one hundred
have taken bioliberationist positions to support local million adherents, combining aspects of Transhuman-
biotech experimentation, opposing the GRA and any ism, the Majority Cultures movement, and whichever
external attempt to change bioscience practices. religious traditions are common locally. Although most
popular in West Africa, the Caribbean and parts of the
Digital Freedom United States, practitioners are found on every continent.
In a world where information controls the form and Voudoun has proven remarkably flexible at combining
production of physical objects, the environment, and even 21st-century concepts and millennia-old religious prac-
bodies, control of information is a critical issue. In the tices, and many sociologists argue that the belief is posi-
hyperdeveloped world, information is largely owned by tioned to explode in the 22nd century, as the advanced
corporations, who license designs for products (or genes) to technologies of the hyperdeveloped world spread more
consumers. The Digital Freedom movement, which dates widely into the developed nations.
back over a century in its various forms, argues for the “fair
use” of information for non-profit activities and education,
and argues against the continued expansion of rights man- form, which called for developing nations to abandon
agement. Its critics have dubbed it “Infosocialism Lite,” Western-dominated political and memetic institutions. The
although its supporters often take a libertarian perspective. remnants of the once-revolutionary force, a journal called
By 2100 it is widely considered a lost cause, but there are Hemisphere and a biannual “Conference of Majority Cul-
some academics and activists in the developing world who ture Nations and Peoples,” have largely become focused
still abide by it. on the academic study of cultural friction and interaction.
One splinter group remains active, a small organization of
Kazoku Kai disillusioned E.U. expatriates calling itself “Kulturkampf.”
In 2067, a Tokyo businessman named Saburo Hattori It has been blamed for a series of bombings of embassies
published a series of short books calling for a worldwide across the Third Wave world.
revolution in politics and economics. Calling it Kazoku
Kai – or “World Family” – Hattori argued that the current Transparent Societies
model was unsustainable, and that the upcoming point of As countries become solid Third Wave cultures, with
transcendence would tear human civilization apart if it did abundant information technology and dense networks,
not all move forward as one. The books were largely movements typically emerge calling for a so-called “trans-
ignored in the hyperdeveloped world. But in the develop- parent society” in which there can be no privacy. Arguing
ing world, followers of the Kazoku Kai books are com- that historically laws around privacy and confidentiality
monplace, in a variety of small but vocal movements. have more often shielded the rich and powerful rather than
Most followers of the ideology can be found in academic the masses, proponents of the model believe that only in
and religious communities, although there are a handful of the total abandonment of secrecy can there be true democ-
nascent Kazoku-Kai-based political parties. The basic con- racy. This goes far beyond the common infosocialist
cept – breaking down political and cultural borders in demand for communal intellectual property; this is the
order to promote world peace, leading eventually to a one- complete elimination of the ability to hide any aspect of
world government – is sometimes combined with nanoso- one’s personal or business life. Proponents argue that irra-
cialist and secular hyperevolutionist ideas. A group called tional prejudices disappear when everyone’s private
the Okami Front has, uniquely, combined the philosophies deviances are on public display and, more important,
of Kazoku Kai with an ideology of amortalism, calling for crime becomes nearly impossible when any act can be
“transcendence through extinction,” and carrying out watched by everyone else. Few businesses or governments
occasional terror attacks in the PRA region. willingly relinquish the ability to act in secret, and true
transparent societies have rarely been attempted. Most
Majority Cultures Movement have been small Isolate communities, although one of the
The so-called Majority Cultures movement, a domi- largest experiments in transparency appeared in Lithuania
nant ideology among developing nations in the mid- (p. 20).
21st century, has largely disappeared in its original

19
OVERVIEW
design, and intellectual property bound the devel-

POLITICS, oped and developing worlds together. Only the hyper-

developed Fifth Wave nations could begin to cut the ropes,
as increasingly sophisticated material and production tech-
ECONOMICS, AND nologies make it possible for an advanced society to
become almost entirely self-sufficient. The Fifth Wave

POWER
states remain connected to the rest of the world, but large-
ly as the home for transnational corporations. Old propa-
ganda cartoons showing the U.S. or E.U. holding the
If questions about identity and pan-sapient puppet strings of the developing world have taken on new
rights consume the passions of the hyperdevel- life as activists realize how one-way the connections have
oped world, the citizens of the less-developed become. A few of the more-prescient political movements
places are more interested in basic questions of realize that technologies of self-sufficiency won’t be
political power and ownership of information. limited to the most-advanced countries for long.

The International Distribution of Labor

GLOBALIZATION The hyperdeveloped nations aside, much of the world
The early part of the 21st century focused on of 2100 is intimately connected via trade of goods and
the impact of globalization, the increasing interde- services. Although automated manufacturing and 3D print-
pendence of economies and cultures around the ing have done away with many of the traditional cheap
world. For globalization’s proponents, the increas- production jobs around the world, there are still substantial
ingly dense connections were a guarantee of markets for textiles, cybershell components, and local agri-
greater overall wealth, the spread of democratic- culture. It can still be less expensive for transnational com-
market ideologies, and improved competitive panies to make use of local human labor rather than build
strength as nations and regions specialized in needed a high-technology infrastructure. In addition, the produc-
services. For its opponents, globalization guaranteed the tion and distribution of raw materials for 3D printers and
suppression of local cultural variation, the enrichment of minifacs in the hyperdeveloped world is an increasingly
elites at the expense of the masses, and the reinforced dom- important part of many regional economies.
ination of leading developed nations. Both camps turned Knowledge work, such as genetic design, 3D-object
out to be correct. architecture, and entertainment of all types has also
By 2100, it has become nearly impossible for most become widespread. The overall increase in education lev-
mainstream states to disentangle themselves from the els worldwide allows more people to participate in the
global economic system. Trade in raw materials, product knowledge-based economy, in turn allowing a much wider
variety of new ideas and designs to enter the market. Cer-
tain areas have become well known for producing high-
quality material, such as interactive video in Bangalore,
LITHUANIAN TRANSPARENCY genetic designs in Lesotho, and 3D-printer-design con-
sumer goods in Mexico City. Knowledge workers around
In 2062, shaken by massive corruption scandals, an the world tend to gather informally in their home cities,
aggressively reformist Lithuanian government pushed sharing ideas, sometimes resulting in the appearance in
through a series of total transparency laws, outlawing pri- regional “schools” of thought or design.
vacy for individuals, corporations, and government agen- The high-bandwidth communication networks avail-
cies alike. After time to adjust to the new social model, able to most countries also make it possible for individuals
most Lithuanians found that they could tolerate, if not to live hundreds or thousands of miles away from where
enjoy, the situation, and life continued more or less as they work. This practice is highly profitable for companies
usual. In 2074, the press uncovered a conspiracy between that use it, but a mixed blessing for employees. Corpora-
a handful of Vilnius-based corporations (primarily tions often use remote workers in order to take advantage
biotech firms) to market individual genome and demo- of lower labor costs. Since the only local technology need-
graphic information internationally. Further investigation ed for the workers is a web connection and augmented-
revealed that many corporations and government agen- reality interface, companies are able to very quickly shift
cies had managed to maintain secret practices and base their labor from one region to another when a cheaper
new policies on the mandated open personal information location becomes available. In many Third Wave coun-
of citizens. The subsequent riots and widespread backlash tries, local corporations are little more than labor brokers,
resulted in the end of transparency laws and a strong anti- seeking out companies looking for remote workers to
biotech popular consensus that continues today. match with local laborers looking for distant
employers.

20
 OVERVIEW
Minifacs and Robofacs
DISTRIBUTION OF Of all of the technologies common to the Fifth
TECHNOLOGY Wave world, minifacs are the most popular in developing
societies. Wildly expensive now, they are expected to drop
“There aren’t ‘haves’ and ‘have-nots’ – there are only in price eventually, although the great demand for them is
‘users’ and ‘used.’” likely to keep prices high for the foreseeable future. Com-
– Bradley Wright, 2017, Download This munities often pool money to buy a single unit. Raw mate-
rials can be hard to come by, but quite a few local suppliers
Much of the world of 2100 is defined by the tech- have sprung up in countries that otherwise don’t make
nologies available to everyday people. Outside of the minifacs. The widespread introduction of these 3D printers
hyperdeveloped world, however, many of the technologies often has unforeseen results, however. Models currently on
commonplace in Fifth Wave societies are rare and expen- the market in the advanced states are quite powerful, able
sive, available only to the rich and well-connected. Corpo- to produce consumer items of a quality equal to or better
rations from the Fifth Wave world place elaborate than locally made goods. Retailers and manufacturers that
restrictions on the use, distribution, and reproduction of specialize in mass-produced items see their business drop
content. This does not mean that high technology isn’t as minifacs start to become available. For most citizens in
available to the masses in the developing world, but much the (stable) developing world, the major expense with
that is available is woefully out of date, underpowered, or minifacs is not the device itself – still too expensive for any
even considered dangerous in Fifth Wave society. individual to own – but the licensing of designs for use
with it.
Content-Rights Management The 3D printer’s larger version, the modular robofac,
In 2100, nearly all information, entertainment, and is also becoming more widespread in the developing world,
designs – collectively referred to as “content” – are owned albeit much more slowly due to the cost. As robofacs
by corporations and licensed for consumer use. Duplica- replace older automated factories, governments are closely
tion, distribution, or use of content without the authoriza- watching their effects. There is often great tension between
tion of the license-holder is considered piracy, and unemployed citizens and manufacturers using robotic sys-
violates international law. Global regulations adopted tems. If the government doesn’t have the cash to provide a
early in the century bar the use or creation of systems that Fourth-Wave-level social-welfare system, it may enact
can be used to avoid content-rights-management protec- laws to mandate the number of employees in factories.
tions. Content rights (which encompass copyright, trade- Such laws are also used to extract greater revenues from
mark, and so-called “experience” rights) are valid for the transnational corporations doing business in developing
life of the rights-holder; with corporations effectively areas. It’s not unusual to enter a largely automated facility
immortal, and humans increasingly long-lived, this for all to find employees playing interactive webgames.
practical purposes gives rights in perpetuity.
The World Trade Organization is the primary body Cybernetics vs. Bioengineering
overseeing content rights around the world. Anything that The developing world is also home to technology
can be created or designed, from consumer products to pathways that have been largely abandoned in Fifth Wave
genomes, can be registered with the WTO for content- countries. An example of this is the continued develop-
rights protection. Once registered, it becomes part of a ment of cybernetic implants. While the genes and proteins
database available to law-enforcement agencies around the that shape human biology are well understood, their suc-
world. Any design, such as a DNA sample, a cybershell, or cessful manipulation is still fairly difficult, requiring tech-
a song, can be checked against the database, which will nological resources beyond the reach of many countries.
then identify whether it is a protected design and who the Cybernetics, conversely, is a well-established industrial
rights holder is. technology, dating back to the late 20th century. Half-cen-
Where possible, protected designs include a content- tury-old designs are well within the capabilities of mid-late
rights-management (CRM) system. CRM systems attempt Third Wave countries in 2100, and innovations, improve-
to prevent unauthorized duplication, distribution, or use by ments, and new methods are shared between developers.
imposing code-level restrictions and encryption. Some Cybernetic implants have a number of advantages for less-
CRM systems are very hard to crack, particularly those developed nations. They can be developed and construct-
that use regular quantum-encrypted communications ed locally, avoiding dependence upon hyperdeveloped
between the content and its rights-holder. Other systems, patrons; pieces can be mass-produced and customized
such as genetic-rights-management (GRM) codes that pre- later, reducing costs; and cybernetic implants can give
vent unauthorized reproduction of a genemod, are much advantages hard to accomplish with biotechnology, espe-
easier to break. In every case, hacking a CRM system is a cially in non-upgraded adults for whom genetic surgery is
crime. difficult and expensive.

21
OVERVIEW
Cybernetic implants have numerous drawbacks. between those seeking to prevent property crimes –
Implants are hard to hide; cybernetic extremities tend through the use of monitoring equipment and item
to make noise, and few of any kind have a totally natural transponders such as v-tags – and those seeking to carry
look. Implants require regular maintenance and energy to them out. This has tended to reduce the number of casual
operate. The implantation process, while generally simpler thieves, and increase the resources required to effectively
than genetic surgery, is hard on the body, and few individ- commit property crimes, contributing to the resurgence in
uals have a strong desire to have a functioning body part organized crime.
medically removed and replaced with a mechanical device.
Organized Crime
As many predicted, the trend toward the

B OMBJACKING
legalization of drugs and other “vice” crimes
over the course of the 21st century undercut
The practice of taking control of a mobile bioshell or cyber- the financial base of many global organized-
shell, strapping on (or implanting) explosives, and teleoperating crime families. Traditional syndicates were
the body to send it to a target is known as bombjacking. This hit hard by the reduction in resources and
requires the appropriate interface equipment to take over the tar- stepped-up law enforcement, and a wave of
get system, which then watches helplessly as its body is used arrests in the 2040s and 2050s spelled the
to deliver a bomb. Because of the technology required, this is end of a number of well-established organ-
mostly used by well-organized and well-supported terrorist and ized-crime families across Europe, America,
criminal groups. and Asia. Those that survived shifted their
focus away from smuggling narcotics toward
smuggling people and cutting-edge bio- and
nanotechnologies across borders.
Obsolete Technology Smaller, more flexible organized-criminal groups
Devices, software, even (non-sapient) AIs that have emerged in the latter part of the century, usually localized to
long been superseded in the Fifth Wave world often find a single region, or acting as a bridge between other loosely
continued use in the developing nations. They’re available organized networks. More sophisticated than typical street
at bargain prices from technology brokers, well-connected gangs, but rarely tied to a centralized organization, these
sales agents who constantly hunt for obsolete equipment crime networks adopted many of the ad-hoc and flattened-
being dumped in the developed world in order to sell it hierarchy techniques used by modern business and guerril-
elsewhere. Equipment recently rendered obsolete is very la groups. The lack of a strong central organization means
hard to come by in this way, but systems that are 10 to 20 that these crime networks are difficult to fight using tradi-
years old (or older) can be found readily. Prices for earlier tional enforcement methods. Conversely, the flexible and
versions of technology can range from 10% to 50% of the somewhat anarchic nature of these networks keeps them
price of equivalent new systems, depending upon function from getting very large, preventing them from exercising
and design. Obsolete equipment is usually sold as-is, with- global influence on the scale of the classic 20th-century
out much in the way of support or upgrades, and in less- mafias. These networks tend to focus on smaller crimes,
than-perfect working condition. Some technologists have such as vehicle theft and burglary, and vary widely in the
found lucrative careers in supporting obsolete systems. amount of violence used to carry out their activities.

Random Violence
CRIME AND PUNISHMENT The availability of sophisticated medical gear able to
Law enforcement in the Third Wave world is both resuscitate people injured by extreme bodily trauma (as
helped and hindered by connections to the hyperdeveloped well as make ghosts and shadows if the bodies are too far
countries. Local criminals may get access to technology gone) has changed the nature of violence in the parts of the
allowing them to more readily commit or cover-up crimes; world where the technologies are available. Guns and
law-breakers from the Fourth/Fifth Wave world may be knives are much less reliable methods of killing than in
able to take advantage of lagging law-enforcement tech- years past. In some crime-ridden locations, even drive-by
nology. Conversely, in many states the police are among shootings have all but disappeared, except as intimidation
the first to have access to high-end technology, giving tactics designed to frighten rather than slaughter.
them a distinct advantage over local criminals. Unfortunately, the use of explosives has largely
replaced shooting as a common means of committing pre-
Property Crime meditated murder. Bombs more reliably inflict enough
Theft and other property crimes remain a problem, trauma on a body and brain to prevent either resuscitation
although they are more difficult to accomplish than in or replication, although targeting a particular victim
decades past. There is an ever-spiraling arms race can be difficult. Murder-suicide by explosive is an

22
 OVERVIEW
increasingly frequent headline in many parts of the when in people) are used to mon-
world. Businesses and public buildings have installed itor their whereabouts (see P-Tag
sophisticated biochemical sniffers to attempt to detect Nations, pp. 57-58).
explosives; some of these are designed to immobilize the An individual is most likely to
person presumed to be carrying the bomb, using either be kidnapped in locations without a
tanglerfoam or a low-power electrolaser. Detectors able to robust communications or data net-
pick up dangerous quantities of modern molecular explo- work, usually in the developing world
sives have a false-positive rate of around 1/100 of 1% – or remote parts of developed countries.
that is, about 1 in 10,000 people passing through will set Kidnapping foreigners for ransom is a tra-
off the detector, even if not actually carrying an explosive ditional method of fundraising for guerrilla
– limiting the use of the automated systems. movements around the world, although the more ideolog-
ically aggressive groups grab people from great-power
Kidnapping nations in order to get attention. In either case, the relatives
Kidnapping is generally much less common in 2100 or co-workers of the abductee are typically contacted in a
than a century earlier, due largely to the expanded use of matter of minutes to communicate the demands. The trans-
tracking technology. Much of the modern world’s person- fer of funds to an anonymous account in a financial haven
al technology is intended to interact with other nearby sys- (such as Switzerland or Jamaica) or the broadcast of a
tems, using short-range broadcasts and location-tracking political statement on a major website has to happen quick-
signals. Augmented-reality gear is particularly useful in ly, as the kidnappers have little time. Once the authorities
this regard, as it depends entirely on sending and receiv- are aware that someone has been kidnapped, multiple
ing data about the environment surrounding the wearer; a tracking cybershells (usually capable of long flights) are
standard AR signal, if not jammed, can typically be dispatched to search out the victim’s AR, communications,
detected at a range of 1 mile. For children, who typically or p-tag signal; at that point, it becomes a race between the
do not have implanted AR or communications gear, spe- tracking abilities of the police and the mobility and stealth
cialized implanted v-tags (known generally as p-tags of the kidnappers. A kidnap victim is usually either
released or killed within hours of his abduction.

CAMPAIGNS IN BROKEN DREAMS

Although the Broken Dreams setting has a darker and er for players to sympathize with, as they are less likely to
less optimistic tone than the Transhuman Space core be pushing the envelope of what it means to be human.
book and Transhuman Space: Fifth Wave, campaign Their opponents may not face the same power limitations,
themes described in those books fit well in a Broken however, especially if they are rich or well-connected.
Dreams campaign. Most of the adventure seeds described The setting also works well as a location for a series
are as meaningful in Kinshasa as they are in Tokyo. Trou- of adventures for Fifth Wave characters. In terms of
bled nations still need entrepreneurs, police officers, resources and capabilities, characters typical of the Fifth
activists, and soldiers. Still, there are differences. The Wave setting may have an initial advantage over their
darker tone lends itself to adventures filled with moral opponents, but the greatest strength of the developing
ambiguity and cynicism, where characters are never quite world is its tenacity. Even when overmatched, the people
sure whether their actions ultimately serve a greater good. of the world of Broken Dreams do not give up easily.
Broken Dreams is a perfect setting for campaigns or Several other books in the GURPS line can provide
adventures focusing on combat, theft, overreaching corpo- useful material. The Cyberpunk and Cyberworld books,
rate arrogance, bioengineering disasters, espionage, assas- while most definitely not set in the Transhuman Space
sination, and information piracy – and whether the player universe, have a dystopian outlook that maps well to parts
characters are the perpetrators of or the defenders against of Broken Dreams. Cops, while focusing on present-day
these unfortunate incidents is entirely up to the GM. and historical information on police duties, remains an
Broken Dreams campaigns that use characters local invaluable guide for setting up a law-enforcement cam-
to the setting are typically less powerful than an equivalent paign. For GMs running a campaign with more of a mili-
Fifth Wave campaign. Starting points should be lower, tary and covert-operations theme, Special Ops is a great
reflecting the reduced access to cutting-edge cybershells, resource. Finally, for campaigns set in (or just visiting) the
AIs, and genetic modifications. As a result, characters Caribbean or Central Africa regions, Voodoo is perfect for
from the Broken Dreams regions may be somewhat easi- making the campaign come alive.

23
OVERVIEW
although crack programs just a few
months old are useless as copyright
holders continually improve their
CRM code. The Transpacific
Socialist Alliance, which does not
recognize the validity of global
intellectual-property controls, is a
primary source for CRM-cracking
programs and cracked copies of
popular content.

Law Enforcement
The actual practice of law
enforcement has changed little over
the last century. In-person patrols are
still more effective than remote
monitoring as a means of reducing
random crime, the investigation
process still relies on police-officer
instinct and contacts, and in most
Xoxnapping places, law-enforcement personnel still have to be con-
A specialized type of kidnappers, xoxnappers usually scious of the civil rights of those they stop and arrest.
don’t make demands of third parties. Their goal is to grab Police augmented-reality systems and infomorph assis-
the victim and make as detailed a brainscan as possible, tance, where available, allow individual officers to have
usually for sale on the black market or for espionage. Most ready access to population databases, behavior monitors,
xoxnapping victims end up dead, as creating a ghost – and other useful information. Even in areas with monitor-
which requires destructive brainpeeling (p. TS167) – is ing systems (typically cameras and p-tags), beat patrols are
faster than creating a shadow and results in a more accu- still a useful part of crime deterrence.
rate copy. Still, xoxnapping in order to make a shadow is What has changed considerably, however, is the prac-
not unheard of, particularly for intelligence purposes; the tice of forensics, the technical investigation of a crime
greatest stumbling block is the week or more required for scene. DNA databases and extremely sensitive genetic-
the deep brainscan process (p. TS166). In the early 2090’s, material analysis make it extremely difficult for the
there was a fad for celebrities to register a brainscan with perpetrator of a crime to avoid identification. Cameras,
the WTO for content-rights protection, adding a piracy especially the ones built into personal augmented-reality
charge to any xoxnapping accusation. systems, are commonplace even in the more libertarian
societies, and warrants to allow the police to access record-
Content Theft ed data are easily obtained. Whether to permit law-enforce-
From the perspective of the developed world, the ment officers to directly retrieve this data rather than to
number one law-enforcement problem in the Third Wave request the cooperation of the camera wearer is a recurring
world is that of intellectual-property piracy. Nearly every issue of public debate in many countries.
physical object in 2100 has an information-content com-
ponent, whether in its engineering, material, or intended Punishment
use. Biomedicine and agriculture are now largely based on Depending upon the resources available, convicted
proprietary designs, 3D printers and minifacs use content- criminals can face a variety of sentences (see p. TS96). In
rights-managed instructions to create objects, and enter- many nations, monitor systems and extensive therapy are
tainment and augmented-reality information is all based on the punishments of choice; execution has largely fallen
digital material owned by a person or corporation. Nor- from favor, and prison is often simply training for greater
mally, fees for the use of proprietary content are automati- crimes. States without access to nanotherapeutic tools will
cally deducted from a user’s bank account. In the frequently choose memetic rehabilitation as a next-best
developing world, this may be difficult or impossible if option. Combining intense psychological reconditioning
funds aren’t accessible – or the prices, appropriate for a with the careful application of neurotropic drugs, memetic
Fifth Wave consumer, aren’t affordable for Third Wave rehabilitation is fairly successful at preventing future crim-
customers. inal activity, although it sometimes results in substantial
Piracy is pandemic in many Third Wave and early personality changes. Memetic rehabilitation is the pre-
Fourth Wave nations. Software applications allowing ferred punishment for data piracy in many regions (see
the user to crack CRM protections are easy to find, Penalties for Piracy, p. 62).

24
 2 OPTING OUT

I wanted out. Some friends told me to look down, to seek a home

It’s as simple as that, really. I wanted out of a global underneath the waves. It’s both the new frontier and part
culture that only valued me if I was adding to the market, of your homeworld, they said. It’s serene and sublime, they
a global society that insisted that it know where I was and said. But I wasn’t seeking a new frontier, I was seeking to
what I was doing at all times, a global technocracy that find again the footpaths overgrown with weeds, abandoned
wanted only to “upgrade” me to the latest new model each in our rush to tomorrow.
year. I wanted to live my life, my natural life, in quiet con- Some friends told me to look inside, to seek the
templation, not posthuman consumerism. I wanted to fol- changes to my thoughts and beliefs that would allow me to
low my curiosity without my choices being scanned, live in peace with the world as it is. It won’t change the
analyzed, and added to a demographic knowledge base essence of you, they said. It will only change the unhealthy
that presumed to know more about me than I did. I want- drives that pull you away from happiness, they said. But if
ed, in short, to choose my own road. the transhumanists are right, my thoughts and beliefs are
Some friends told me to look up, to seek opportunities all that I truly am, and by changing them I change my true
among the new worlds in the heavens. There are experi- nature. And if the transhumanists are wrong, wouldn’t it be
ments underway with all sorts of new ways of life up there, wiser for me to step outside of a society built upon such a
they said. There is space, limitless space, between you and flimsy scaffolding of lies?
your nearest neighbor, they said. But I wasn’t seeking a I sought, then, the road less traveled, the life that some
new way of life, I was seeking a much older way, one that call “isolated,” but I choose to call “complete.”
would not require my genes to be spliced or my mind – Meredith Chen, Rediscovering Walden, 2096
to be uploaded.

25
OPTING OUT
that characterize the mainstream world also simplify

LEAVING THE the process of getting away from it all. Genemod

plants can be licensed that grow in nearly any Earth envi-
ronment, keeping food abundant. Water extraction and
SYSTEM purification is trivial with inexpensive tools. Cheap, high-
efficiency solar panels are widely available. Modern mate-
rials, communication networks, and biomedicines act as a
Not everyone is content with life in 2100. The tech- safety net for those who choose to isolate themselves.
nological acceleration and increasing diversity of form and Even if these Fifth Wave conveniences and tools are never
thought can be challenging, even threatening, to long-held used, they’re available, and more than one nominally Iso-
beliefs and ways of life. While some facing future shock late community has taken advantage of this in a time of
choose to fight back, others choose to simply leave, to emergency or disaster.
divorce themselves from the world as much as possible. The process of finding an open location to build a new
For many people seeking alternatives to mainstream soci- society, or even just a small shack, can be difficult, how-
ety, the various colonies and outposts across the solar sys- ever. Despite the abundance of land that has reverted to
tem often prove seductive. But space does not beckon to wilderness, there is very little property on Earth not under
everyone. Many people who are dissatisfied with the world the jurisdiction of some political or commercial entity.
have no desire to leave it. Many, perhaps most, of the off- Building a colony in the middle of nowhere still requires
world colonies are even more aggressively accelerated permits, leases, and often large money transfers. Not sur-
than the most-advanced Fifth Wave nations on Earth. For prisingly, many Isolates simply become squatters, gam-
people seeking to get away from the crashing waves of bling that the very isolation they seek will protect them
change, going into space is not a viable alternative. from discovery by the legal owners of the land.
At the other end of the spectrum, some nations or
multinational alliances may leave the global system, Drift Isolates
whether or not by choice. They may find the dominant ide-
In the 2070s and early 2080s, there was a flurry of
ologies repugnant, or may not be willing to abide by inter-
interest in floating communities on the open ocean, even-
national laws. If they are weak, they may simply be labeled
tually becoming the so-called “Drift Isolates” movement.
“rogue states,” and treated as pariahs until they come
Using small- to medium-sized habitats that could move
around. If they are strong enough to hold their own, how-
slowly to follow desirable weather patterns, most would
ever, they can stand as alternative models for other nations.
occasionally visit friendly ports for supplies and trade. A
handful of drifter communities used decommissioned and
ISOLATES retrofitted oil tankers as habitats, and one group managed
to acquire a long-mothballed French aircraft carrier, the
Some people, usually individuals or small groups,
simply walk away. They find an unclaimed location Roland, for use as the center of a cluster of drift commu-
in the wilderness or the sea, and attempt to nity vessels. Following the precepts of the Kazoku Kai
become self-sufficient. For most, this is a tempo- movement, this group visited ports around the Pacific
rary arrangement, a sabbatical from the chaos of Ocean, considering themselves both examples and
the modern world; for others, it’s a permanent ambassadors of a new way of life.
decision. The goal is to cut oneself off from the out- Sadly, in the early days of the Pacific War, nearly two
side world in order to achieve mental or moral clarity. In dozen drift habitats were attacked and destroyed, including
2100, individuals or groups who intentionally cut them- the cluster of ships around the carrier. Both the TSA and
selves off from the rest of the world are known as Isolates. China denied responsibility for the attacks. Rumors persist
The common motivation for Isolates is a firm convic- among Drift Isolates that a handful of TSA Bioweapons
tion that the modern world has somehow gone astray, Directorate personnel had sought refuge on the floating
whether politically, religiously, or technologically. Pro- habitats, which were then attacked by both sides. The
foundly dissatisfied with the world and willing to risk Roland itself sustained considerable damage, but managed
breaking off from its comforts, Isolates are often intensely to reach port in New Guinea in time to save most of the
ideological and driven. Nearly every Isolate community injured. The refit of the Roland was slow, but the rebuilt
that maintains any link to the web has a manifesto available drift habitat was relaunched with great fanfare at the end of
for public consumption. 2099.

Finding the Road Less Traveled Popular Sovereignty

For those wishing to strike out on their own, there are Another recent trend, most visible in North America,
many options, particularly if they come from the more- is the “popular sovereignty” concept, where a group moves
advanced nations. Ironically, the very technologies into an abandoned town and declares ownership.
Environmental and economic changes over the

26
 OPTING OUT
course of the 21st century led many people to com- Agave Hill
pletely abandon small towns across the midwest of the Reputedly declaring “we shall go no further,”
United States and rural areas of Mexico. Younger adults Jonathan Clarke led his Christian Humanist congregation
would leave, searching for better opportunities in areas from Kansas City to a remote part of Baja California to set
with more people or better infrastructure. Usually a few up the community of Agave Hill in 2089. Largely built
older residents would stay until they died, but by the mid- underground to avoid the heat of the desert, it houses a lit-
dle of the century, thousands of small towns had lost their tle more than 200 people, all working to keep the commu-
entire populations. nity fed and healthy. The elders of the town allow no
Built for a population of a few hundred at most, these technology designed after 1950 into the area, and have
ghost towns started to attract small groups of squatters who erected warnings around the borders that all computing
largely wished only to be left alone. Discovery of the new machinery is subject to destruction, including cybershells.
residents would usually result in lawsuits, as the original
owners of the properties in question sought compensation,
but as the century wore on, fewer people cared about
decades-empty buildings in abandoned areas. In 2100,
nearly 200 Isolate-occupied towns can be found in the U.S. SABBATICALS
and Mexico. One of the best known is Marietta, Oklahoma, Not everyone who wishes to escape modern existence
near the Texas border. In 2091, a Preservationist group took wants to do so forever. Temporary Isolate living, usually
over the abandoned town and decided to document their referred to as sabbaticals, are popular alternatives to total-
experience using off-the-shelf InVid equipment, showing ly abandoning the Fourth and Fifth Wave world. Typically
the successes and failures of the small community. The lasting from one to five years, the sabbatical is the func-
webcasts of day-to-day life in Marietta are an underground tional equivalent of becoming an Isolate, but without any
hit, particularly in many Duncanite communities off-world, concerns about finding unoccupied space. Sabbatical
who treat it as a subversive comedy. agents can be found in most cities and all over the web, and
are able to reserve space in one of the hundreds of pseudo-

ISOLATE COMMUNITIES Isolate communities in the hyperdeveloped world. Sabbat-

ical customers are typically people in high-stress,
There are millions of people all over the world who high-income positions.
have opted out of mainstream global society. Most eventu- A person seeking a sabbatical can choose from a vari-
ally return, although this is more often true of individuals ety of styles, from total isolation and self-sufficiency to
than the communities. Groups that decide to build their community-building and collective living. Most managed
own utopias are self-reinforcing, maintaining existence sabbatical resorts do not allow “tourists” (people staying
through careful (if often informal) memetic conditioning for less than a year), and are equally leery of “fossils” (peo-
of the members. Isolate communities’ members are usual- ple trying to remain for more than five years). A few of the
ly dedicated to their particular cause, and some groups more community-focused sabbatical retreats do have long-
exist for decades without problem. term residents in order to maintain the sense of culture and
There are two main challenges to the long-term suc- continuity. Psychological and memetic counseling is avail-
cess of most Isolate communities. The first is sustainabili- able in all locations; it is not unusual for people complet-
ty. The more a given location is cut off from the rest of the ing sabbaticals to decide on a major life change afterwards.
world, the more it has to be entirely self-sufficient, provid- Sabbatical resorts are often found in aesthetically
ing its own food, shelter, material goods, medical support, pleasing wilderness environments. Fees for sabbaticals
and so forth. Not every group can provide for every need, typically range from $3,000 to $10,000 per month, not
and many Isolate groups maintain a little trade with the rest including supplies. Facilities that provide individual Isolate
of the world for this reason. locations are typically fairly large, and tend to cost more
The second difficulty is stability. Charismatic leader- for maintenance and support. Reservations are frequently
ship is commonplace in Isolate communities, and loss of required several years in advance.
the leader can split the group as lower-ranking members Three of the most popular locations are:
struggle for control. There can also be stability problems Mist Islands Retreat, two hours outside of Vancouver,
because of the leadership itself. Historically, many leaders Union of Alberta and British Columbia. 15 individual cab-
of utopian movements have been borderline insane, and ins.
threats to the leader’s authority or to the group’s legitima- Seit Still, in the Swiss Alps. Three individual cabins,
cy have led to paranoia, violence, and even mass suicides. two collective communities (20 people each).
Effective memetic counseling and improved genetic Crystal Sands Sabbaticals, near Santa Fe, New Mexi-
screening for potential mental instability have reduced co. Five individual cabins, one collective community (50
these events in recent decades, although they people).
occasionally do still happen.

27
OPTING OUT
Many of the signs and fenceposts around the Noachian Temple
town are decorated with the broken cases of In 2061, a splinter sect of Ultra-Orthodox Jews left
computers and robots. The community supports Israel, saying that the existence of the state of Israel prior
itself by selling tequila it distills from the acres of to the coming of the Messiah was preventing his arrival,
agave plants it farms. and that God was going to wash the world clean of sin
once again. The sect traveled to Mount Ararat, in Turkey,
Gnu-Covenant the legendary resting place of Noah’s Ark; this journey was
Disgusted with both the restrictive intellectual- chronicled in the award-winning documentary Two By
property rules of the WTO-dominated developed Two. The subsequent winter was one of the worst on
world and the all-content-is-theft attitudes of the record, and when all communication with the group
TSA, in 2096 a group of South African infosocial- ceased, they were assumed to have been lost. In 2091, an
ists bought a small island in the Indian Ocean in environmental mapping satellite caught evidence of inhab-
order to build their own utopia. Naming it Gnu- itation on the mountain, and an investigation by the Turk-
Covenant, its primary ideology is that of intellectu- ish government revealed that the sect had survived. Better
al freedom and complete openness. Combining equipped than the documentary had shown, the pilgrims
infosocialism with transparency (p. 19), the island is managed to build a small complex of tunnels and caves,
known for its “public noosphere,” where all content on including a temple, within Mt. Ararat. The investigating
individual computers is open to all other citizens for dupli- officials were escorted away from the settlement, and all
cation and modification. Gnu-Covenant’s firewalls block further attempts at communication have been rebuffed.
all proprietary data from the outside world, and the com-
munity has already weathered three WTO audits (nothing
illegal has ever been found). The group survives by selling ISOLATE NATIONS
software on the world market, and is well regarded for its Isolate communities are relatively common in part
highly perceptive non-sapient infomorphs. because they are small in size and non-threatening to the
status quo. Developed nations use Isolates as a social pres-
Hiribake sure valve, letting those who are unable or unwilling to
While the Basque-speaking region of Spain launched accept the status quo escape. Groups larger than a few hun-
a violent uprising in 2042, the Basque territory in France dred malcontents are a concern, but nations that cannot or
remained at peace. Basque community leaders in France will not adapt to mainstream political and economic norms
condemned the “war plague” unleashed by their southern pose a serious problem.
brethren; in return, the Basques in Spain denounced those Historically, individual states that refuse to abide by
in France as traitors to their people. But while the Basques international laws or participate in global culture were con-
in France chose not to engage in armed rebellion, they did sidered “rogue nations” if they were small and weak. If a
not give up dreams of independence. In 2078, a larger, more powerful country – or political alliance
group of Basque nationalists declared a small vil- – decided not to be a part of the dominant system,
lage about two hours outside of Bayonne to be the other nations had a stark choice: either change
sovereign territory, renaming it Hiribake, or City the system to suit the recalcitrant country or treat
of Peace. France ignored the declaration of sover- the rebellious state as a high-level threat. In the
eignty, but did not attempt to retake the town by past century, each of the hegemonic power
force. Similarly, the Hiribake separatists were nations has played the spoiler, and each has man-
careful not to attempt to take any more land than aged to force the system to change to suit their
was already considered part of the village. This needs. In 2100, two great powers – the Islamic
peaceful standoff continues to the present day, Caliphate and the Transpacific Socialist Alliance
with neither side recognizing the validity of the – challenge the structure and rules of the global
other’s claim but making no effort to enforce their political system. While neither is strong enough to
own. France’s refusal to attack Hiribake remains force the world to accede to their demands, each
a sore spot in relations between Paris and Madrid. is able to pose a meaningful threat to the safety
In most respects, life in Hiribake is much like and security of the other great-power nations.
it was 200 years earlier. Very little of modern Of the two, the threat from the Islamic
Europe is visible, something that the nationalist Caliphate is more subtle. Largely adopting a non-
town leaders prefer. In order to “rebuild Basque confrontational international policy, the Caliphate
culture,” augmented-reality and standard is in the process of strengthening itself enough to
communication signals are jammed within the hold its own against any challenger. The underly-
town borders. Visitors are otherwise welcome in ing philosophy of the Caliphate is that the modern
Hiribake, although any non-Basque are treated with secular world is thoroughly illegitimate and corrupt,
some suspicion. and that only the guidance of Allah and the Koran

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can bring humanity to salvation. The Caliphate Our opponents do not rest. They seek to seduce
rejects much of the material technology that citizens of our people with promises of immortality, of wealth
the Fifth Wave worldview as fundamental to modern life. beyond avarice, of knowledge of the heavens and the
Moreover, the Caliphate find the memes of the hyperde- earth. They seek to corrupt us by making us like them. This
veloped nations – the ideas, ideologies, and even enter- we shall never accept. We must defend our minds as firm-
tainment – to be repugnant, and has built a potent system ly as we defend our borders. We must not waver even one
of memetic defense, a system that it is now starting to be bit in our pursuit of the path of righteousness. Our belief
used outside of its borders. is what makes us strong, what guides us, and what will,
In contrast to the quiet machinations of the Caliphate, Allah willing, lead us to our victory.
the TSA is heavy-handed in its challenge to the status quo. – Sadiq Ibn ’Abbas, remarks to the Presidium
By declaring that all intellectual property should belong to upon his elevation to Caliph, 2081
the masses, the TSA has attacked one of the cornerstones
of the modern economy, and the dominant nations have The Islamic Caliphate is a supranational religious, cul-
responded in force. China has already fought one full-scale tural, and political organization centered on the Arabian
war with the TSA, and the United States currently is fight- peninsula. With a population of 568 million citizens, the
ing a war-by-proxy against the Alliance, arguing that the Caliphate comprises the Arabic-speaking countries of the
success of the nanosocialists would plunge the world into Persian Gulf (Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Oman,
economic ruin. The mainstream world fights to preserve its Qatar, Kuwait, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and Yemen), the Arabic-
way of life, while the TSA fights to build a new one. The speaking countries of the Levant (Lebanon, Syria, and Jor-
nanosocialist governments seek to spark a global revolu- dan), and two Islamic countries along the Red Sea (Sudan
tion, making Fifth Wave innovations and technologies and Djibouti). The Palestinian Enclaves are partially
available to all. administered by the Caliphate, but are not full members.
The Caliph, Sadiq Ibn ’Abbas, functions as both chief spir-

THE ISLAMIC
itual teacher and political leader for the Caliphate,
although his role is legally more ceremonial than official.
Each member country maintains its sovereign identity

CALIPHATE within the Caliphate, and there are some significant

differences in culture and law in the various nations.
Islam is the dominant force in the lives of Caliphate
Look around, my fellows, look around at the great vic- citizens. From the economy to bioengineering, all aspects
tories we have achieved in the face of iniquity. Under the of Caliphate society are seen through the filters of the reli-
right guidance of the Caliph Ali al-Rashid, may peace be gious establishment. This does not mean that the Caliphate
upon him, and by the will of Allah the merciful, we have is “backwards” – its universities have turned out some of
been transformed, taken from a path of poverty, corrup- the finest poets and agricultural bioengineers in the world.
tion, and despair and put upon a path of righteous dignity. The establishment of the Caliphate in 2049 began what
No longer are we playthings of the ungodly, victims of a many outside observers have called the “Muslim Renais-
world that wanted only the oil beneath our feet, not the sance,” and the Caliphate has called upon its people to
thoughts in our minds or the fire in our souls. We are now, make the Muslim world a leader in science and literature
by the grace of the infinite mercy of Allah and the teach- again, as it was at the beginning of the last millennium.
ings of Muhammad, may peace be upon him, able to take But as the Caliphate has grown more powerful and
our rightful place at the table of mighty nations. confident, it has become increasingly assertive,
Yet I tell you now, my fellows, my community, that we forging an independent path to global
must instead turn our backs on the temptations of the world. power. The cultural leaders of the
Cast your gaze at the nations that think themselves as Caliphate see Europe, America, and
powerful as Allah. They are filled with idolaters who create China as not simply willfully irreli-
works in the likeness of men and call them men. They are gious, but increasingly decadent, glo-
filled with teeming millions seeking the dignity of labor only rifying the inhuman and defiling
to find machines robbing them of their livelihood. They are centuries-old wisdom. They look at
filled with the worst sort of salaciousness in the guise of the treatment of those who cannot
entertainment, fed directly into their Allah-created minds, compete against intelligent machines
corrupting their souls, leaving them indolent, irreligious, and bioroid labor, and see either wasted
and corrupt. human potential or sloth and indolence.
We cannot – we must not – ally ourselves with ungod- They see themselves as the sole “rightly guided
ly powers who only seek, in their darkest hearts, the people” of the world, and have built up considerable
destruction of our rightly guided nation. defenses against not just outside military force, but
memetic threats as well.

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nine in the conservative areas. The decline in infant
LIFE IN THE ISLAMIC mortality rates coupled with the reluctance regarding
birth control in the more traditional areas led to fears of a
CALIPHATE population explosion even greater than what has been
The goal of Caliphate leaders is to build a modern and seen. In 2075, Caliph al-Rashid approved a biotech treat-
successful Islamic nation, and for the most part they have ment that would allow women to slow the rate of ovula-
achieved this. There is little poverty or hunger, and the tion, thereby keeping population growth under control
Caliphate has managed to promote substantial technologi- without resorting to technologies that actively prevent
cal innovation while remaining true to its Islamic beliefs. pregnancy.
While the standard of living in the Caliphate isn’t up to the All Caliphate males are required to attend some kind
level of most parts of the United States and Europe for the of post-secondary schooling, whether instruction at a trade
majority of citizens of the Caliphate countries, daily life is school, a madressa (Muslim seminary), or a university.
peaceful, comfortable, and productive. Caliphate universities have a different emphasis than their
counterparts in the rest of the world. History and political
science are largely unknown as academic disciplines; liter-
ature, material engineering, biology, and cybernetics are

While other parts of far more common. Post-secondary education is optional

for females, although it is increasingly encouraged in the
more liberal parts of the Caliphate.
the world are Most families living outside of arcologies have private
vehicles. Taxes on petroleum are lower in the Caliphate
celebrating the than in other countries, and it is not unusual to see petrole-
um-burning cars on the larger cities’ streets. Nonetheless,
beginning of 2100, most people have a more modern fuel cell or hydrogen-
based vehicle. All but the oldest cars have cybernetic driv-
in the Caliphate it is ers. The issue of whether women are legally allowed to
drive in the Caliphate is largely moot for this reason. How-
already well into the ever, the restrictions are legally in effect in Saudi Arabia.

Caliphate Society
Islamic year 1523. The people of the Caliphate are quite gregarious, pre-
ferring in-person gatherings over virtual meetings. While
many homes have InVid units and entertainment centers,
local theatrical and musical productions are more popular.
Most shows have a religious or political theme, although
Daily Life this does not prevent the occasional ribald comedy from
The standard work period is Sunday through Thurs- slipping onto the schedule. Poetry readings are also com-
day, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., with time for the two prayer sessions monplace, while festivals and parties are rare outside of the
that occur during the day, along with the morning prayer more liberal areas. Alcohol and recreational drugs are for-
and two evening prayers. Every male who can works until bidden throughout the Caliphate, although enforcement
retirement age (60 years old, 100 if the person has had varies. It’s not unusual to find wine or other imported
genetic modifications), as do many women in the more lib- intoxicants in the home of the wealthy and powerful. The
eral regimes. Caliphate law guarantees a paying job for Caliphate uses the Islamic calendar, a lunar calendar with
every man who wants one, although many are occupations a start year corresponding to 622 A.D. While other parts of
that are handled by machines or bioroids in other coun- the world are celebrating the beginning of 2100, in the
tries. In the last decade, most of the labor has focused on Caliphate it is already well into the Islamic year 1523.
the design and construction of new desert settlements, al- A visitor to the Caliphate initially notes the diversity
Maghazi (in Saudi Arabia) and al-Dunya (in Syria). The of political views across the alliance, from the traditional
Caliphate’s focus on agricultural biotechnology and mate- Arabian peninsula to the more liberal Levantine region.
rial science has made it possible to support much larger Upon deeper investigation, however, political discussions
populations in these areas; both projects include central are usually somewhat narrow, focusing either on local gos-
arcologies anchoring the settlement zones. sip or complaints about non-Islamic states’ behavior. There
The population of the Caliphate is growing faster than are topics always avoided, and Caliphate citizens are con-
that of any other great-power state or alliance. The average scious of the watchful eye of the Mutawi’yyun, or “Com-
age of Caliphate citizens is 14, and the average family mittees for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of
size ranges from four in the less traditional cities to Vice.”

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The Role of Women
The issue of the proper role of women has THE POLITICS AND
remained the greatest controversy within the Caliphate.
Iraq has a largely secularized Islamic history, and women STRUCTURE OF THE CALIPHATE
have had more or less the same political and economic The Islamic Caliphate is not a unified supranational
rights as men for much of the last century. Saudi Arabia, state; it is a loose confederation of still-sovereign national
the other heavyweight in the Caliphate, has for much of its entities, similar in many respects to the early days of the
history drawn great distinction between the rights of European Union a century earlier. In the nearly sixty years
women and men. While enforcement has varied over the since its founding, the Caliphate has grown to take on a
past two centuries, by tradition and law women in Saudi substantial role in influencing the social, economic, and
Arabia have fewer political, economic, and personal rights religious policies of the member states, and has increas-
than anywhere else in the world. When the Caliphate was ingly played a role in the development of “rightly guided”
first forming, representatives from Saudi Arabia and Iraq foreign policy. Nonetheless, each of the member states
nearly came to blows over this debate. have set out on its own economic or political path when it
The Caliph, Ali al-Rashid, suggested a simple com- feels that the Caliphate has not listened to their concerns;
promise to solve this dilemma. Rather than demand this was more common in past decades than at present.
that the more liberal cultures adopt strict controls
over women, or require that the more conservative Political Structure
traditions allow women the same rights as men, the The official capital of the Caliphate is in Med-
Caliphate adopted a local-control policy. The only ina, although the current Caliph, Sadiq Ibn ’Abbas,
Caliphate-wide laws concerning women are those has taken to spending more time in his home in
directly from the Koran; otherwise, the laws and tra- Dubai. The Presidium of the Caliphate (also known
ditions of the local culture are considered to be bind- as the Presidium of the Arab League) meets month-
ing. This means that a woman from Baghdad ly to discuss and debate critical issues. The Caliph
visiting Mecca must obey the restrictions on her makes a point of visiting each of the member states
dress, behavior, and words enforced by the Saudis. every year, trying to listen to the concerns of the
Conversely, the wife of a Yemeni businessman vis- members of the umma.
iting Amman would have the rights accorded to all Each member state elects or appoints five rep-
citizens as defined by Jordanian tradition. It is not resentatives to the Shura (“council of advisors”), a
uncommon for the wife or daughter from a more parliamentary body tasked with the promulgation of
restrictive culture to escape an abusive or restrictive Caliphate-wide laws. Originally, all Shura members
family relationship during visits to more liberal were the most learned scholars of the day; over
areas. Many ulema in the conservative parts of the time, the more politically connected and ambitious
Caliphate regularly counsel the men of their cities to ulema have come to dominate the body. The Shura
leave their families at home when they travel, lest is re-elected/appointed once every six years; the
they lose them to the “barely Muslim” liberals. next cycle is in 2101. Each Caliphate nation also
In the more liberal regions of the Caliphate (the selects a single member of the Shariat Court, the
larger cities of Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, and to a less- supreme judicial body of the Caliphate. These
er extent, Syria and Bahrain), women are able to members are appointed for life.
hold nearly any job, mix freely with men, and wear The Presidium, the Shura, and the Shariat
non-restrictive clothing. Going out in public without a Court function as a shadow government for the
head covering (typically a scarf) is technically legal, but Caliphate, making alliance-wide laws requiring the con-
the cultural fashion shifts back and forth. In 2100, a more firmation of each member state; this happens largely as a
conservative dress style is beginning to relax, and women matter of course. Caliphate representatives in member
in Baghdad and Amman can sometimes be seen without a nations and cities have little official power, acting as
headscarf at night. (As with much of the world, most peo- agents of persuasion rather than coercion. That said, rep-
ple wear head coverings during the day to avoid sunburn.) resentatives are usually ulema from the local mosques,
In Oman, Qatar, and the UAE, women are considered with great influence over the community. Since 2075, the
equal citizens, but work outside the home is thought inap- leader of each city, district, and province of a Caliphate
propriate, even if fairly common. Women across the member state has had an unofficial “Shariat Guide” assist-
Caliphate are increasingly employed in positions involving ing him, making sure that local laws and regulations are
the teleoperation of cybershells, allowing them to work appropriate to the Caliphate. Dissidents living outside of
from home. Typical teleoperated shells provide no clues as the Caliphate refer to the Shariat Guides as “political offi-
to the gender of the operator, as the voice is modulated to cers,” and claim that they play a quietly powerful role in
a neutral tone. shaping local policy.

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Military Forces promote loyalty to the Caliphate over any single state
Each member country of the Caliphate maintains government.
its own standing military. These range in size from largely Since the appointment of Caliph Ibn ’Abbas, the size
ceremonial palace guards (Lebanon) to fully modern and budget of the Ghazi have grown, and it has seen much
power-projection forces (Saudi Arabia). There are unified more action. The Ghazi has frequently been deployed out-
command structures and weapon systems for the alliance side of Caliphate borders in support of non-Caliphate Mus-
militaries, however, allowing for coordinated activities. lim states, as well as in covert operations against Iran. Its
Most weapons are based on decade-old Chinese designs current largest deployment is in Uzbekistan as part of the
with local variations. multilateral force assisting the local government against
Distinct from the national armies is the Ghazi, the mil- Kazakstan-supported rebels.
itary wing of the Caliphate. Controlled directly by the Pre-
sidium, the Ghazi focuses on special-operations tactics,
The Economics of the Caliphate
and has typically supported local forces against uprisings The Caliphate’s economy is based on traditional prin-
and terrorist attacks. The Ghazi uses more cybershells and ciples of Islamic welfare, updated for the late 21st century.
smart weapons than any of the Caliphate national mili- No child will go unschooled, no able-bodied man will go
taries, and is widely considered to be among the best- without work, and no family will go without housing or
trained special-operations forces in the world. Service in food. Education usually mean networked infomorphs,
the Ghazi is considered a high honor, and personnel are human labor means far fewer bioroids or cybershells in the
usually recruited from the various Caliphate nations’ Caliphate than in much of the rest of the world, and
armies, although there is sometimes cross-agency recruit- increasing numbers of the Caliphate’s citizens live in the
ment from the Caliphate intelligence services. Ghazi train- growing desert arcologies in Syria and Saudi Arabia.
ing also includes substantial memetic conditioning to The Caliphate makes use of LAI and SAI systems to
help guide the economy, and uses 3D printers to make up
for market shortfalls of necessary items. It has a mixed
economy, ostensibly market-based but with guaranteed
USEFUL TERMS employment, housing, schools, hospitals, and food. Cor-
porations, unless state-run, die with their founders. Prohi-
Alim – Teacher and cleric of Islam. The alim fills bitions on the collection of interest make investments
a role in Caliphate society that combines instructor, complicated, but not impossible. Inventions and intellectu-
priest, and community leader. There is no formal al property belong to the creators, but the Caliphate may
hierarchy of ulema (plural of alim), but those from make use of them as needed to support the well-being or
the more prestigious schools (the Islamic University security of the umma. While there is potential for abuse of
of Medina, the Dubai Islamic College, and Al al- this system, the Shariat Court has final say over whether or
Bayt University in Amman) tend to rise to greater not the Caliphate may make use of someone else’s proper-
positions of moral and community authority. ty. Over the past 25 years, the court has tended to say “no”
Fatwa – A ruling or pronouncement from an more often than “yes.”
alim; the fatwa’s legitimacy is contingent upon the The currency of the Caliphate is the dinar, a monetary
respect the alim has from others (e.g., a fatwa from unit specified in the Koran as equal to 4.25 grams of gold.
the Caliph carries much more weight than a fatwa With the abundance of gold available from mining aster-
from the community cleric. oids, the dinar’s ties to the formerly precious metal are
Koran – The Holy Book of Islam. Believed to be now symbolic, and while the dinar coin – along with the
the word of Allah as handed down through the dirham, equal to 3.0 grams of silver – is the official legal
Prophet Muhammad. tender of the Caliphate, it isn’t often used. Most citizens of
Hadith – Rules based on observations of the the Caliphate use a smartcard tied to their bank accounts;
Prophet’s behavior that have the most reliable and these use biometric systems to prevent fraud or theft.
consistent witnesses; nearly as binding as the Koran While the value of the dinar varies, it usually floats around
itself. the rate of one dinar to five dollars.
Sunnah – The Traditions of Islam, based on sto-
ries of Muhammad’s behavior and their interpreta- The Rightly Guided People
tions by religious scholars and judges. At its heart, the Islamic Caliphate is a devout society.
Shariah – Jurisprudence based on the Koran, It is not “fundamentalist,” as the term was used a century
Hadith, and Sunnah. earlier. There is no desire to turn back the clock, no char-
Umma – The “community of believers.” Tradi- acterizations of other nations as “Satanic,” and no attempt
tionally used to refer to Muslims worldwide, it is to shoehorn understanding of the laws of physics into the
used within the Caliphate as a term for its citizenry. 1,500-year-old conceptual models. But the populace of
the Caliphate nations is deeply religious, with a firm

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The Mutawi’yyun
The Caliphate has two primary agencies
T F P
HE IVE ILLARS OF ISDOM W dedicated
memetic
to memetic defense. The public face of
control is the Mutawi’yyun, or the
Every believing Muslim is required to abide by the follow-
ing rules. Regardless of other political or confessional disputes, “Committees for the Propagation of Virtue and
the majority of believing Muslims have these rules in common. Prevention of Vice.” Run by the Saudi-based
They must: General Intelligence Directorate (GID), the
1. Testify that there is no deity but Allah, and Muhammad is Mutawi’yyun acts as both domestic and external
Allah’s Messenger. enforcers of Shariat law. A visit by the Mutaw-
2. Pray dutifully and properly five times a day, facing i’yyun is never a pleasant experience as they
toward Mecca. rarely move against someone without amassing
3. Pay Zakat (a charity paid yearly for the benefit of poor substantial evidence. They have a reputation for
Muslims; 2.5% of wealth). heavy-handed actions against those who violate
4. Observe daytime fast during the month of Ramadan. the umma’s memetic purity. Even those fleeing
5. Perform Hajj, or the pilgrimage to Mecca, at least once in the Caliphate to escape accusations of apostasy
a lifetime, if financially possible. aren’t safe; the Mutawi’yyun work closely with
the rest of the GID to eliminate problems perma-
nently. Mutawi’yyun activities outside of the
Caliphate contribute to the coalition’s mixed
belief in the veracity of their faith. For most Muslims in the
reputation abroad.
Caliphate, religion is simply the way the world works, and
The GID and the Mutawi’yyun make extensive use of
those who do not follow Islam are missing out on the truth.
monitoring equipment, from micro-cameras to data “sniff-
The most serious crimes in Islam concern apostasy, or
ing” systems. Surprisingly, abuses are relatively rare.
rejection of religious belief. While Islamic governments
Although the GID is known to be fairly brutal in its treat-
have varied in how severely they punished those who
ment of threats to the Caliphate, it has a reputation for
questioned the Koran, the Caliphate has embarked on a
scrupulous honesty. This was not always the case – high-
more ambitious path. The Caliphate’s goal is to make the
profile corruption scandals in the 2070s resulted in the exe-
crime of apostasy literally unthinkable. The focus of the
cution of twenty GID and Mutawi’yyun agents, and led to
Caliphate’s memetic engineering since the appointment of
a full-scale housecleaning of the service.
Ibn ’Abbas has been on how best to shape the umma’s
thoughts to match the Koran and the Sunnah. Nuhá
Memetic defense in the Caliphate goes beyond the
The hidden face of memetic control is a group known
cultural or political protection typical in most societies of
only as Nuhá, the Arabic word for “prudence” or “intel-
2100. All memetic controls and defenses are part of the
lectual restraint.” Few Caliphate citizens know anything
larger task of “rightly guiding” the people of the Caliphate
about it, and most who have heard of it doubt its exis-
toward the path of proper thought and action. Anything
tence. Nuhá has the task of advising the Caliph and the
that causes deviation from that path is by definition apos-
Presidium on how best to guide the umma. Their expert-
tasy, and must be rooted out and destroyed. Anyone who
ise is a mix of memetic science and the most diligent reli-
challenges the authority or legitimacy of the Caliphate will
gious education. Nuhá only recruits the most brilliant
be considered an apostate, and dealt with accordingly.
young students, and once you’re in, you’re in for life.
There are three levels of response to apostasy. The
first is simple argument. It is incumbent upon believers to
argue with apostates and attempt to convince them of the
error of their way. This has become another form of social
control; anyone who does not vehemently argue against
“What you see is a diverse
apostasy when given an opportunity becomes suspect. The nation with many peoples and
second response is conditioning, which can include physi-
cal beatings but now often means memetic rehabilitation.
cultures. What we see is an
Apostates have errors in their thinking; those errors must empire quashing those peoples
be corrected, and modern techniques allow for condition-
ing without brutality. The final response, if memetic con- for what they think is the ‘true
ditioning doesn’t work, is removal. If the apostate is quiet,
or has taken pains to not allow his deviance to affect oth-
vision’ of Islam.”
ers, he is exiled from the Caliphate. If the apostate is con- – Fedayin al-Kuffar
sidered to be an evangelist, he is subject to execution.
propaganda statement

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THE SALAMATIN
Sometimes the husband or father of a woman who al capture. In most cases, if the salamatin discover the
sought asylum in the liberal cities hire salamatin, or woman in bed with someone not her husband, they kill
“rescuers,” to go find the woman and bring her home, the woman for the sake of the family’s honor.
whether or not she is willing to return. These services Kidnapping and murder are crimes in the
vary in price and approach. Some attempt to verbally Caliphate, but if the police discover that the victim was
convince the woman that she should return, often by a woman on the run from a conservative family, many
playing upon her feelings of loyalty to her parents or jurisdictions may look the other way. Salamatin gener-
children. Others try to take the woman by surprise, ally do not operate outside of the Caliphate, despite the
using sedatives and smuggling her back home. Since claims of the more lurid InVid dramas. The use of sala-
having non-family males touching a woman is a dis- matin is becoming increasingly controversial within
honor in many more traditional areas of the Caliphate, the Caliphate, and there is public debate over whether
these salamatin usually have female agents do the actu- the Caliph should issue a fatwa outlawing them.

Nuhá is far more subtle than the Mutawi’yyun, shap- advanced, particularly in the area of memetic engineering
ing the memetic path of the Caliphate with a scalpel rather and agricultural biotechnology, many others are stunted for
than a sword. From having stories planted in news reports cultural reasons. In most respects, the Caliphate is a Third
to altering the datastream of the global information net- Wave society with some Fourth and Fifth Wave tools.
works coming into the Caliphate, Nuhá seeks to exert
small amounts of pressure in just the right places and times Sapient Artificial Intelligence
to cause a cascade of changes down the road. A Nuhá agent “There is a Hadith that states ‘awwala mâ khalaqa
rarely, if ever, resorts to blunt physical force. More com- Allâhu al-’aql,’ ‘the first thing that Allah created was the
mon is the use of memetic weapons to change perceptions Intellect.’ What are we but Intellect? How could Allah love
and behavior. The TSA is one of the primary targets of us any less, we children of the mind?”
Nuhá, not simply because of the threat it poses, but – Najm al Azhar, Nuhá analyst and SAI
because of its access to a wide array of cutting edge (and
often illegal) biotechnology. Nuhá has close ties to the Sapient AIs can be citizens of the Caliphate if they ful-
highest levels of the Ghazi leadership; when force is fill two primary criteria: they accept Islam, including its
required, Nuhá is far more likely to request Ghazi support five requirements; and their physical form is not idola-
than to attempt the operation itself. trous. SAIs in mobile cybershells are accepted, even wel-
Nuhá taps into the GID and Mutawi’yyun monitoring comed in the cosmopolitan areas of the Caliphate, but only
systems, and has access to most of the data stores of the if their cybershells are distinctly not shaped like a living
public intelligence agencies. Nuhá also has monitoring being. The proscription against idolatry has long been con-
systems of its own, somewhat more sophisticated than the sidered to include prohibitions of pictures and dolls of ani-
GID’s. Most leading political and economic figures are mals and people, particularly when the representations
under Nuhá surveillance. would glorify or show the superiority of the subjects.
After Ali al-Rashid died in 2081, the first change Most SAIs adopt a simple geometric form (on wheels
Nuhá pressed the Caliph and Presidium for was the adop- or legs), although ones working with the Ghazi often taken
tion of a law allowing SAIs to become full citizens of the on a far more menacing cybershell. Despite the opportuni-
Caliphate. Al-Rashid had long resisted that suggestion, ty for citizenship, SAIs are fairly uncommon in the
unable to fully accept machines as members of the com- Caliphate. In the larger cities, they still get a second glance;
munity of believers. Ibn ’Abbas was more receptive to the in more rural areas, they’re objects of great curiosity, but
idea, especially when he discovered that three of the most usually not hostility. There was discontent among the more
revered analysts in Nuhá were themselves SAIs. conservative clerics when Ibn ’Abbas gave citizenship to
SAIs in 2081, but the dispute has largely been suppressed.
TECHNOLOGY AND THE Computer Systems and Cybernetics
CALIPHATE Cybernetic implants are legal, but considered
immoral by many – slinks are illegal. The habit in the
The Islamic Caliphate represents a different techno-
Caliphate is not to use wearable systems, either. Rather,
logical path than the mainstream Fourth and Fifth Wave
the Caliphate has public terminals throughout urban
world. While many of the Caliphate’s technologies are
areas, and wireless networks covering the majority

34
 OPTING OUT
of the territory to support portable infomorph men. They are more often found in the more-conser-
devices such as book computers (see p. 130). If a vative areas of the Caliphate, in medium to large cities.
Caliphate-native character wishes to use a VII or wearable Houri dens are well-hidden, and new customers must be
system, he should take a Quirk “Uses a VII/wearable.” brought by an existing trusted patron, typically a cousin or
Cybernetic replacement parts are rare, and are usually brother. Houris are engineered to be extremely submissive
constructed to appear as life-like as possible. and not terribly intelligent, but the work is sometimes slop-
py, and Houris have been known to escape their captivity.
Bioroids Since Houris have an attractive but otherwise normal
Bioroids are even more controversial than SAIs and human appearance, they can blend in with crowds more
cybershells. A blanket prohibition against bioroids was lift- readily than other bioroids on the run. Escaped Houris are
ed in 2076, when an influential alim published a series of critical to the ongoing success of al-Mu’aqqibat.
essays arguing that the Sunnah outlawing the creation of Foreign humaniform or animalform bioroids and
statues and images stated that the creator of the form would cybershells are generally restricted from entering the
be damned only if he could not “breathe life” into the cre- Islamic Caliphate. Any who do so must have good cause,
ation. At one time, only Allah could do that. But now, clear- and must be licensed by the Caliphate and each state the
ly humans could do it as well, by using the gift of intellect bioroid or cybershell will enter. Any bioroid or cybershell
provided by Allah. As long as the bioroids created did not entering illegally is immediately ejected from the
take a glorious shape, and as long as they worked in menial Caliphate if discovered. Bioshells are totally illegal.
or debasing tasks, their creation was permissible.
This argument was controversial but persuasive: its
author was Sadiq Ibn ’Abbas, who was appointed Caliph
after the death of al-Rashid. Today, although legal, worker
bioroids are typically only seen in the more liberal parts of
Bioroids in the Caliphate
the Caliphate. They are distrusted at best throughout most
of the region, are prohibited entry in the holy cities of
have hard lives and short
Mecca and Medina, and have very limited rights. Nearly
all bioroids native to the Caliphate have a non-humanoid
lifespans; the average one
shape. The most common is the Busr model. Busr means
“partially ripe dates,” and the name refers to the shape as
lives just over 36 months.
much as the inferior-to-human nature of the bioroid.
Bioroids are often subject to physical abuse by their
owners, and typically have few protections from the haz-
ards of the jobs they’re brought in to perform. Bioroids in Other Biotechnology
the Caliphate have fairly short lifespans; the average lifes- Biotechnology beyond agriculture and conservative
pan is just over 36 months. There are only about 40 germline repairs is unusual and often illegal in the
bioroids over two decades old still alive in the Caliphate. Caliphate. Over the last 10 years, a debate emerged in the
Three of these aging bioroids lead a group called al- Shura between those who wish to upgrade the citizens to
Mu’aqqibat (“the protectors”), an underground railroad make them more submissive to the teachers’ word and
that rescues bioroids and brings them out of the Caliphate, those who wish to make them more willing to struggle in
usually to cities in southern France. This movement has the name of Allah. Lost in the debate are the voices of
several thousand associates and agents scattered around those who do not wish to further engineer future genera-
the Caliphate, helping to hide bioroids on the run. Origi- tions. The Caliph, who has not yet taken a side, suspects
nally treated as simple theft of property, a 2091 fatwa that the debate has been orchestrated by Nuhá.
declared the smuggling of bioroids as an affront against the Cloning, surrogate mothers, and DNA blending are all
Caliphate itself, legitimizing the arrest and execution of illegal in the Caliphate; exowombs are legal, but uncom-
those helping bioroids to escape. Al-Mu’aqqibat receives mon. There is strong social and religious pressure to repro-
assistance from the French intelligence service ranging duce the “old-fashioned” way, albeit with the full support
from funds to monitor-scrambling equipment, usually of of late-21st-century medical technology to ensure a safe
TSA manufacture to obscure its origin. delivery and healthy child.
There is only one kind of humaniform bioroid in use Uplifted animals are illegal in the Caliphate, although
in the Caliphate: the Houri model. Technically highly ille- as with humaniform bioroids and cybershells foreign-
gal, the Houri bioroid is designed for sexual servitude. born uplifts can enter the Caliphate with proper registra-
Islamic and regional tradition puts many restrictions on the tion. The one exception is uplifted dogs – dogs are
behavior and appearance of women, in large part as a referred to with disgust in the Koran, and are not allowed
means of controlling male behavior. Houris are used as to enter buildings. Uplifted dogs are considered an
a method of channeling the desires of unmarried abomination.

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THE CALIPHATE AND THE

AYLISHA 71 POINTS REST OF THE WORLD
Bioroid, manufactured 2090. Age 10; 5’8”, 110 lbs. Tan skin, black
hair and eyes, attractive. The Caliphate under Ali Rashid was
Aylisha was manufactured in Saudi Arabia in 2090 to serve as a largely introspective, focusing its attention on
Houri pleasure bioroid in the city of Jiddah. The den catered to the local rebuilding Islamic science and strengthening
elite and their foreign guests. Her original owner, Hafez al-Faisal, Caliphate society. It paid scant attention to
attempted to expand his holdings into Dubai, in the United Arab Emi- issues outside of its borders. Since the
rates, but faced stiff opposition from the al-Husseyni family. As part of appointment of Sadiq Ibn ’Abbas, however,
the territorial dispute’s resolution, five of al-Faisal’s bioroids were the Caliphate has begun to look outward,
transferred to the al-Husseyni. Aylisha was moved to Dubai in 2096. seeking greater global influence over Muslims
The Houris at the new den did not welcome Aylisha and the other and non-Muslims alike.
transferred bioroids, and the customers were regularly brutal to the
newcomers. In addition, the al-Husseyni overseers were crueler than Non-Caliphate Muslims
their previous owners, and one by one the al-Faisal bioroids found ways Traditionally, the umma includes every
to kill themselves. By the middle of 2099, of the original five, only Muslim in the world. The historical Caliphate
Aylisha was left. covered all Muslim lands, and expanded
In July of 2099, Aylisha attempted to escape the den; during the aggressively as its armies converted the con-
chase, she fell into the waters of the Gulf and appeared to drown. Her quered regions. The modern Caliphate covers
unusual lung capacity saved her life, and her captors, believing her to less than one-third of the global Muslim pop-
be dead, gave up pursuit. For weeks, she survived by petty theft and ulation. Under Caliph Rashid, other Muslim
surreptitious prostitution. nations would join the Caliphate when they
In September, she fell in with performers putting on mildly risqué saw the peace and productivity of the “rightly
stage shows, none of whom asked about her background. During a per- guided” people. Since all Muslims are
formance of a pre-Ramadan play, Aylisha recognized several al- required to visit Mecca at least once in their
Husseyni overseers in the audience. Although her hair was a different lives, Rashid knew that the Caliphate would
color, and they believed her to be dead, Aylisha feared recognition and have a large and attentive audience.
left the troupe that night. For the most part, this policy of quiet
Aylisha does not know about the al-Mu’aqqibat, and has so far demonstration has not worked. The four
managed to avoid being identified as a bioroid. She is convinced that at largest non-Caliphate Muslim nations remain
least one of the overseers in the audience suspected her, and is terrified steadfastly outside of the Caliphate’s sphere.
of being caught and sent back to the den. She currently lives in a board- Many other nations with significant Muslim
ing house for women, but moves around the Emirates as often as she populations are aligning themselves with the
can afford. global hegemonic powers of the United
Aylisha can be a minor contact for visitors to the UAE, as she has States, Europe, and China.
picked up a bit of street knowledge in her months on the run. If the al- Egypt is the largest Arabic-speaking
Husseyni family discovers that she is still alive, they will send a nation outside of the Caliphate, and is actively
sikkiyn rather than to try to recapture her. She would be willing to offer seeking to build an alternative Muslim bloc. It
whatever money she has saved or her own professional services to is a moderate Islamic state, rejecting funda-
characters willing to protect her. mentalism but embracing Islamic culture. The
current government, which took power in
ST 9 [-10]; DX 12 [10]; IQ 10 [10]; HT 12 [0]. 2045, has worked to rebuild its economic and
Speed 6.00; Move 6. military strength, but with minimal success.
Dodge 6. Egypt walks a fine line in its political dealings
Advantages: Houri Bioroid (p. 122) [47]; Breath-Holding +2 (In with the Caliphate. It cannot afford to anger
addition to Breath-Holding +1 in the template) [2]. the Caliphate enough to bar the entry of its cit-
Disadvantages: Easy to Read [-10]. izens into Saudi Arabia during the pilgrimage
Quirks: Attentive; Keeps her hair colored red. [-2] to Mecca; doing so would bring about the
Skills: Acting-10 [2]; Area Knowledge (UAE)-10 [1]; Dancing-13 wrath of the still-religious majority of Egypt-
[4]; Erotic Art-13 [1]; Filch-11 [1]; Lip Reading-10 [2]; Perfor- ian citizens, and likely civil war.
mance-11 [4]; Sex Appeal-15 [6]; Singing-13 [2]; Streetwise-9 India has one of the largest Muslim pop-
[1]. ulations in the world. A decline in Hindu
Languages: Arabic (native)-10 [0]; English-9 [1]; Russian-9 [1]. nationalism, coupled with the behavior of the
increasingly unstable Pakistani regime, has
cooled the desires of most Indian Muslims for

36
 OPTING OUT
any serious political independence. Relations
between the Caliphate and the current anti-nanoso-
cialist Indian government are quite warm, however, and THE SIKKIYN
there are persistent rumors of joint military-development Bioroids that escape their service are considered to be
projects between the two emergent powers. irreparably defective. While some bioroid owners may
Indonesia remains the world’s most populous Muslim pursue and recapture errant property, most turn to the
state, with over 350 million people. It is also the Muslim services of a sikkiyn, or “knife,” a bounty hunter that spe-
nation least influenced by the Islamic Caliphate. Indone- cializes in the capture and disposal of escaped bioroids.
sia is currently the dominant country in the Transpacific Due to weapon controls in the Caliphate, sikkiyn usually
Socialist Alliance, and is strongly unified under the infos- kill their quarry with a long dagger. The job is dirty and
ocialist banner. Muslim revolutionary movements, which unpleasant, but is generally considered legal (if distaste-
reached a peak in the 2010s, were put down through the ful) as long as the sikkiyn can present a contract digitally
combination of political shifts, memetic engineering, and signed by the bioroid’s owner authorizing its elimination.
a rising nationalism. The Nuhá considers Indonesia (and Sikkiyn tend to work alone or in pairs, and usually are
the rest of the TSA) to be the Caliphate’s most significant well connected in the urban underbelly of the Caliphate.
long-term threat, as it demonstrates a technologically It’s not unusual for sikkiyn to engage in minor smuggling
advanced secular alternative to the mainstream system. of alcohol or drugs between assignments, and some are
Iran, led by a neo-fascist regime since the middle of the available to use their knives on non-bioroids. In smaller
century, no longer seeks dominance over the Muslim communities, sikkiyn sometimes double as salamatin (see
world. It does desire regional hegemony, however, and sees p. 34).
the Caliphate as the major impediment to that goal. While Al-Mu’aqqibat considers sikkiyn to be deadly adver-
religion is repressed internally, Iran takes full advantage of saries, and will sometimes seek to have particularly brutal
simmering Shi’ite resentment against the Sunni Caliphate, or effective sikkiyn killed.
funding and equipping sectarian political movements.
There are also ongoing tensions over access to the waters of
the Gulf for desalination uses. The Caliphate, while not caught speaking against the Koran or the Caliphate will
interested in any attempt at Sunni-Shi’ite reconciliation, have his citizenship revoked and property confiscated; if
abhors the Iranian regime. It is widely rumored that Ghazi they are deemed to be causing trouble by being outspo-
and GID leadership have drafted battle scenarios for a ken, they may be targeted for assassination.
potential invasion to topple the Iranian government. Biomedical procedures illegal in the Caliphate are also
Pakistan alone has nearly two-thirds the population of prohibited to travelers. All Caliphate citizens have a genetic
the entire Islamic Caliphate, but has nowhere near the eco- record on file with their home governments, a record that is
nomic or political power. The current military government, accessible by customs officials. Citizens returning to the
which took power in 2087, survives largely through brutal Caliphate from Europe or America are routinely given
repression. Resistance to the government is organized pri- genome scans to determine if there has been any forbidden
marily in the madressas, and supplied with equipment and genetic engineering done to them. The punishment for hav-
intelligence by the Caliphate. Covert operations in Pak- ing forbidden work done is several years’ imprisonment and
istan are the Caliphate’s most ambitious foreign action; an attempt by Caliphate doctors to reverse the change and
they manage to maintain deniability even while increas- restore the original genome. It’s widely rumored that some
ingly destabilizing the Pakistani regime. Pakistan, suspect- customs officials can be bribed to “forget” the genome scan,
ing but unable to prove Caliphate involvement in the and that many high-ranking politicians and businessmen
low-level revolt, in turn funds terror campaigns against the have illegal genetic modifications.
Caliphate, as well as against its traditional rival, India.
Turkey, while still overwhelmingly Muslim in culture, Outside Citizens in the Caliphate
is largely secular in outlook. Relations between Turkey Muslim citizens of other nations are welcome within
and the Caliphate are cordial; disputes tend to focus on the the Caliphate. The Presidium sees this as an opportunity to
issue of water than sectarian conflicts. Turkey does a expand the cultural, if not political, influence of the Caliph.
greater portion of its trade with the Caliphate than any Since the hajj to Mecca is a requirement for all believing
other European Union country. Muslims, Saudi Arabia has a special duty to allow access to
the holy cities. Mecca has one of the largest international
Caliphate Citizens Outside the airports on Earth, although only specially licensed aircraft
Caliphate and pilots are allowed to land. Non-Muslims are forbidden
Citizens of the Caliphate have the right to travel out- to enter Mecca and Medina, although the punishment is no
side of its borders, although there are certain restrictions. longer death, just expulsion from the Caliphate. Teleoperat-
Caliphate citizens are still subject to Caliphate laws ed cybershells are generally prohibited as well, although
regarding apostasy wherever they go. Anyone cybershells inhabited by Muslim AIs are permitted.

37
OPTING OUT

PARVEZ KHOLANI 206 POINTS

Female, born 2075. Age 25; 5’9”, 140 pounds. Tan haunts her in the hours after she engages in combat.
skin, dark brown hair, hazel eyes. strong build. Iranian intelligence has a detailed dossier about her
Parvez Kholani is a member of Mujahidin e- and an operative of its own in Baghdad to evaluate her
Khalq, the Iranian-backed group. She entered Baghdad performance.
in May of 2099 to begin work on a new wave of bomb- Kholani will likely start her bombing campaign
ing attacks. She’s patient, careful, and very good. soon, and is a formidable opponent for police or intel-
Born in the Shat-al-Arab region of Iraq, where the ligence agents investigating the attacks. She will not be
Tigris and Euphrates rivers meet the Persian Gulf, easily discovered, and would play along with anyone
Kholani’s parents were American-trained scientists blackmailing her until she could find out who they were
who had returned home to start a family. Their plans in order to eliminate them. She also would not trust
were cut short when their home was crushed by anyone carrying out activities similar to hers. Once she
Caliphate bulldozers and they were killed, leaving her learned their habits, she would likely alter her own
an orphan at three years old. The largely Shi’ite village attacks in order to pin the blame on the other group.
was torn down in order to build employee housing for
new desalination plants, and the surviving residents ST 11 [10]; DX 12; [10]; IQ 12 [20]; HT 13 [20].
were sent to a refugee camp. There she learned how to Speed 6.25, Move 6.
fight and make crude explosives, and joined with the Dodge 6.
Mujahidin e-Khalq resistance. Advantages: Alertness 2 [10]; Ally Group
Kholani trained in both Iraq and Iran, and proved (Mujahidin e-Khalq; paramilitary
to have a good aim and a talent for explosives. She par- group, 6 or less) [15]; Alpha Upgrade
ticipated in attacks against Caliphate forces throughout [35]; Cool [1]; High Pain Threshold
her teen years, and her skills and abilities drew the [10].
notice of Mujahidin e-Khalq leaders. In 2097, she Disadvantages: Low Empathy [-15]; Post-
began training for a covert operation in Baghdad, car- Combat Shakes [-5]; Secret [-20].
rying on the bombing campaign against the Caliphate Quirks: Chess player; Quiet; Secular. [-3]
rulers. She entered Baghdad in May of 2099 carrying a Skills: Area Knowledge-14 (Baghdad) [4];
forged Egyptian passport, and has just been hired as a Brawling-14 [4]; Camouflage-12 [1];
receptionist at a small InVid production house. Chemistry-14 [8]; Chess-16 [8]; Com-
Her goals are to spread as much fear, anger, and puter Operation-14 [4]; Demolition-15
confusion as possible. She does not intend to commit [8]; Engineer (Explosives)-15 [10];
suicide with her bombings; she has yet to carry out an Escape-10 [1]; Explosive Ordnance
attack because she does not yet feel confident of her Disposal-10 [1]; Fast-Talk-13* [10];
ability to make a clean escape. She does not enjoy the Guns (Light Automatic)-15 [2]; Guns
idea of killing civilians, but considers them unfortunate (Pistol)-15 [2]; Guns (Rifle)-15 [2];
casualties of war. She believes she is the only Mujahidin Guns (Shotgun)-15 [2]; Holdout-12 [2];
e-Khalq operative in Baghdad at this time, and does not Lockpicking-14 [6]; Motorcycle-15 [8];
expect to receive assistance if she is captured. Stealth-15 [16]; Streetwise-12 [8]; Tactics-11
Kholani is unaware that she is an Alpha-series [2]; Traffic Analysis-12 [4]; Traps-12 [2].
upgrade, believing physical and mental abilities are * With -3 Low Empathy penalty.
simply luck. She recalls little about her parents other Languages: Arabic-12 [2]; English-11 [1]; Farsi
than a vivid memory of their deaths, something that (native)-12 [0].

Non-Muslims are otherwise welcome in the Caliphate, the Caliphate, and conversations can be a bit more relaxed
although they are viewed with some suspicion and are than in Riyadh or Dubai.
watched closely by the GID. Any attempt to proselytize Official international organizations such as the Genet-
other religions or otherwise alter the Caliphate society (e.g., ic Regulatory Agency have regular access to the Caliphate,
by arguing in public about infosocialism or bioroid eman- albeit with a GID “guide.” Corporations have somewhat
cipation) results in immediate arrest and expulsion from the less freedom of access. All business dealings with non-
Caliphate. Amman and, to a lesser extent, Baghdad are Caliphate firms are subject to review and modification by
favorite destinations of visitors from Europe and Amer- local authorities, and political or memetic organizations
ica, as they are more cosmopolitan than other cities in are barred from entering the Caliphate entirely.

38
 OPTING OUT
Resistance to the Caliphate
Not all of the Caliphate’s citizens believe that the
alliance is as “rightly guided” as it claims to be. GLOBAL MEMES AND THE
Disagreement over policy is considered acceptable, but
dissent that challenges the legitimacy of the Caliphate is CALIPHATE
forbidden. The Mutawi’yyun does a thorough job of inves- The Caliphate isn’t immune to the memetic conflicts
tigating and correcting those who would question the common in the rest of the world. Their manifestations and
Caliphate, and Nuhá is constantly fine-tuning its memetic influence in the Caliphate vary, however, and some are con-
controls, working toward a day when apostasy isn’t just sidered apostasy. By and large, ideologies that call for the
illegal, but literally unthinkable. In the meantime, while radical transformation of the human form (Hyperevolution-
resistance to Caliphate control exists to a variable extent in ism or Transhumanism) are considered apostasy. Meme-
all member countries, Iraq, Yemen, the Sudan, and plexes that push drastic changes to the socio-economic
Lebanon have the greatest level of active resistance. system (Anarchocapitalism or Nanosocialism) are political-
There are three major resistance groups currently ly highly suspect, even if they don’t cross into apostasy.
active in the Caliphate. They split along sectarian lines and, Movements that focus on careful application of technology
unsurprisingly, they consider each other to the enemy be as or restrictions on environmental change (Amortalism or
much as the Caliphate. All three have minor splinter and Preservationism) are officially encouraged.
spin-off movements, each of which varies in composition,
location, and tactics.
Mujahidin e-Khalq is a Shi’ite-dominated movement, manifestoes cite the acceptance of AIs, presence of
supported by Iran, which seeks not to overthrow the entire- bioroids, and use of human germline bioengineering as
ty of the Caliphate, but to bring the primarily Shi’ite areas examples of Caliphate impiety, and calls for an armed
of Iraq and Syria (as well as the areas with substantial revolt against the leaders of the Caliphate and its member
Shi’ite minorities, such as the United Arab Emirates) under nations. Support for al-Ikhwan is not widespread, coming
the political control of Iran. The level of Mujahidin e- mostly from the poorer areas of the Arabian peninsula. The
Khalq activity tends to vary inversely with the warmth of movement has claimed responsibility for a handful of
Iranian relations; the latest wave of attacks has coincided assassinations of minor officials over the last decade,
with election of a strongly anti-Caliphate premier in Iran. although it has been increasing its activities of late.
Mujahidin e-Khalq is primarily active along the Iraq-Iran
border, but has associates in Lebanon and, to a lesser
extent, Syria and the UAE.
CHARACTERS IN THE CALIPHATE
Fedayin al-Kuffar is a secularist movement, dedicated Most (75%) of the Caliphate’s population is genefixed
to the overthrow of religious authority in the region. While (p. TS115), with the majority living in the urban areas and
it is not averse to direct military action against the Caliphate arcologies. There is no stigma associated with being non-
and its forces, Fedayin al-Kuffar primarily engages in genefixed; being genefixed is somewhat embarrassing as it
memetic warfare, seeking to bring doubt into the minds of suggests that there was a problem with the genome. Most
the Caliphate’s citizens and to demonstrate the cultural citizens will not admit to knowing whether or not they
power of the modern secular world. Comprising students, were genefixed before birth.
expatriates, and fugitive apostates, the Fedayin al-Kuffar is Avatar upgrades (see p. FW117) emerged in Egypt in
nearly 50% women, and has close ties with the al-Mu’aqqi- 2061 as a way to emphasize (some say exaggerate) gender-
bat bioroid-protection movement. Unbeknownst to most linked behavioral characteristics. While never enormously
Fedayin al-Kuffar members, however, is the substantial popular, nearly 80,000 Avatars were born in the Caliphate
level of support the group receives (via cut-outs) in the years between 2068 and 2076, mostly to
from a variety of great-power intelligence wealthy Gulf state families, who tended to have
agencies, all seeking to keep the Caliphate a more culturally traditional view of sex
focused internally. roles. As the first Avatars outside of the
Hizb al-Ikhwan al-Mulslimin is a Caliphate reached sexual maturity, they
Sunni movement that traces its roots were associated with a series of scandals
back to the original Muslim Brother- that led to the eventual prohibition of fur-
hood movement of the early 20th centu- ther Avatar upgrades in the Caliphate and
ry. Operating more as a collection of an overall aversion to externally designed
independent cells than as an organized genetic upgrades. Most of the Caliphate’s
army, al-Ikhwan claims that the current Avatar-upgraded children were sent abroad
Caliph is illegitimate, and that the Caliphate for education, although a fair number have
has deviated too far from true Muslim values. Its returned to the Caliphate as soldiers (males) or
diplomats (females).

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OPTING OUT
Alpha upgrades (see p. TS115) make up less than reason to undercut the rising TSA. In 2083, China
1% of the Caliphate population (about 5 million peo- found it.
ple). Most are between 15 and 30 years old, as genetic mod- The Bioweapons Directorate, based in Thailand, was
ification beyond simple genefixing became less popular formed in secret by the Thai Infosocialist Party in 2076 as
due to the Avatar controversy; this reluctance has started to a “leapfrog” to hegemonic power. Missiles, cybershells,
change more recently, and parents in the liberal urban areas and spacecraft required a greater industrial base than the
are beginning to again request Alpha upgrades. Thais believed the TSA could muster; bioweapons, con-
versely, were far less costly to develop. In 2082, the Direc-

THE TRANSPACIFIC
torate began to research the creation of nanotechnological
weapons, again in secret. Although the TSA had managed
to put together a conventional (if unimpressive) military

SOCIALIST ALLIANCE force, the Thai nanosocialists still feared an attack, and
sought the ability to fight back by any means necessary.
Unfortunately for the Thais, the Chinese already had spies
In the old days, human genius, the brain of man, cre- in place, and the shift to nanoweapons became the trigger
ated only to give some the benefits of technology and cul- for China’s next move.
ture and to deprive others of the bare necessities,
education, and development. From now on, all the marvels
of science and the gains of culture belong to the nations as
a whole, and never again will man’s brain and human
genius be used for oppression and exploitation. Of this we
are sure, so shall we not dedicate ourselves and work with
abandon to fulfill this greatest of all historical tasks? The
working people will perform this titanic historical feat, for
in them lie dormant the great forces of revolution,
renaissance, and renovation . . .
– V.I. Lenin, Third All-Russia
Congress of Soviets, 1918

The Transpacific Socialist Alliance is a coalition of

nations united by a broad ideology and the enmity of the
mainstream hyperdeveloped “corporatist” world. As its
name suggests, the TSA’s members are largely located
along the Pacific Ocean, although the Alliance now stretch-
es well into the Indian Ocean as well. The population of the
Alliance is over 1.2 billion people, making it the third- When China revealed the existence of the
largest great power, after India and China. The 15 nations nanoweapons program in 2083, demanding the right to
composing the TSA – Bangladesh, Bolivia, Burma, Cam- inspect the facilities, the international uproar was matched
bodia, Colombia, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, by the TSA’s internal conflicts. Several of the members
Indonesia, Laos, Madagascar, Malaysia, Nicaragua, Peru, attempted to oust Thailand from the Alliance, not for the
and Vietnam – include some of the poorest and historically nanoweapons research, but for keeping it secret from other
most unstable countries on Earth, a situation little changed members. Indonesia and Peru argued passionately for Thai-
by their membership in the pariah coalition. land’s removal in Coordinating Committee meetings, but in
The TSA is a young union, formed originally in 2074 a fateful decision, the majority of the Alliance voted to
by Indonesia, Peru, Thailand, and Vietnam. Due to the retain the founding state. Thailand convinced the TSA that
Alliance’s infosocialist ideology, most mainstream nations China’s saber-rattling was meant to stir up international
imposed trade sanctions of varying severity by the end of observers, and that the crisis would be resolved diplomati-
the decade. China felt particularly threatened by the TSA, cally. Fearing the worst, Indonesia and Peru ramped up
for a variety of reasons, mainly geographic proximity, production of cruise missiles and AKV satellite weapons.
“market” socialism versus “information” socialism, and a The Pacific War of 2084-2085 was both more and less
strong defensive position regarding its lead in biotechnolo- devastating to the TSA than observers (except for some
gies. China attributes its status as leading hegemonic power Weltspiel gamers) had expected. The loss of one of the
to its cutting-edge biosciences; anything that would more founding members came as a surprise, as did the speed
widely distribute Chinese genetic innovations therefore with which China was able to take out TSA industrial,
directly attacks Chinese political preeminence. Many power, and space launch facilities. China was not
observers therefore saw that China was looking for a believed to have had as advanced a military as it

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demonstrated in the war. It is now acknowledged that of infosocialism is that well-connected diversity is a
almost one-third of the international aid workers source of strength. By limiting access to information
assisting in the postwar relief in the TSA were actually or ideas, a nation or company acts to undercut its own
intelligence operatives from the United States and Euro- long-term power. Similarly, by forcing adherence to a par-
pean Union, sent to gather on-the-ground data about ticular standard, an organization (whether government or
Chinese military capabilities. commercial) runs the risk of being defeated by an attacker
Yet the Alliance proved remarkably resilient, and the who knows the standard’s weaknesses. In this logic, the
speed of its post-conflict recovery has impressed outsiders. Alliance’s combination of deep connections between
Critics claim that the TSA’s economy has been jump-start- states, a lack of top-down hierarchy, and diverse set of
ed by its ongoing theft of intellectual property. Nanoso- methods and tools is the key to its ongoing success.
cialist theorists, in turn, attribute the recovery to the As a result, it is nearly impossible for an outside power
Alliance’s flexible, flattened command structure, which to “decapitate” the TSA by eliminating a key member. The
one referred to as an “adhocracy.” loss of Thailand, while politically noteworthy, did little to
change the overall ability of the Alliance to defend its inter-
STRUCTURE ests or pursue its goals. While the network structure of the
Alliance does lead to haphazard initial responses to threats,
While the Transpacific Socialist Alliance looks like a it also allows the TSA to be highly flexible, able to adapt to
unified ideological front to the outside world, the reality is conditions in ways to ensure its continued survival.
somewhat more complicated. Unlike the ideological pacts The TSA actively avoids settling on a single design
of the past, there is no clearly dominant state leading the for its weaponry, information and communication net-
TSA; unlike the European Union, the TSA does not have works, or even for its methods of production. This, too, is
dense geographical cohesion; and unlike the Islamic intended to keep the Alliance alive when threatened.
Caliphate, the member nations of the TSA have little in Even the best-designed or optimally emergent
common culturally other than a political ideology. Even system can have weaknesses, and relying
this memetic linkage is somewhat tenuous, as the diverse wholly or even in large part upon a single
implementations of nanosocialism among the Alliance system would leave the TSA open to
members have often led to strained relations. It’s little attacks on that weak point. By mandating
exaggeration to say that the TSA is held together largely by system diversity, the Alliance sacrifices
the enmity of the rest of the world. efficiency and convenience in pursuit of
The TSA does not have a formal leadership or com- robust security.
mand hierarchy independent of the constituent states. The
closest to an official body is the Coordinating Committee, Military Forces
which seeks to align the foreign and military policies of As a result of its commitment to systemic diversity,
member nations. Representatives are appointed by each the TSA’s military is haphazard. Member nations use a
state, and are usually active members of the national gov- wide range of equipment, much derived from the weapon-
ernment. The Speaker of the Committee is elected annual- ry of the other great powers, usually with local variations.
ly by the representatives, and is usually a good indicator of Materiel diversity exists even within a single country’s
which faction or constituent holds political sway. The Coor- forces; Indonesia deploys UCAVs based on
dinating Committee does not have the power to enforce its American, German, and Indian designs. This chaotic situ-
decisions, but so far in the brief history of the TSA there has ation is managed by widespread deployment of minifacs,
not been a coordination crisis. allowing a single supply unit to provide ammunition and
Aside from the Coordinating Committee, the only spare parts for every weapon and piece of equipment.
other clearly defined TSA structures are the Directorates. Alliance militaries, particularly in Central and South
Each Directorate claims responsibility for a particular func- America, are particularly good at combining design ele-
tion or activity; participation in a Directorate is voluntary, ments from multiple origins, at their best creating hybrid
although the major Directorates do have representatives forms more robust than any of their sources. A cybershell
from each TSA nation. For the most part, Directorates are damaged and captured by U.S.-supported rebels in Hon-
tied closely to an individual state’s government, taking duras, for example, was found to have weapons and fire-
advantage of its resources and heavily influenced by its control systems very similar to the Chinese Wu Shen
policies. It is not unusual for a small Directorate to only combat drone, navigation and integral computer systems
have participation from one or two TSA states and certain derived from the German Fuchs infiltration cybershell, and
Directorates are kept secret from other TSA members. armor and power units based on the rarely seen Red Dun-
canite ZZ99 Deathshell – all linked together with a home-
Networks and Monocultures grown control network able to sync the different protocols
The somewhat chaotic internal structure of the TSA and system requirements of the components. American
is entirely intentional. One of the fundamental tenets analysts were impressed.

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INFOSOCIALISM VERSUS NANOSOCIALISM

Although the term “nanosocialist” was first applied to and services derived from public intellectual property, and
the TSA by the global press, the term has been embraced by that a “reputation market” would emerge to promote the cre-
the Alliance. Many outside of the TSA, however, disdain the ation of new ideas. Infosocialism, as defined by Porters,
term, preferring to stay with the “infosocialist” name. The focuses narrowly on pure information control, and leaves
difference is no longer simply semantic. In the 26 years since physical goods to whichever market distribution methods
the coalition formed, the terms “infosocialism” and “nanoso- society prefers. He thought that a true abundance society
cialism” have come to diverge substantially in meaning. would require the rise of nanotechnology in an already-infos-
Kyle Porters’ original formulation of Information ocialist society, which in turn could only happen in heavily
Socialism in 2034 argued that information has several prop- networked advanced-technology nations.
erties that make it different from “normal” material goods. It Nanosocialism, as it has been built by the TSA, takes the
is non-tangible, usually thought of as meaning primarily dig- work of Porters and combines it with the radical theories of
ital, although Porters used the term to refer to information as Suchen Pham, a Laotian social critic who argued that, con-
being conceptual rather than physical. It is non-rivalrous, trary to Porters’ theory, a true post-market world in both
meaning that information can be copied any number of times information and physical goods could only emerge from a
without reducing its inherent use-value to the original pos- pre-market society, as the developed world was already con-
sessor. Finally, it is socially constructed, as all ideas, even trolled by monopolist corporations. Rather than needing to
new ones, are fundamentally based upon other people’s go through a period of “capital network development,” states
ideas, which in turn are based on still other people’s ideas, could leap directly to nanosocialism, using advanced mate-
and so forth. Porters then argued that, while markets for rial science to build wealth for all. Pham’s theories proved
scarce physical resources can theoretically lead to optimal understandably seductive in the TSA, which redirected its
distribution, markets for information tend inevitably toward acquisitions efforts toward material-production technolo-
dysfunctional monopolies, as the nature of information gies, and some members have started to emphasize the
makes it impossible to treat as a scarce but tradable object. distribution of physical goods over freedom of information.
In classic infosocialism, then, the role of the state is to act In 2043, Porters was killed in a hit-and-run accident on a
as the “social monopolist,” having ownership of all intellec- quiet street near his home outside of Canberra, Australia. The
tual property, but making it freely available to all parts of the driver of the vehicle was never identified. Many of Porters’
society. Porters claims that innovation would still happen, as supporters claimed that it was a political assassination, but no
there would still be traditional markets for the physical goods evidence of this has ever been found.

At their worst, however, TSA military forces are more Economics and Politics
delicate and require substantially more maintenance than “Information is power, in the most fundamental
other great-power militaries. While minifacs allow for the sense. It flows, yet it must have a medium through which
supply of diverse units, it often takes upwards of several to flow, or it dissipates. It makes all action possible, yet it
hours to produce the correct pieces of equipment, making cannot do anything on its own. Nothing is possible with-
“on-the-fly” resupply a dangerously slow process. And out information. Those who forget that information and
when great-power opponents encounter TSA weapons power are one and the same do so at their own peril.”
based on their own designs, they’re often able to attack – Kyle Porters, What Is to Be Done? (v2.0), 2030
based on their classified knowledge of system weaknesses.
Since the Pacific War, the Alliance has focused its Although most TSA opponents consider the Alliance
overall military strategy on building up defensive forces, to be a monolithic ideological whole, there is actually con-
hoping to make it far more difficult for China (or any other siderable diversity within the coalition regarding politics,
enemy) to hurt the TSA as much in any future conflict. economics, and the implementation of nanosocialism. Of
Many suspect that much of the communication, the 15 member nations, eight came to power as a result of
weather, and guidance satellites the Alliance relatively free elections, and four remain broadly demo-
has launched to replace the ones destroyed cratic (see TSA Member National Politics, p. 45). Nanoso-
by China are dual-use, with AKV or satel- cialism is a populist movement, and pundits in the Fifth
lite-killer capabilities. The Alliance is also World often neglect to mention its continuing popularity in
developing mobile sea-launch capabilities, most of the TSA states.
making it possible to put new satellites or Economically, the Alliance members are all socialist
weapons into space even if the primary in the broad sense, but with varying types of internal
spaceports have been destroyed. markets. In most TSA states, services such as power

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and web connections are state-funded, while agri- There is also considerable diversity in the man-
culture and consumer products are more market- ner in which technology is distributed by the gov-
driven. Cambodia, Vietnam and Guatemala are ernments. Despite being the cornerstone of the
aggressively statist, down to giving production infosocialism concept, the free availability of intel-
quotas to individual farmers and small manufactur- lectual property is a controversial topic even within
ers. Bangladesh and Madagascar fall closer to the the TSA. In some countries, all citizens have full
classic infosocialist model, only having state control of access to the TSA Web Library, from popular entertain-
intellectual-property distribution and basic services, while ment to weapon design; in others, citizen access to the
leaving most production decisions to a lively internal mar- Library is restricted, limited only to pirated Bollywood
ket. The development of demand-prediction software has musicals and escapist InVids. The divide between free-dis-
helped to better synchronize Alliance-wide supply and tribution and controlled-distribution states falls along the
demand, and most member countries are manage their same axis as the split between democratic and authoritari-
economies without causing the economic meltdowns that an TSA nations. In short, it comes down to whether or not
20th-century socialist nations often faced. the government trusts its people.

KEY DIRECTORATES IN THE TSA

Acquisitions: The Acquisitions Directorate is responsible encouragement of nanosocialist movements outside of the
for bringing in ideas, designs, software, and other information TSA. Contrary to many InVid thrillers and virtual worlds,
from outside of the TSA. This is the largest of the Direc- External does not deal with acquiring intellectual property.
torates, and the primary target of many enemies. It has a sub- Internal Intelligence: The Internal branch of Intelligence
directorate, Recruitment, which attempts to convince does deal with threats to the TSA, but focuses on rooting out
non-TSA citizens to work with them and provide information. spies and defending various information and communication
Defense: Headquartered in Indonesia, the Defense Direc- networks from attack. Although Internal has largely operated
torate coordinates military activities. Although responsible in the shadows, a pair of highly visible counterespionage suc-
for turning political goals into military strategy, it spends most cesses in 2098 has given Internal a glorified, heroic sheen
of its efforts on logistics. Defense only focuses on physical within the Alliance. As with External, most non-TSA repre-
preparations, as the Internal Intelligence Directorate is sentations of Internal are incorrect. Internal is not a secret
responsible for network and memetic defense. police force; each Alliance nation has its own local group.
Distribution: Working closely with Acquisitions, the Dis- Simulations, Modeling, and Planning: SMP was origi-
tribution Directorate comprises independent Directorates in nally a minor advisory group working in the vice-premier’s
each Alliance nation. Each Distribution Directorate chooses office in Thailand. In 2080, the group’s SAI cluster developed
how best to make the acquired intellectual goods available to an early version of the Demand Evolution Model, allowing
the country’s citizens. Differences in distribution policies are rudimentary demand-side control and projection. (The more
the main sources of friction between TSA members. sophisticated version was the one released by Innovation in
Innovation: Although the TSA has a reputation as intel- 2099.) SMP was elevated to Directorate status prior to the
lectual-property thieves and scavengers, this Directorate pro- Pacific War, and survived the TSA’s loss of Thailand by trans-
vides support for research, invention, and development efforts ferring all data and SAIs to new facilities in Kuala Lumpur.
inside of the Alliance. Much of its work has historically Today, the Simulations, Modeling, and Planning Directorate
focused on better decryption and network-intrusion tools, but has primary responsibility for Alliance-wide economic issues.
this is slowly changing. In 2099, the TSA released to the glob- Theory and Praxis: Much closer to a secret police than
al public networks a new economic modeling application, the Internal Intelligence Directorate, but far less known, is the
designed using Innovation Directorate funding, that does suc- Directorate of Theory and Praxis. Originally founded by
cessful demand-projection for non-market economies. Thailand, and now run largely by Burma, Theory and Praxis
External Intelligence: The External Intelligence Direc- sees itself as enforcing ideological purity across the Alliance.
torate coordinates the disparate intelligence and espionage New treatises on infosocialism and nanosocialism regularly
resources of the various Alliance members. Mainly compris- emerge from Theory and Praxis, including declarations on the
ing agents from the Indonesian BAKORSTAPAS (Bodan legitimacy of various forms of political expression, uses of
Kordinasi Stabilitas Pasifik, “Coordinating Agency for Pacif- new technology, and desirability of foreign entertainment.
ic Stability”) and Peruvian GESM (Grupo Especial de Theory and Praxis considers itself the last line of memetic
Seguridad Memetica, “Special Memetic Security Group”), defense for the TSA. Not all Alliance member states are
the agency focuses on espionage, memetic warfare, and the happy with the growing influence of Theory and Praxis.

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even the Coordinating Council cannot access the
OPERATIONAL DIRECTORATES identities and locations of External operatives.
Of the various key Directorates within the TSA (see p.
43), four make extensive use of agents both within and
Theory and Praxis
outside the Alliance. Of all of the TSA’s directorates, Theory and Praxis is
the least known outside of the Alliance. It is ostensibly the
Acquisitions center for ongoing development of the theories of infoso-
The public face of the TSA, at least internationally, is cialism and nanosocialism, and produces an abundance of
the Acquisitions Directorate. It has a simple task: bring articles, manifestoes, and research notes, some of which get
home material for distribution within the Alliance. Some re-published in the mainstream world (and generally
Acquisitions agents specialize in entertainment content; ignored). Since 2092, the Directorate has also served as the
others specialize in classified military designs. The Direc- TSA’s secret police, monitoring dissent, making trouble-
torate is omnivorous and indiscriminate, consuming every- makers disappear, and carrying out elaborate memetic reha-
thing. There are rumored to be tens of thousands of bilitation on those it deems threatening to the long-term
Acquisitions operatives around the world, a number multi- survival of the Alliance. The power of Theory and Praxis
plied when it includes the local hackers, smugglers, and has grown considerably in the last several years, and it is
casual pirates whose efforts often end up in the hands of quite influential in the Coordinating Council. A recent drop
the TSA. in Acquisitions activity, which TSA opponents claim are the
The Recruitment sub-department works to expand the result of internal power struggles, is actually part of a care-
information sources for Acquisitions, whether conscious ful plan Theory and Praxis devised to shift the Alliance’s
or unwitting. Recruitment suffers the highest losses of all overall strategic position. Theory and Praxis is closely asso-
agencies, as it cannot be passive. Its agents must seek out ciated with the Ideologue faction, and several of the less-
candidates, thereby putting themselves at risk. authoritarian Alliance members have grown wary of the
Directorate’s influence. In April of 2099, Bangladesh
Intelligence requested that Theory and Praxis cease all operations with-
in its borders; the Directorate agreed, but in December a
While the TSA military is slowly rebuilding its capa-
Theory and Praxis agent was intercepted attempting to
bilities, the Alliance’s intelligence forces are rapidly
infiltrate the presidential compound in Dacca.
expanding. One of the first post-Pacific War decisions was
to pour resources into both intelligence-gathering and con-
tent-acquisition activities, concluding that the loss in the
conflict was predicated in part on poor knowledge of Chi-
TECHNOLOGY
Porters believed that infosocialism is not inherently
nese strategies and outdated military equipment. The opposed to the development and introduction into society
Acquisitions Directorate and the External Intelligence of sentient machine intelligences. He believed in caution,
Directorate receive the most funding, and together field to be sure – he had too much respect for humankind to
more operatives on Earth than any other great-power intel- wish to see it transformed away in a moment of singulari-
ligence bureau. The ethnic and cultural diversity of the ty rapture. But machine beings who wish to contribute to
TSA is of considerable value in this, as the Alliance is able the good of all of us were to be welcomed, not rebuffed.
to find agents who can blend in almost any locale. – Caleb Metelits, Kyle Porters: A Critical
The External Intelligence and Internal Intelligence Biography, 2045
Directorates share information as needed, but operate in
very different ways. Internal Intelligence works with Porters had fanciful visions of how SAIs and humans
national, regional, and local law-enforcement departments would interact, as he had no real experience with intelli-
to search for threats and eliminate them. This does not gent machines. We know now the dangers of treating SAIs
include dissenters or political activists. The Internal Intel- as anything other than property.
ligence Directorate focuses exclusively on counterespi- – Sarah Mu-Shan, TSA Coordinator, 2088
onage and counterterrorism, and has built up an impressive
record of arrests. Internal Intelligence uses the most The TSA has the distinction of being both
advanced technology of any of the operative Directorates. the great power with the widest availability of
All agents have VIIs, most with LAI infomorphs. free-to-use intellectual property and the one
External Intelligence, conversely, tends to use whatev- with the lowest penetration of technology.
er is needed to get the job done. Its agents must be scrupu- The relentless poverty and political stagna-
lously careful to avoid any connections to the Alliance, and tion that held the member states down
build up substantial alternative identities to mask their true throughout the 21st century continues to slow
activities. External Intelligence agents are heroes in TSA their progress. In only one area – web access – is
propaganda, but are never identified. It’s rumored that the TSA at all competitive.

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TSA MEMBER NATIONAL POLITICS

Bangladesh: Multi-party democracy. The current crises as justifications for canceling national elections.
government was originally elected in 2081, and re- Regional and local elections involve multiple candi-
elected in 2086, 2091, and 2096. Observers called these dates from the state party. TSA Web access is relatively
elections “essentially fair.” TSA Web access is general- free.
ly free. Laos: State of emergency. The nanosocialist party
Bolivia: Military authoritarianism. Unpopular with came to power in free election in 2080, but Laos has
the rural majority, the nanosocialist government, which struggled to rebuild after the Pacific War, and has not
came to power in 2076, draws its authority largely from held another election since the conflict. TSA Web
the urban population. While much of the country access is officially open, but in practice restricted only
remains barely Second Wave, the cities are quickly to party cadres.
adopting Third and Fourth Wave technologies. TSA Madagascar: Multi-party democracy. Madagascar
Web access is restricted for rural populations, relatively became a nominally nanosocialist state in 2086, and the
free in the cities. subsequent elections have largely been competitions
Burma: Military authoritarianism. The current gov- between rival hard-line and moderate nanosocialist par-
ernment was installed in a military coup in 2079. The ties (referred to sarcastically as “Reds” and “Whites”),
continued strong military presence is due to the ongoing with a few other parties winning local seats. Madagas-
conflict with Chinese-supported guerrillas. TSA Web car nanosocialism seems to annoy the SAC, so there is
access is tightly controlled. a strong populist element to its ongoing electoral power.
Cambodia: Military authoritarianism. Cambodia is TSA Web access is generally free.
the most brutal dictatorship in the Alliance. The TSA Malaysia: Military authoritarianism. The 2067
Web is only available to party cadres. coup brought in the current regime, whose power rests
Colombia: Single-party authoritarianism. The 2081 on a combination of military force and broad populism.
coup overthrew a mildly corrupt but popular govern- Wealthy elites were driven out by the coup, and
ment. Since the war, Colombia has focused on building Malaysia now has one of the highest average standards
up its support in the cities, following the Bolivian of living in the region. TSA Web access is relatively free
model. TSA Web access is controlled. but rumored to be heavily monitored.
El Salvador: Multi-party democracy. Elected in Nicaragua: Multi-party democracy. The current
2088, the nanosocialist party has remained in power government was elected in 2086, lost power in 2090,
largely due to a coalition with two smaller parties (a and was returned to office in 2094 and again in 2098.
bioliberation party and the Traditional Socialist party). Nicaragua is decidedly focused on internal develop-
Rumors of clandestine cooperation with the United ment, going so far as to avoid participation in Alliance-
States have brought threats from neighboring wide military exercises. TSA Web access is generally
Guatemala. TSA Web access is completely open. free.
Guatemala: Military authoritarianism. A military Peru: Single-party authoritarian, local “party guid-
coup in 2091 brought the current regime into power. ed” democracy. The Red Sword party came to power in
Radical and assertive, it seeks to become the regional a broadly popular revolution in the 2050s, and it
TSA leader. It has recently butted heads with Peru over remains well-supported in both rural and urban areas.
Alliance military policy. TSA Web access is available to The Peruvian party is both the most radical in its
party cadres and trusted citizens. nanosocialism and the most populist in its message, and
Honduras: State of emergency. The nanosocialist has won the affection of the populace with its noisy con-
party came to power in a free election in 2090, and was demnations of the other TSA countries. TSA Web
promptly set upon by U.S.-supported rebels. Guatemala access is officially free, but heavily monitored.
and (to a lesser extent) Peru have provided military aid Vietnam: Single-party authoritarianism. The com-
to the beleaguered regime, which promises a return to munist government of Vietnam reorganized itself into a
democracy by 2102 if the uprising is successfully nanosocialist state in 2061, maintaining its central
defeated. TSA Web access is officially restricted, but is authority. The war with China in 2084 greatly increased
riddled with backdoors. the regime’s popularity, however, as the populace
Indonesia: Single-party authoritarianism, local fought its traditional rival. The government continues to
democracy. The nanosocialist party came to power in use the populist theme during its slow reconstruction.
free election in 2062, but used various international TSA Web access is restricted to party cadres.

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The TSA Web take out content-rights-management routines, but a
In comparison to the web as seen in Fifth Wave surprising amount has not. The Acquisitions Direc-
states, the TSA Web is wildly outdated. Little of it is fully torate often simply posts new content directly to the web;
immersive, and vast sections still rely on decades-old pro- many unwitting Fifth Wave-world pirates have been caught
tocols. As with many of the TSA-wide systems, however, using downloaded material still fully protected by CRM
the TSA Web is designed to value robust flexibility over code.
elegance and control. The network is remarkably resilient,
staying available to most of the Alliance even during the
Minifacs
worst of the Pacific War. The original design team for the As throughout the rest of the world, minifacs and 3D
TSA Web, led by renegade British hacker Declan Kelly, printers are wildly popular in the TSA. There are still rela-
used base specifications dating back to the early days of the tively few, however, so most are controlled by national
first global web, before content-rights became a priority. governments, giving the military priority. Numbers are
The result, completed in 2079, was anarchic, redundant, steadily increasing, and TSA leaders realize the political
and wide open to misuse – just as they intended. value of their greater distribution. The Coordinator of
Once completed, the TSA Web was connected directly Indonesia, for example, has promised a minifac in every
to the global web. The Alliance’s opponents quickly cut off village by 2105, and the phrase “¡Minifacas Para Todos!”
connections to the TSA, however, trying to prevent both is now a popular slogan at nanosocialist rallies in Peru.
Alliance piracy of material on the global web and main-
stream world access to already pirated material. When this
Genetic Engineering and Bioroids
happened, hackers on both sides worked to re-establish The (somewhat) irrational fear of the Fifth Wave citi-
links. This cat-and-mouse game continues to the zens becoming immortal supermen drives much of
present, often with the unwitting cooperation of the TSA populism. There is widespread concern
transition nations. The ability of the TSA Web that the benefits of advanced biotechnologies
to remain usable even when routed across net- are going only to the rich nations, further com-
works of dubious reliability affirms the design- pounding their advantages. The stiff licensing
ers’ decision to focus on robust simplicity. fees required by genetic-engineering firms in
Complexity was only added when needed; the the hyperdeveloped world are mentioned in
TSA Web was originally planned to be entirely most manifestoes and official statements put out
open to the world, but later updates cordoned off a by the TSA as justification for Alliance theft of
section limited to internal communication. Another Fifth Wave intellectual property. One of the common
addition allowed TSA member governments to block off posters in Central America claims “¡Tenemos El Derecho
certain sections of the web, restricting citizen access to the A Una Mañana Sana!” (“We Have A Right To A Healthy
material. Tomorrow!”), showing pictures of babies with the Ham-
With the connections to the outside, of course, comes mer & Helix in the background.
regular attacks by opposing governments and hacktivists. Most of the Alliance governments have worked hard to
An Alliance report once claimed that the TSA Web has been satisfy the popular demand for genetic upgrades. So-called
subject to a greater volume of hostile activity than any other “Reproductive Health Clinics” have opened up across
network every created, and few in the Fifth Wave world dis- member states, providing free Alpha-series upgrades to all
agreed. In the first several years of the TSA Web, hackers TSA parents. Few of the clinic employees are trained genet-
regularly brought it down. Over time, its defenses grew ic engineers; most have been given no more than the basic
stronger, and there hasn’t been a successful denial-of-serv- instructions as to how to collect and combine the necessary
ice attack on the network since 2098. genetic material. Many local doctors have been given
Not all of the attacks come from outside, another fac- crash-courses in the process, as well. The desire to make the
tor in the TSA Web’s current stability. A substantial num- next generation healthy and long-lived is passionate and
ber came from within the TSA – not from spies or universal throughout the TSA. While Alphas are the most
dissidents, but from curious young adults, seeking to common upgrades in the TSA, the Metanoia and Ishtar II
explore the limits and weaknesses of the TSA Web. The templates have become available, and are starting to show
network’s defenders quickly learned to counter all manner up in some children.
of threat, and claim, with some justification, that the TSA Bioroids have become increasingly common in the
Web may be the most secure open network in the world. TSA, but reactions to them vary widely. As with much of
At present, the TSA Web provides access to a broad the developing world, there is a strong aversion to the use
range of intellectual property. Some of it is original to the of apparent “slave labor,” yet the value of bioroids has
TSA, although much of the content, from entertainment to become clear as Alliance members transition away from
genemod designs and software, is pirated from the rest of Second and early Third Wave economies into late Third and
the world. Some of the material has been hacked to Fourth Wave. Coalition nations in Southeast Asia have
the easiest time integrating bioroids; they are “guest

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 OPTING OUT

TIA CHONG 240 POINTS

Born 2063. Age 37; 5’3”, 120 pounds. Dark brown skin, black hair, brown eyes.
Tia Chong is a Field Specialist for Theory and Praxis (p. 43). Her specialty is the
elimination of the Alliances’ threats; she usually works with a partner who specializes
in their discovery. On her last mission, her partner was killed. While Chong knows it
wasn’t her fault, she remains despondent over the loss of her best friend. She is cur-
workers,” given accommodations rently on leave, and the Directorate has yet to assign her a replacement partner.
and salaries but limited civil rights. Chong is very good at blending in. She has average looks, an average build, and
The practice has caught on in an uncanny sense of how to make herself appear less threatening than she really is.
South America, although non- When need be, she can be terrifying, but much prefers to remain in the background.
combat bioroids remain rare in She’s a crack shot with most guns, and is able to hold her own in unarmed combat.
Central American TSA states. She was 11 when the TSA was founded, and felt herself drawn to the ideas and
There is still considerable debate philosophies of nanosocialism. She feels the strongest connection to the Philosophers
in Madagascar and Bangladesh faction (p. 50), although she is careful not to betray bias in her work life. She joined
over the rights of bioroids, and the Indonesian military just before the Pacific War, and was wounded in combat.
they remain uncommon. After the war, she applied for a position at the Directorate of Theory and Praxis, wish-
Most pre-2090 bioroid ing to help the Alliance better defend itself and realizing that the TSA would never be
designs found in the Fifth Wave strong enough to do so militarily.
world are available in the TSA Tia Chong is a true believer without being a fanatic. She does not have strong
Web Library, although some are revolutionary leanings, but it would be nearly impossible to convince her to work
not often made, such as the against the interests of the TSA. She privately wishes that Indonesia itself was more
Yousheng. democratic, but recognizes the need for firm authority during difficult times.
Her main operational area is her home country, although she has gone all over
Cybershells the Alliance for work. She has never traveled outside of the TSA, and expresses little
As with bioroids, cybershells desire to do so. She is unmarried, and rarely feels strong attraction to anyone.
are less often found in the TSA If encountered during her administrative leave, Tia Chong is reserved and with-
than in other great-power nations, drawn; even so, she is keeping a close eye on the world around her, and stands ready
although they are not unknown. to report problems and take action. She occasionally works with Internal Intelligence
As Artificial Intelligences tend to Directorate operatives on assignments where both have an interest.
be mistrusted, there are few AI- If encountered as an opponent, she is tough, very clever, and willing to do what
resident cybershells. And while she needs to do to eliminate threats to the Alliance.
teleoperation is used for danger-
ous work, there remains a classi- ST 11 [10]; DX 14 [45]; IQ 12 [20]; HT 11 [10].
cal Marxist focus on “from each Speed 6.25, Move 6.
according to his ability,” and Dodge 7.
direct human labor is prevalent. Advantages: Administrative Rank 3 (Theory and Praxis Field Specialist) [15]; Alert-
TSA propaganda claims that once ness +2 [10]; Genefixed Human [0]; Legal Enforcement Powers (TSA) [10];
the nanosocialist revolution is Patron (TSA; government, 9 or less) [30].
complete, a society of leisure will Disadvantages: Chronic Depression [-15]; Low Self-Image [-10].
arise from the economics of abun- Quirks: Afraid of rejection; Attentive; Careful; Fashion-impaired; Nervous stomach.
dance – but this is still off in the [-5]
future. Skills: Acting-14 [6]; Area Knowledge (Indonesia)-16 [8]; Camouflage-13 [2]; Cook-
The one part of society where ing-14 [4]; Disguise-15 [8]; Escape-13 [2]; Fast-Talk-14 [6]; Guns (Light Auto-
cybershells are more common is matic)-18 [4]; Guns (Pistol)-18 [4]; Guns (Rifle)-16 [1]; Guns (Shotgun)-16 [1];
the military. Alliance national Holdout-14 [6]; Intelligence Analysis-15 [10]; Interrogation-13 [4]; Intimida-
forces have taken a great interest in tion-14 [6]; Judo-16 [16]; Shadowing-15 [8]; Stealth-16 [8]; Streetwise-13 [4];
acquiring and building top-of-the- Tactics-13 [6]; Tracking-13 [4].
line combat shells. Originally, Languages: Chinese (Mandarin)-10 [1/2]; Indonesian (native)-12 [0]; Malay-11 [1];
most were teleoperated, but they Spanish-10 [1/2].
are increasingly being outfitted
with LAI systems. Cybershell sol-
diers are used the most in Cambodia well as combat duties, and in Indonesia and Madagascar,
and Guatemala, where they perform police functions as where they are rapidly replacing humans as soldiers.

47
OPTING OUT

Augmented Reality information belongs to all, and the personalization of infor-

Part of the post-Pacific War reconstruction has focused mation runs counter to its potential for wide distribution.
on improving the communication infrastructure of the This perspective, common in the more doctrinaire TSA
Alliance. While the TSA Web remains popular and robust, elites, sees the recognition of SAI infomorphs as citizens
in 2088 TSA nations began implementing general augment- as a political move to undercut nanosocialism and infoso-
ed-reality systems, particularly in urban areas. The nature of cialism on (ironically) humanitarian grounds. As long as
the implementation has varied by nation. AR networks in SAIs are considered tools, they can be used, copied,
Bangladesh, El Salvador, Madagascar, and Peru are highly altered, and discarded without violation of a being’s rights.
democratic, open systems allowing everyone “write access” Once they are considered “people,” they must be afforded
– many AR locations are covered in virtual commentary, the full rights of people.
debate, and graffiti. Conversely, augmented-reality systems Not all nanosocialists believe this, although those who
in Bolivia, Colombia, Guatemala, Indonesia, and Malaysia disagree with official TSA positions do so carefully. Some
are heavily doctrinal, and entries must be pre-approved by follow the Porters concept that all who can should con-
government censors. Augmented-reality networks in tribute and benefit, and argue that the inclusion of sentient
Nicaragua and Honduras are more or less standard, while infomorphs as citizens of the TSA would do much to
AR is nonexistent in Laos and Vietnam. promote its well-being. This perspective is especially
Wearable computers are the most common method of strong among those who work in the Innovation Directorate
interacting with AR data, but virtual interface implants are – 50% of the SAIs in the TSA are at Innovation.
becoming increasingly popular in the wealthier TSA
nations. Approximately 10% of the adult population of the
Power Sources
TSA has a VII, primarily in Indonesia, Peru, and Mada- Prior to the Pacific War, the proximity of many TSA
gascar. Most VIIs are straightforward copies of popular nations to each other led to attempts to centralize power-
models in the Fifth Wave world. generation grids, relying on large-scale installations such as
Along with augmented reality, the use of v-tags has Helium-3 fusion plants, satellite power stations, and multi-
exploded over the last decade in the TSA member states. acre solar arrays. This was a serious mistake; during the
Surprisingly, most nanosocialist countries are not “p-tag conflict the Chinese eviscerated the Alliance power net-
nations” (see pp. 57-58), although Indonesia and Malaysia work quickly and efficiently by destroying a few facilities.
both have aggressive voluntary programs for p-tagging The Coordinating Committee vowed not to let history
children. Madagascar uses p-tags on the political elites, repeat.
allowing them to monitor each other. Of the Alliance states, The power networks being built across TSA states
only Guatemala and Burma currently require p-tags for all now are heavily distributed, with many small plants and
adults, and the Cambodian parliament is voting on whether very few major installations. As with other elements of the
to require the procedure in the spring of 2100. TSA Alliance infrastructure, diversity and redundancy are seen
observers believe that passage of the proposal is highly as key features. While each country links to its TSA neigh-
likely. bors if they share borders, these links are for mutual sup-
port, not dependency. Solar arrays and fusion plants (when
AIs Helium-3 is available) have been supplemented, even
Many citizens of nanosocialist states dislike sentient replaced, by “micro-generation” systems, which often use
AIs out of fear and ignorance; there are very few SAIs run- older but still useful technologies. Vehicle-sized fuel cells
ning around in public in poor nations. There is also ide- powering buildings, gas-turbine engines powering
ological opposition, arising from the concept that neighborhoods, and even high-efficiency solar cells

48
 OPTING OUT
are used as exterior building material. Member states
also take advantage of regional resources where possi-
ble, such as geothermal energy in Central America and GUARDIANS AND HELOTS
oceanic energy sources in Southeast Asia like tidal power For years, anti-TSA propaganda has claimed that the coali-
around Burma. tion has secret genetic engineering programs in place to create a
race of enhanced leaders (the Guardians) who would be able to
Nanotechnology use pheromone control to manipulate a race of submissive fol-
For both practical and ideological reasons, nanotech- lowers (the Helots). Templates for these two designs appear in
nology – especially so-called “dry” nanotech – is the holy the Fifth Wave sourcebook (pp. FW117-118). Initially, Alliance
grail for the Transpacific Socialist Alliance. If nanotech- Coordinators denied the existence of the Guardians and Helots.
nology is the transformative technology that it promises In 2095, documents describing the TSA bioengineering
to be, those who do not have access to it will be left far programs, including the Guardian and Helot II designs, were
behind those who do in every conceivable measure. The published by TEN. TEN claimed that they were passed along by
availability of current “wet” nanotech in the TSA comes unnamed sources in the American government. According to
nowhere close to that in the Fifth Wave world, but the these documents, in 2076 Peru started a crash program called
Alliance is focusing a great deal of its research (and Después de Hombre – “After Man” – designing a next-genera-
acquisition) resources on mastering the technology. tion genetic upgrade that would give the Alliance an edge over
Nanoresearch facilities in the TSA are found in its Fifth Wave rivals. In the years before the Pacific War, the
Indonesia, Bangladesh, and Peru. Nanomedicine and Peruvian program created various upgrade and parahuman
experimental treatments such as the Proteus Nanovirus designs, including the rumored Guardian and Helot II types. In
(see p. TS165) are not generally available, but working 2084, the program also independently developed a design iden-
versions of most known Fifth Wave nanotechnologies tical to the Herakles model (p. FW116), called the Samson. The
have been constructed, and the Coordinating Council is last design developed was the Salud type (see p. 121), intended
quietly discussing how best to make use of them. to have optimal resistance to disease and environmental toxins.
Because the Después de Hombre compound was destroyed dur-
FACTIONS ing the war (China thought it was part of the Bioweapons Direc-
torate), the test subjects and experimental data were wiped out.
MEXICO CITY/TEN: The body of Roberto Buzón The TSA flatly denied the documents’ authenticity,
was found last night in a hotel room in the capital’s econ- although the Diplomacy Weltspiel site’s commentary argued
strucción district. A statement from the Mexico City that the documents were an intentional leak from TSA Intelli-
Police Department indicates that Mr. Buzón died in his gence. Rumors persist that some of the upgraded children sur-
sleep. A coroner’s report is pending. vived. If so, nothing is known of their current whereabouts or
Roberto Buzón was infamous in the 2070s as the activities.
fiery, charismatic Generalissimo Alfa of Peru, one of the
four leaders who formed the Transpacific Socialist
Alliance. Known for his lengthy speeches and affection for The TSA is highly factionalized. In the 24 years since
blonde women, Alfa was the “revolutionary warrior” of its inception, it has weathered the loss a founding member
the foursome, and often fought against the more passive in a global-scale war, continued brushfire wars along its
policies of his comrades. Although he had retired from the borders, relentless propaganda, and covert operation
day-to-day leadership of Peru by 2083, his voice remained attacks against its survival by all of the world’s leading
influential. Many considered him responsible for Peru’s nations. How to respond is the crux of intense ongoing
support of Thailand when China struck at the outset of the debate within the Alliance.
Pacific War, despite the misgivings of the Peruvian leader, While the intermember conflicts are highly visible,
Yolanda Leyes. When the war proved disastrous for Peru, and many have deep historical roots, the cross-national
Buzón was exiled to the Peruvian coastal town of Trujillo. factional conflicts have a greater influence on the ability of
Little is known about his time in exile, although he the TSA to respond to crises. Each faction is able to bring
spent nearly a decade in the village. He escaped to Mexi- supporters into the streets to rally for or against govern-
co sometime in the late 2090s, and rumors of his presence ment policies, and each claims a seat of official power that
in Mexico City first popped up in 2097. While the Mexican prevents the others from moving decisively against it. Fac-
government publicly stated that they intended to eject him tional rivalries can be brutal; there have been nearly two-
from the country, he was allowed to remain, living quietly dozen assassinations of factional leaders and notable
until his death some time in the last 48 hours. activists since the formation of the Alliance in 2074. In
A statement released by the Transpacific Socialist some cases, the factions themselves are split between those
Alliance read, in total, “We note the passing of a founding who favor central control and those who wish to expand
member of the Alliance. He is remembered for his serv- citizen participation in the evolution of the TSA.
ice to the cause of the nanosocialist revolution.”

49
OPTING OUT
Ideologues Pragmatists
Many of the original revolutionaries leading the The Pragmatist faction is willing to do whatever is
Alliance have a strong ideological bent. They’re hard-lin- needed to keep the TSA going, even if that means com-
ers, unwilling to compromise on issues of ideological puri- promising on principle. Many of the side-deals cut by the
ty. Cooperation with the corporatist world is inevitably a TSA (for web connections, Helium-3, or medical supplies)
mistake in their view. While many tend toward authoritari- were carried out by Pragmatists. They are found through-
anism, a substantial minority believe that the only success- out the External Intelligence Directorate, but are also in
ful revolutions come with full citizen support. Ideologues Innovation and Acquisitions. Most tend toward a demo-
are in much of the national leadership, and the Directorate cratic approach, especially those in Innovation, but a
of Theory and Praxis is an important center of power. strong minority are happily authoritarian as needed.
They’re currently closely allied with the military.

Revolutionaries
Like the Ideologues, the Revolutionaries are hardlin-
ers; unlike the older faction, they are aggressive about the
need to export nanosocialism to the corporatist world.
Most Revolutionaries are younger citizens of the TSA; the
older generation of revolutionaries was deemed responsi-
ble for the Pacific War and the faction being out of power
for over a decade. The new generation claims to have
learned the lessons of the past, but still brooks no dissent,
especially any that suggests the TSA will not eventually
lead a global revolution. They are found in Acquisitions,
especially in recruiting, but are also common in Theory
and Praxis and in External Intelligence.

RELATIONS WITH THE OUTSIDE

WORLD
Military In a word, bad.
The military, in both national forces and the Alliance-
level Directorate, is seen as practical but power-focused in With Non-TSA
its politics. The TSA’s loss in the Pacific War was brutal – Infosocialist/Nanosocialist Movements
if Europe hadn’t stepped in, the Alliance would likely have Nanosocialist political movements are found in many
been destroyed. The underlying philosophy of the current developing nations. Although popular sentiment in the
generation of military leaders is that this must never happen hyperdeveloped world is that these movements are largely
again. Outside of the states led by military-authoritarian directed and funded by the TSA, the nanosocialist groups
regimes, the armed forces tend toward democratic deny this, claiming to have substantial popular support.
approaches for practical reasons – it’s critical to not have Most nanosocialist parties are poorly organized, however,
the people rising up in the midst of a war. The military is and have little chance of gaining political power. One
generally not a driver of policy, and tends to support exception is PANU, the Pan-African Nanosocialist Union,
whomever will improve military posture. It is currently which has managed to unite the disparate infosocialist and
allied with the Pragmatists. nanosocialist parties across the African continent. Although
it is not part of the official opposition in the South African
Philosophers Coalition assembly, in the most recent Coalition-wide elec-
A younger generation of nanosocialists see the ideolo- tion PANU managed to take 5% of the seats. PANU has
gy as an evolutionary process, not a rigid dogma. They are called on the SAC to develop closer relations with the TSA.
dedicated to the philosophy, but want to make it work in a There is little support for the militancy of the TSA in
changing world. While they disdain compromise for short- Europe, however, even though many Europeans have
term gain, they are not as stubborn as the Ideologues. In infosocialist or nanosocialist leanings. The European
factional conflicts, they are balancers and subtle politicians. Information Socialist Party (EISP) is one of the oldest and
Their primary approach is to look at the “big picture.” They most-respected Infosocialist movements in the world, and
are a small but influential faction, primarily found in the it has strongly opposed the behavior and policies of the
Innovation Directorate. Alliance from the outset. Their position is given fur-
ther weight by the silent presence of Kyle Porters’

50
 OPTING OUT
biographer and friend, Caleb Metelits, who retired to With the Other
Paris in the 2070s, despite a very public offer of a Great Powers
place of honor in any of the TSA’s nations.
China remains the TSA’s pri-
The European opposition to the TSA is both practi-
mary enemy. From supporting sepa-
cal and philosophical. Kyle Porters theorized that a tran-
ratist uprisings to attempting to bring
sition to a fully infosocialist society would happen only
down the TSA Web with sophisticat-
when certain conditions were met – a certain portion of
ed digital viruses, China continues to
labor being “knowledge work,” a prevalence of digital
press the Alliance at a level just short of
networks, and a concentration of intellectual properties
open war. The TSA, in turn, devotes a dispro-
into the hands of monopolists, triggering social resist-
portionate amount of its international efforts to operations
ance. None of the nanosocialist states in the TSA meet
against China, further antagonizing the hegemonic power.
those conditions. Misha Leyden, the famed infosocialist
Only China’s multiple fronts of conflict – cold war moves
senator from Flanders, argued that the TSA’s existence
against the U.S. and E.U., struggles with its colony on
actually works to inhibit true information socialism from
Mars, and the ongoing process of modernizing its massive
arising, as it cannot bring about the revolution itself, yet
rural population – keep it from focusing its resources on
galvanizes the corporatist world in opposition.
the elimination of the TSA.

TOMMY GUERRO 125 POINTS

Born 2077. Age 23; 5’8”, 132 pounds. Light tan skin, sober and knows where all of the action is in town.
black hair, brown eyes. He is more than willing to show visitors a good
Tommy Guerro is a handsome tired-looking young man. time, especially if they’re willing to take him along.
He lives in a small apartment in Lima, Peru, where he hires He has an old keyboard he keeps in his apartment,
himself out as an assistant/driver for visitors. He’s also one of but he hasn’t played music for an audience since he
the top-selling musicians in his native country, Mexico. left Mexico.
Three years ago, Tommy Guerro had a #1 nanocorrido Tommy Guerro is likely found by any casual
in Mexico entitled Mi Muerto, and was regularly found at (or seemingly casual) visitor to Lima. He has his
parties and nightclubs. Corridos are traditional Mexican bal- own vehicle, knows his way around town, and is
lads glorifying tragic deaths, usually of criminals; nanocor- happy to accept a meager rate for taxi and guide
ridos focus on data pirates and smugglers. Guerro was service. Few people recognize him, and he usually
known for his songs with nanosocialist sympathies. He had a tries to convince those who do that they’re mistaken.
girlfriend, was rich, and seemingly could do no wrong. His Despite the manager’s spin on the murder, there is a
only problem was a tendency to drink, although his Ishtar bounty of $100,000 for the return of Tommy Guerro to
genome protected him from the worst of the alcoholism. Mexico City.
Late in 2097, Guerro discovered his girlfriend in bed
with his manager. In a fit of drunken jealous rage, he ST 9 [0]; DX 11 [0]; IQ 10 [0]; HT 12 [10].
smashed his girlfriend in the head with an InVid player, Speed 5.50, Move 5.
killing her. He was stunned and horrified by what he had Dodge 5.
done. His manager quickly assessed the situation, called in a Advantages: Ishtar Upgrade [25]; Musical Ability +5 [5];
few favors, and by the next morning, Tommy Guerro was on Reputation +4 (Musician and criminal; Mexican music
a plane to San Salvador. fans, all the time) [6]; Strong Will +2 [8].
For the last two years, Guerro has wandered the Central Disadvantages: Alcoholism [-15]; Guilt Complex [-5]; Jeal-
and South American nanosocialist countries. He avoids watch- ousy [0] (Part of Ishtar template).
ing any news, and has yet to find out that killing his girlfriend Quirks: Always wears old-style military camos; Personality
and escaping to the TSA has made him an even bigger star. change when drunk (Bad temper); Sarcastic; Vain. [-4]
The manager convinced a few key reporters that the girlfriend Skills: Area Knowledge (Lima)-15 [10]; Bard-14 [6];
was an American spy, and what could have been a sordid scan- Carousing-14 [16]; Computer Operation-12 [4]; Com-
dal became an act of ideological heroism. Given the guilt he puter Programming-9 [2]; Detect Lies-13 [10]; Driving-
still feels over his actions, it’s likely that discovering this 14 [16]; Fast-Talk-16 [14]; Musical Instrument-15 [4];
would push him further into an alcoholic haze. Performance-14 [6]; Scrounging-12 [4]; Sex Appeal-13
Guerro ended up in Lima, Peru, where he takes on odd [2]; Singing-18 [1].
jobs to pay for food and drink. He’s very personable when Languages: Spanish (native)-10 [0].

51
OPTING OUT
While China is the visible enemy, the United India would choose to join the TSA. While this
States is nearly as hostile. American opposition is would vastly increase the Alliance’s capabilities –
largely ideological – there has never been a strong infoso- overnight, the TSA would become a new hegemonic
cialist movement in the U.S., and many of the massive power, easily the fourth most powerful – the Coordinating
transnational corporations that infosocialists rail against Council is lukewarm to the idea. Both Peru and Indonesia
make their home in the United States. While America is would face substantially reduced influence in the Alliance;
unlikely to launch a full-scale war against the TSA, it there are quiet rumors in External Intelligence that the
spends a considerable sum both spying on the Alliance and Indonesian national intelligence service may be providing
countering its Acquisitions Directorate. covert support to the Indian anti-nanosocialist faction.
The European Union, is the great power least likely to It is likely that India’s participation in the Alliance
seek a conflict with the TSA. While the E.U.’s political and would disrupt the status quo in other ways. The Indian
legal opposition to the Alliances’ activities is quite strong, nanosocialist movement is heavily populist, but quite dem-
there is less hostility toward the ideology itself. The EISP is ocratic, with a strong aversion to authoritarian regimes.
an official part of the opposition coalition in the European The Indian nanosocialist party has castigated the TSA for
Parliament, and has twice served as part of a ruling coali- allowing dictatorships such as Cambodia and Guatemala
tion. E.U. agents do actively work to counter the operations in its midst, and regularly calls for the “democratization of
of the Acquisitions Directorate, however. information.”
The Pacific Rim Alliance covers much of the same One scenario appearing on several Weltspiel sites
geographic territory as the TSA, and there is little love lost suggests that rather than India joining the TSA, the more
between the two great powers. Both sides have fired upon democratic parts of the Alliance may split off and join
the other at different points, usually in disputes over terri- with India in a second nanosocialist coalition. The sce-
torial boundaries, refugees, or ocean resources. The PRA nario has the groups lining up as India-Bangladesh-
has a significant anti-war community in both Japan and Madagascar-Central America (with the Guatemalan
New Zealand, however, and disputes with the TSA are dictatorship either overthrown or surrounded) versus
resolved diplomatically. Indonesia-Cambodia-Vietnam-South America. Malaysia
Despite PANU’s calls for closer ties, the South African is a wildcard – its authoritarian government would be
Coalition’s relationship with the TSA is carefully guarded. under Indian pressure to democratize if it joined that
While no great enmity exists between the two great powers, coalition, but its historical competition with Indonesia
neither is there any friendship. The SAC is wary of the would make it reluctant to stay with an Alliance even
Alliance’s program of acquisition, and is aggressive in its more dominated by its rival. Laos is widely considered
attempts to defend the intellectual property of South too much of a burden for either side to want. As of Janu-
African corporations. But the SAC has also quietly benefit- ary, 2100, the meta-Weltspiel site Emergent World put the
ed from the TSA Web, as access to the uncontrolled content likelihood of this scenario at 32%, in comparison to a
has been a useful stepping stone for some of the poorer 28% chance of India simply joining the TSA, and a 40%
members of the Coalition. chance of India remaining entirely independent.
The TSA does not consider the
Islamic Caliphate to be a significant
source of either useful intellectual
property or threats to the Alliance’s
security. They are wrong on both
counts. Caliphate agricultural biotech-
nologies are some of the best in the
world, but more critically, the
Caliphate’s memetic defense agency,
Nuhá, believes that nanosocialism is
the biggest long-term threat to
Caliphate survival and acts according-
ly. The Caliphate has nearly two-dozen
agents operating in the TSA at the
beginning of 2100, none of which
Internal Intelligence has identified.
India is a special case, as nanoso-
cialism is well-supported among the
populace, yet a virulently anti-nanoso-
cialist government is in power. Many
suspect that if free elections were held,

52
 3 PRESENT
SHOCK:
AREAS IN TRANSITION

[BEGIN MONITOR PLAYBACK FILE 17/12/ DAVIES, JACOB: “Not too bad, not their best. Any-
02099.20.32-34:] way. I make one last edit – the ware’s fast, and my client
UNDERCOVER OFFICER: “What happened, likes a finished product – then zap it to the webbox my
Jake?” client uses. It took longer than usual, so I guess the Nairo-
DAVIES, JACOB: “The cops busted in and started bi cops were using some kind of jamming gear Farlane had
foaming the place. Stupid downlift girlfriend had p-tagged to figure out a path through.”
her kid last week and didn’t tell us, so the monitors had UNDERCOVER OFFICER: “Farlane?”
been on us for days. I slammed the security door on her.” DAVIES, JACOB: “My AI. Say hi, Farlane.”
UNDERCOVER OFFICER: “Ouch.” AI: “Hello.”
DAVIES, JACOB: “I hope she likes meme rehab and DAVIES, JACOB: “I managed to get out the window
recon.” and onto the fire escape. I had my camo suit, U.S. milspec
UNDERCOVER OFFICER: “But you got out.” of about, oh, 50 years ago. I hoped that it was enough to
DAVIES, JACOB: “The cop dog started barking at us, hide for a few minutes at least. The Nairobi cops get a lot
telling us that we were in violation of international con- of help from Jo’burg, but they’re still playing catch-up with
tent-rights treaties, give up, come out with hands up and their tech. These WTO jobs, though, they’re usually well-
implants off, the usual.” equipped. I had just made it up to the roof when Farlane
UNDERCOVER OFFICER: “What were you tells me I have new mail.”
mixing?” UNDERCOVER OFFICER: “You’re joking.”
DAVIES, JACOB: “Some stormchaser slink from up DAVIES, JACOB: “It informs me that I’ve been offi-
inside the Shenzen tornado last week with backmusic from cially charged with violation of the Duplication of Experi-
the new Lords of the Belt tracks. Got the songs off of the ence Act, blah blah blah. I filed it with the rest.”
TSA Web.” [END MONITOR PLAYBACK]
UNDERCOVER OFFICER: “Really? New songs – Evidence transcript, WTO vs. Davies,
any good?” South African Coalition Jurisdiction

53
PRESENT SHOCK
Sociologists in 2100 refer to nations successful- of new technologies and ideas into existing social,
ly managing a shift from an older technological-eco- political, and economic structures. Doing so too quick-
nomic base to a modern one as “transition” states. The ly can lead to chaos, too slowly can leave the society lag-
degree of success varies; often this means simply not ging ever further behind. The second is the adoption of
falling into civil war or economic ruin. For even the most controls over intellectual property common in the hyperde-
stable of the transition countries, the sudden availability of veloped world. The rules are complex, and the implemen-
advanced technology and resulting social and economic tation difficult, but they are the cornerstone of the global
dislocations is jarring. Yet this does not mean failure – economy.
most transition nations appear to be on a path to develop-
ment. Democratic leadership, a good relationship with the
developed world, and cultural flexibility and adaptability
are all key indicators that the transition will succeed. LIFE IN A PERPETUAL
BETA TEST
FAST, CHEAP, AND Transition regions combine the accelerated pace of
mid-to-late Third Wave culture with the weird and rapidly

OUT OF CONTROL
changing technologies of the Fourth and Fifth Wave world.
It’s not unusual to see a 60-year-old fuel cell automobile
parked outside of a newly opened memesculpting salon, or
The process of moving from the Third Wave into the a salary man juggling two incompatible wearables, the
Fourth or even Fifth Wave can be traumatic. Culture older one with data archives and easy connection to local
evolves slower than technology, and the fruits of rapid networks and the newer one with an LAI and a global
technological transformation do not spread evenly. Nations reach. Local companies offer services that combine tech-
going through a period of transition have old institutions nologies, adding off-the-shelf bio- or nano- components to
and new systems side-by-side, each needing to adapt to the older designs, sometimes with unforeseen consequences.
demands of the other. The results are difficult to control, Life in the transition nations exposes the underbelly of
yet many developing countries are keeping this complex Fifth Wave existence, peeling away the sleek gloss of com-
interaction from devolving into chaos. fort and power. The transition world has all of the churn
In the world of 2100, nations attempting to modernize and change of the Fifth Wave, but combines it with the
face two major barriers. The first is the effective integration speed and aggressiveness of the Third Wave. Transition
society is less interested in identity than in power. The rich-
es of modernity are becoming visible, and can be had with
just a little more work.
There is an insatiable appetite for experimentation in
NUMBER ONE SONGS FROM the modernizing parts of the developing world, one often

AROUND THE WORLD missing in the conservative patience of the hyperdevel-

oped states. Most of the citizens in the Third Wave world
Mexico City, Mexico: The Ballad of Enrique can’t expect to live another 80, 100, or 300 years – any-
Martín, by Dia de los Muertos. A nanocorrido thing they can get, they need to get now. The nations often
about the life of a recently executed data smuggler. compete for the attentions and gifts from the great-power
Kampala, Uganda: Composition 13, by Pika patrons, and a technology, design, or meme that the Fifth
Pika Overdrive. A dance club favorite combining Wave considers an obsolescent embarrassment can be of
neotraditional drums with classic tranceabilly hits. earthshaking value in the poorer regions of the world.
Bangkok, Thailand: Sympathy for Mick Jag- Yet this drive to compete, succeed, and transcend
ger, by KT Event. New French lyrics over old Bul- comes at a price. The stress of constant change can drive
garian folk tunes by an entirely artificial Dutch people insane. Social institutions rocked by the onslaught
band. of Fifth Wave memes can decide to fight rather than adapt.
Baghdad, Iraq: Whiplash, composer And the very technologies seen as the engines of progress
unknown. An underground compilation taking can fail, wrenching the society to a painful halt.
samples from the Caliph’s speeches and layering
them with hard-edge-style rhythm tracks. Stress
Managua, Nicaragua: Biometal Lullaby, by The varieties of new technologies and ideas rushing
Lords of the Belt. As yet unreleased Lords song into a transition society can be overwhelming. A single 3D
that recently appeared on the TSA Web Library. universal printer brought into a town can threaten local
The band has filed a complaint with the WTO. businesses. Uplifted animals, sentient machines, and
genetically modified parahumans – all commonplace

54
 PRESENT SHOCK
sights in the Fifth Wave cities – drastically change a
baseline individual’s sense of his place in the world,
particularly when jobs are lost due to competition
with technologically augmented workers. The vast
SOCIAL TRANSITION
array of new reproductive choices can make prospec-
tive parents doubt the timing, method, and wisdom
STRESS DISORDER
Social Transition Stress Disorder, or STSD, first identified
of having children; within one year of the introduc-
in 2052, is a chronic memetic illness affecting millions of peo-
tion of inexpensive genetic reproductive modifica-
ple around the globe. Originally described as a traumatic reac-
tions, national birth rates drop by nearly 30%. Most
tion to interaction with robots – hence its other name,
overwhelming of all, the change doesn’t stop. Tech-
“cybershell-shock” – STSD is now recognized as encompass-
niques and machines that seemed nearly magical
ing a broad range of psychological effects arising from rapid,
become archaic relics in a matter of months, or even
discontinuous social change. Known triggers for STSD
weeks.
include significant economic disruption or transitions, encoun-
Approximately 40% of all adults in transition
ters (particularly unpleasant or threatening ones) with new
societies have some kind of stress-related medical
technologies, and paradigm shifts resulting from assimilation
problem. Alcoholism is the most common, but the
of new memeplexes. Symptoms vary, but usually manifest as
influx of new designer drugs can often lead to abuse;
depression or apathy; less frequently, paranoid anxiety or irra-
current generation psychotropics may not cause
tional hatreds (sometimes even violence) can result.
physical dependency, but psychological addiction is
Incidence of STSD rises with the speed, degree, and sur-
widespread. Social Transition Stress Disorder (see
prise of a given change, and is typically cumulative – a suc-
box) is a frequent diagnosis, and simple insomnia,
cession of moderate cultural shocks can be much more
depression, and anxiety are nearly ubiquitous. Tar-
damaging than a single large event. STSD is most common in
geted psychopharmacology and memetic counseling
societies undertaking a rapid transition from Third Wave (or
provide effective treatment, but cases can go unno-
pre-Third Wave) to Fourth Wave culture and technology,
ticed for weeks or months. Rumors in developing
although cases also occur in advanced regions falling into
nations claim that STSD is deliberately induced by
rapid decline due to environmental or economic disasters.
the Fifth Wave world through memetic warfare.
Treatment, typically a combination of memetic therapy and
Antistress medication is available around the
drugs, is well-understood and very effective. Unfortunately,
world. In most developed nations, taking a dose of
many of those most in need of STSD treatment are those least
antianxiety or antidepressant is a typical response to
able to afford it.
unsettling events. In many transition nations, the use
of antistress drugs is promoted by governments and
leading businesses.

Resistance
In the Fifth Wave world, nearly every human institu-
POPULAR ANTISTRESS DRUGS
tion – marriage, reproduction, religion, education – has Found all over the world, these medications are
been indelibly altered by the advent of new technologies. cheap and usually effective.
These changes affect transition states, too, but because MyOpia. The best-selling antistress drug of 2099,
they come in faster, they hit harder. The hyperdeveloped MyOpia promotes a feeling of well-being and imper-
nations had years or decades in which to adapt to genetic turbability similar to the Collected advantage that lasts
engineering and machine intelligence – transition regions for 48 hours. $5 for 10 doses.
deal with it all at once, as well as the memes and philoso- Pacifica. Used primarily as a calming agent in
phies that developed in the Fifth Wave world in response periods of stress or fear, Pacifica gives a +2 on all
to these changes. Fright Check rolls for a four-hour period. It is extreme-
Yet not every transition society is willing to roll over ly popular among soldiers in combat zones. $20 for 10
and become a mirror of the hyperdeveloped world. Tradi- doses.
tional religions remain quite strong throughout the devel- Thalus. No longer officially on the market, Thalus
oping world, and memetic movements that seek to control – which gained the nickname “Soma” – has long-term
the spread of Fifth Wave technology, such as Preservation- side-effects: while it grants the Collected advantage
ism and Bioliberation, are gaining converts. Transhuman- for 12 hours, it has the cumulative effect of -1 to all
ism is far less common in the developing world, especially Will rolls for every 10 pills taken, persisting for one to
the transition states, than in the advanced nations. The six weeks after use stops. It is still found in the devel-
common meme is simple Humanism – making humans oping world, often sold under different names. $5 for
and human society work before trying to move beyond. 100 doses.

55
PRESENT SHOCK
Failure
Sometimes the transition stalls.
Promising technologies fail, and pub-
lic support for more change dries up.
Algeria was once seen as the model
for nations moving from poverty and
unrest into modernized stability. With
help from the E.U., the newly demo-
cratic Algerian government brought
the bulk of the country into a high-
Third-Wave existence by the 2050s,
and gave a public timeline for intro-
ducing advanced bioengineering that
promised universal health treatments
and reproductive upgrades by 2075. In and translation systems to let cutting-edge equipment
the late 2060s, the first generation of genetic upgrades hit coexist with less advanced gear.
adulthood, and promptly started experiencing side effects
from their treatments. The genome design the government Mature Technologies
labs had used, the Germline Improvement Modification Developing nations are fertile markets for technolo-
(the “pre-Alpha” mod), was faulty (see p. 120). gies that have been superseded by newer advances in the
The public mood quickly turned against the bioengi- Fifth Wave world. Biomedical treatments, AR systems,
neering program, and thousands of parents who had gone cybershells, even near-sentient infomorphs can outlive
through with the upgrades sued the Algerian government their usefulness in the hyperdeveloped states and still be of
and the European Union. All human genetic-engineering great value in the developing world. Entrepreneurs known
efforts ceased. In 2100, Algeria remains a stable Third as tech brokers make good money finding buyers and sell-
Wave democracy, but one that is extraordinarily resistant ers for barely obsolete devices. As far as the cutting-edge
to the introduction of new biotechnologies. world is concerned, these systems are woefully out of date;
to the developing-nation customer, these system are great
advances. Customers know that they’re not getting the lat-
Memetic Shock (n): Culture est, but they also aren’t paying anywhere near full price.
One problem for many transition regions is the mis-
Shock meets Future Shock, match between supply of and demand for these updated
systems. Companies importing Fourth/Fifth Wave devices
with a twist of Paradigm into transition markets must be aware of the speed of
Shift. “product churn” – demand for a given technology can peak
and collapse with alarming speed. A distributor can go
– Transhuman Devil’s from not being able to keep up with demand to not being
able to dump stock fast enough in a matter of weeks. This
Dictionary, 2097 does provide further opportunities for enterprising tech
brokers, however, both in the rapid import of high-demand
products and in the arbitrage of buying overstock from one
part of the world to be sold quickly elsewhere.
Rather than selling product itself, the Fifth Wave
INTERFERING WAVES developer of a given technological system may instead sell
Most developing societies are eager to become part of licenses to local manufacturers. Very often the licensed
the global technological and economic system, and designs are the older models no longer on the hyperdevel-
become happy consumers of the new devices and ideas oped world’s markets. The result, produced locally, is then
flooding across the border. The streets of a typical transi- a “homegrown” product – important in many areas con-
tion city are filled with a mix of old and new technologies cerned about the local economy – and the rights-holder
existing side-by-side – vendors sell old-style digital videos continues to profit from an otherwise-obsolete design.
alongside the latest slinkies, and dilapidated methanol- Rules for older designs can be found on pp. 127-128.
electric hybrid automobiles compete for parking with the
latest hydrogen-burning aircars. Discontinued models and Overloaded Systems
previous-generation devices are found at substantial Supply and demand problems affect communication
discounts. There are also thriving markets in adapter networks too. As increasing numbers of citizens move

56
 PRESENT SHOCK
to more-advanced networked forcing consumers to choose one
technologies (such as networked system over another. Whichever
infomorphs or teleoperations
gear), communication and sup-
PANOPTICON SOCIETIES system has more users tends to
win out, regardless of quality. In
There are four broad approaches to
port systems can overload, result- the meantime, users are stuck try-
the use of p-tags in a generally moni-
ing in dropped signals, network ing to translate between mutually
tored society.
“lag,” and temporary outages. incompatible systems.
Transparency: Everyone has access
While these effects are often tran-
to the p-tag information of everyone Kudzu Technologies
sient, they occasionally persist
else; citizens can watch the government
for minutes or even hours. Many While much of the technol-
and each other. No state currently uses
transition areas have local entre- ogy from the hyperdeveloped
total transparency, although there are a
preneurs (usually known as net- world is brought in intentionally,
small number of Isolate experiments
wallahs) who can set up some systems are not. These so-
with this form of society.
quick-and-dirty alternative com- called “kudzu” technologies
Safety First: Everyone has limited
munication networks to get invade the local infrastructure,
access to p-tag information. A given
around the congestion. Network choking networks, overloading
individual typically has access only to
supply problems don’t just affect systems, and overwhelming
family members’ data. Most monitoring
Third Wave gear; any outside defenses. Adviruses are the clas-
is done by NAIs to watch for crimes.
equipment brought into a transi- sic example; code designed to
Smart Business: P-tag information is
tion area suffers the same outage display an advertisement in an
accessible only by commercial entities.
and congestion problems unless AR system or virtual interface,
In some cases, these are private corpora-
it operates on a separate network. they’re globally unpopular but
tions providing monitoring services
extraordinarily common. Nearly
Dead Ends under contract; in other cases, monitor-
every wearer of AR and VII sys-
ing is done by employers.
The transition nations, par- tems employs some kind of
Big Brother: Only the government
ticularly those with a substantial antiviral software to prevent
has access to p-tag information; monitor-
local industrial base, are often the advirus infection; as a result,
ing is done by law enforcement to main-
home to technological pathways evolving in the Darwinian envi-
tain public order, safety, and compliance.
abandoned in the hyperdevel- ronment of the Fifth Wave com-
In some cases, the kind of monitor-
oped world. In some cases, this is munication and information
ing varies based on social or economic
due to particular local issues, networks, adviruses have to be
class. In Madagascar, for example, p-tag
such as with the continued use of flexible and robust to survive.
data for the political elite is transparent
refined petroleum for fuel in Iran The older technologies of the
for other elites, allowing them to watch
and the Islamic Caliphate states. transition nations are often no
each other for signs of treachery, where-
In other cases, the use of dead- match for the advirus’ ability to
as p-tags in regular citizens are handled
end systems comes from the abil- hide, reproduce, and subvert
with a nod to safety, with policies against
ity to purchase the technology at systems.
the abuse of p-tag information. Anyone
greatly reduced prices, such as Less common, but still trou-
with limited rights – criminals, bioroids,
Mongolia’s widespread use of bling, are Gypsy Spirits (see p.
SAIs – is subject to full “Big Brother”
videophones, which never man- FW33). These nomadic sentient
monitoring, with p-tag information a
aged to catch on globally and infomorphs can damage systems
matter of public record.
were eventually superseded by by deleting existing software,
AR and VII systems. Genetic and are usually considered illegal
modifications unpopular in the rogues. They are frequently found
developed world are also found in some developing states, in transition-region computer networks, as these systems
for similar reasons. are advanced enough to support their existence without
There is also the “wrong protocol” problem, where a being sophisticated enough to recognize and defend
networked system (such as augmented-reality or voice- against them.
communications) installed in the past can’t communicate
with current systems due to incompatibility. There are few P-Tag Nations
elegant solutions. The fastest fix is to rip out the old net- As Third Wave technologies disseminate to the mass-
work and install a new one, and make new gear available at es, one of the first systems usually to gain wide use is the
low cost. A variation on this situation comes when multiple virtual tag, or v-tag. Allowing the ready identification and
transnational corporations are seeking to dominate a local tracking of any tagged item, v-tags become ubiquitous
market (see Corporate Competition, p. 64). Aggressive parts of a transition state’s surroundings. Many places
firms often tune their systems to shut out competitors, also adopt the v-tag as a means to track individuals.

57
PRESENT SHOCK
Virtual tags designed specifically to suspicious, at best, and subject to immediate arrest in
track people are known as p-tags. some countries. Tracking nodes are distributed as
The decision to tag citizens is a widely as possible to prevent anyone from going
controversial one, and a number of unmonitored.
countries ban the use of p-tags entirely Countries that rely on general p-tagging require all
(most notably in Europe and the South visitors to be temporarily tagged, usually on the back of the
African Coalition), although many rec- hand. This prevents the guest from being stopped by police
ognize that virtual interface implants can for not showing up on p-tag monitors, and can trace the
serve the same function. Other nations, wearer if he is kidnapped. These temporary implants are
however, came to believe that p-tags are socially not as valuable in that regard as a VII or implanted com-
useful for reasons of public safety, transparency, or politi- munication system, however, as kidnappers can easily cut
cal control. A slight majority of nations on Earth use p-tags out the temporary p-tag.
on adults to some degree, usually for monitoring prisoners;
more than two-thirds regularly use them in children.
P-tags are implanted, most often in the shoulder but TO HAVE AND HAVE NOT
sometimes in the back of the neck. They are designed to YAOUNDÉ/TEN: The government of Cameroon filed
emit a weak beacon containing, at minimum, a unique code a complaint with the World Trade Organization today,
identifying the wearer. Some p-tags provide more data, alleging that the Shanghai Interactive corporation, makers
including the person’s current health status. P-tags are of the popular MRsiv augmented-reality systems, failed to
designed to be detectable with the appropriate equipment at adequately protect users from infection by the “Lucky
ranges from 100 feet to one mile, depending upon the Horse” advirus. The advirus, which has been a sporadic
model. P-tag signals are not difficult to jam, although a p- problem since it first appeared in China in September of
tag suddenly dropping out of view usually raises suspi- 2099, specifically targets the MRsiv system. In December
cions. Unauthorized removal of a tag causes it to send out of 2099, Shanghai Interactive released an update to the
a higher-strength alarm; removal of a p-tag is a simple first- MRsiv firmware that prevents further infections.
aid task, once the p-tag itself is located. The spokesavatar for Shanghai Interactive noted that
The most common use of p-tags is for the monitoring the contract the government of Cameroon signed with the
of children. Implanted as toddlers, kids wearing p-tags corporation in October of 2098, in which the developing
can be tracked easily by parents or crèche-keepers. In rel- nation purchased over 5,000,000 units of the MRsiv hard-
atively free societies, only the parents or legal guardians ware at substantially reduced rates, explicitly states that
have access to the location information, although law- the MRsiv model, which has been replaced by the MRsiv2
enforcement agencies can request or demand access as augmented-reality system, would not be eligible for free
required. In societies where p-tagging of children is uni- upgrades.
versal, there are abundant warnings when leaving a mon- “The terms of the license are very clear. In order to
itored area, and many parents refuse to allow their receive the firmware upgrade, they will need to purchase
children to travel outside of “safe” areas. Removal of the replacement MRsiv2 units,” stated the spokesavatar.
p-tag is a rite of passage in these societies, indicating a When asked for comment, the WTO told TEN that
step into adulthood, and rebellious teens may have their p- they will be looking into the matter, but warned the
tags cut out by friends. Cameroon government not to use pirated copies of the
Another wide use of p-tags is for the monitoring of firmware update. “We would consider the use of illegal
high-profile people, from prisoners to national politicians copies of rights-managed software a very grave offense,
– anyone the state needs to keep track of for their own or and will be paying close attention to Yaoundé’s behavior
the public’s safety. In these cases, the implant are deeper in in this matter.”
the wearer’s body, impossible to remove without surgery.
These signals are also usually heavily encrypted in order to Freedom and Control
prevent unauthorized monitoring of the wearer. One of the ongoing issues of the 21st century was the
A minority of nations require p-tags for all citizens – tension between owners of intellectual properties and
notably Panama, Kazakstan, and Thailand. The usual argu- those who use those properties without compensation.
ment for this is the need to fight crime, although in many Unlike physical goods, digital properties are not lost when
cases a broader justification of “public order” is used to given to others. The original and the copy are identical, as
watch dissidents. Since visual identification alone can be are subsequent copies. This perfect replicability threatened
mistaken, a unique encrypted ID tracked to the location of the economic well-being of corporations that relied on
the crime is far less likely to be wrong. P-tagged societies intellectual property – and as more physical goods and
often combine cameras and AIs to watch public behavior, commercial services took on an “information” character,
watching for suspicious activity. Any person seen by an increasing portion of the global economy faced dis-
the camera without a correlated p-tag is considered aster if intellectual-property rights were not enforced.

58
 PRESENT SHOCK
By 2015, the advanced industrial nations had all micro-payments are handled invisibly,
moved to firmly support content-owners’ rights, and behind the scenes, and most advanced-nation
had outlawed technologies that facilitated unrestricted consumers pay them little mind. In fact, given the
duplication of intellectual property. The uproar among the overall wealth of the hyperdeveloped world, the
technological elite was deafening, as these regulations minor fees associated with licensed material are
made many general-purpose computers illegal, but died so inconsequential that most consumers treat the
down over time as it became clear that consumers cared material as if it were free, passing along (paid
less about having tools to alter or create new content than for) copies to friends, making (licensed) edits for
about continued cheap access to entertainment, software, their own amusement, and the like.
and the like. Over the course of the 21st century, the degree It is common that some content has little or
of control exerted by the intellectual-property-rights hold- no real protection built in at all, relying upon the
ers has varied, peaking in the 2030s (acting as a catalyst for century-old culture of respect for intellectual
Kyle Porters’ exploration of information socialism) and property and fear of prosecution to prevent unau-
again in the 2080s. thorized duplication, distribution, or use. The
World Trade Organization, which over the course
of the 21st century began to focus exclusively on
issues of intellectual property, is quite aggressive
EXAMPLES OF CONTENT- in its pursuit of those who violate content owners’
rights. Penalties can be stiff and, depending upon
RIGHTS MANAGEMENT the jurisdiction, often include memetic rehabilitation
Digital-Rights Management: Primarily used to and reconditioning.
control duplication, distribution, and use of enter-
tainment media. When purchased, the content Rights in the Developing World
(song, InVid, slinkie, etc.) is coded to only play on While consumers in the Fifth Wave world are com-
a particular piece of hardware. If that content is pletely accustomed to paying for all content, citizen in the
copied to another system, it will not play or will transition nations are less sanguine. In most cases, the pre-
require the new user to also purchase the material. transition society had a fairly limited copyright and con-
Most content only allows single-play rights. tent-control regime, and the people are unused to the
Experience-Rights Management: Primarily notion of paying for every passing consumption of intel-
used to control the level of detail a person receives lectual property. Of greater concern is the cost – fees that
through his augmented-reality, virtual-interface, or seem insignificant to a New Yorker or Parisian are far
slinkie hardware. Most AR and VII users keep more noticeable to a citizen of Cairo or Havana. Some cor-
their ERM at a minimal setting, then pay for addi- porations adapt their fee structures to local conditions, but
tional material when they desire it. many do not, relying on an overall increase in local wealth
Genetic-Rights Management: One of the more to eventually make the content affordable.
controversial types of CRM, genetic-rights-man- As augmented-reality and virtual-interface equip-
agement systems control the duplication of regis- ment becomes more widespread, a type of content control
tered-genome designs. Genetic upgrades and called experience-rights management often comes into
parahumans are sterile unless they, or their parents, play. With AR and VIIs, the world as seen by an individ-
purchased a reproduction license from the owners ual using the equipment can vary radically from what an
of their genome design; this is routine in wealthy unaugmented person would see and feel. Looking at a
societies, but less common in poorer regions. See shop can reveal data about current products or comments
Disadvantages, p. 125. by other customers, advertisements can become animated
and interactive, and the world itself feels richer as it takes
on a layer of information and communication that blends
seamlessly with the surroundings. With experience-rights
Managing Rights management, what a person can see and interact with
using the systems varies by how much he spends. Two
In the hyperdeveloped world in 2100, this is all
different people can have radically different experiences
ancient history. Rights-management code preventing
of the same event by virtue of how much they’ve paid. In
unauthorized duplication, distribution, or content use is
addition, sharing the richer, more-detailed experience
built into every piece of technology available on the open
with someone else who may have paid for fewer rights is
market. Commercially available AIs are inherently unable
a violation of the law. While this notion is hardly contro-
to duplicate themselves or assist in the illegal duplication
versial for most citizens of the Fifth Wave world, many
of other content. Reading an essay, watching an InVid, or
people in transition nations find the concept troubling.
experiencing a slinkie costs a small fee; these

59
PRESENT SHOCK

TECHNOLOGY IMPORTS
CONTENT RIGHTS AND THE WTO AND EXPORTS
While the World Trade Organization’s influence over intellectual-prop-
erty policy appears draconian, few people in the developed world worry While a sustained crackdown on
much about it. Use fees for most content remain fairly low, and AI assistants intellectual-property pirates is usually a
handle the vast majority of transactions. For a Fourth or Fifth Wave con- condition for entry into trade arrange-
sumer of music, InVids, or even 3D-printer designs, incremental use and ments with the hyperdeveloped world,
duplication costs are close to inconsequential, and are only noticed when copies of many new hardware and soft-
they are unusually high. The fees – typically ranging from $1 to $50 per ware designs, recent genemod codes,
viewing/use – are more onerous for citizens in poorer areas. and CRM-cracked duplicates of popular
Very few pieces of digital content are purchased physically. The vast InVids and slinkies, are still found with
majority of songs, programs, and the like are downloaded. Transactions are a bit of effort. The official policy of the
quick, but almost always involve identifying the specific device and creating United States is that local pirates are
a unique key based on a hash of the device’s and software’s identity codes. usually a front for a TSA operation, and
The user purchases the right to play or use the content on that device only. that foreign governments should provide
Any attempt to play or use the content on another machine results in another all possible cooperation with U.S. law-
transaction charge, this one applied to the owner of the other device. From the enforcement authorities. Anti-piracy
content owner’s perspective, a copy passed along is just another sale. Gener- raids advised by FBI agents have
ally speaking, if the digital file is available for general purchase, copies can be become common in transition states
made in this way. Many pieces of content, especially entertainment content, seeking to curry favor with the United
are tagged Single Use Only, meaning that payment is required any time the States. China has a similar policy, but
material is played or used. the Chinese Ministry of Public Security
Some digital files are marked with a No Copy flag, which all commer- uses covert infiltration more often than
cially available devices will honor. These digital files are only usable on the its American counterpart. The European
originally authorized system. Devices that have been hacked to ignore CRM Union is less inclined to link all piracy to
can copy and use flagged content, and it is possible to alter the digital file the TSA, but still requires its trading
itself to remove the protection code. (See Hackware and Hot Mods, p. 129.) partners to adhere strictly to intellectual-
Individuals often mark private data files with a No Copy flag. property controls. In general, Europe
The initial use of a piece of commercial content requires a CRM check, tends to pay closer attention to biotech-
which confirms the identity of the player and modifies the content data such nological piracy than to entertainment
that it is authorized for that device. The CRM check requires access to the and software piracy.
web, but does not require a connection to the main WTO database. The WTO
has contracted a large variety of content-rights brokers to provide CRM-
Control of Technology
check services. These brokers take a small cut of the initial payment for the Exports
content. This initial CRM check takes a second or less in most locations on Trade in high technology is fairly
Earth and established space colonies. Single-Use-Only-tagged items carry open with transition states. In general, if
out this CRM check every time. Deep-space users are able to get a group a product or device is legally available to
license for the ship or station, allowing copies to be made without added the general public, it can be legally
CRM checks. exported. While local authorities may
Programmers, musicians, and others who wish have restriction on some types of tech-
to make their own material available can register nology, such as pharm animals or
easily with the WTO. In fact, most commercially implants, transition regions generally
available content-creation tools have registration adopt the technology legality classes of
routines built right in, so that the author doesn’t their patrons. Weapons, nanofacturing
even have to worry about it. Fees for registration systems, and fully sapient AIs are gener-
are minimal for individuals, usually only around ally export restricted.
$30, and scale up depending upon how many Just because a product is legal to
pieces of content the author has registered. Con- export does not mean it will be made
tent creators can also mark their works as public available, however. Technologies are
domain – if they do, no CRM checks are not necessarily for sale in all markets
required. Public-domain works may be regis- around the world at the same time.
tered for free, and doing so prevents others from Manufacturers may find that the current
claiming ownership of the content. infrastructure would not support new
systems, and does not wish to make an

60
 PRESENT SHOCK
added investment in the transition region. Local original to avoid WTO disputes. The name, color
governments may restrict the sale of particular prod- scheme, or physical appearance are reminiscent of the
ucts because of agreements with other providers or con- original product, but key elements (computing speed,
cerns about the economic or political impact. Yet demand interface, type of fabric, etc.) are changed – and the price
can be global, even if supplies aren’t, and clever is significantly lower.
entrepreneurs find ways to satisfy the market. The quality of a knock-off can vary dramatically; some
are functional duplicates, others little more than junk. Most
knock-off producers are careful to obscure the source of the
item, largely to avoid harassment from the original manu-
The street finds its own facturer. A handful of companies are known for making
high-quality legal knock-offs, using advanced software that
uses for things. analyzes a product design and produces an item with simi-
lar functionality but falling within the letter of the law. If
– William Gibson, 1984 given an original, these firms are usually able to produce a
legal knock-off sample in less than 24 hours. The cost of
making a single sample is usually roughly identical to the
original’s price, although subsequent copies will run about
Gray Markets 50% less.
It’s not unusual for the price of a given import-
ed item to vary widely in different markets around
the world, for reasons of import duties, trade reg-
ulations, or simple competitive pressures. These
price differentials lead to gray markets, the bor- KNOCK-OFF
derline-legal sale of products from foreign suppli-
ers. Gray markets show up where it is easy to
AND GRAY MARKET COMPANIES
move tech from a low-cost nation to a high-cost Several corporations based in the developing world are
nation and sell below local prices. For example, globally known for their ability to provide inexpensive supplies
the popular MRsiv augmented-reality gear, from of high-demand products, either through technology arbitrage or
Shanghai Interactive, is twice as expensive in producing functionally similar items. These items are usually
Algeria as it in New Guinea, as the Australian AR- found only in less-developed countries, although they occasion-
company Walkabout is aggressively pursuing the ally make their way into the hyperdeveloped world.
New Guinea market. But cases of MRsiv units Benford Analysis Group (BAG): This serious-sounding
purchased in Port Moresby show up in Algiers; name masks one of the biggest legal knock-off companies
even with the cost of shipping and customs fees, around. Based in Belize, it uses top-of-the-line software and
the New Guinea models run 75% of the local price robofacs to produce borderline-legal duplicates of popular prod-
and still make a profit for the importer. ucts. The WTO has had BAG on its watch list for the last seven
Gray markets also emerge in situations where years, but has never found sufficient evidence to file lawsuits.
a given product is legal to own but simply unavail- BAG sales agents work in nearly every transition country.
able locally through normal suppliers. This often Tipping Point: A virtual organization of independent tech
happens when a manufacturer decides that the brokers, Tipping Point has one of the largest corporate contact
support costs exceed the marginal profits, and networks in the world. Tipping Point partners pay an annual
pulls the product. Demand still exists, even if sup- membership fee of $5,000, but gain access to the organization’s
plies have to come from somewhere else in the accumulated information, more than making up for the cost. A
world and at higher prices. Tech brokers are often tech broker character who chooses to be a Tipping Point partner
the middlemen for such transactions. It’s also not has a Patron (Reasonably powerful group, 12 or less) [30].
unknown for a producer to pull out of a given area Xiao-fang Industries: Originally based in Kowloon, this
but continue to sell through the gray market, knock-off firm was investigated in 2090 by the Chinese gov-
thereby reducing costs and keeping prices up. ernment firm for alleged TSA sympathies. Rather than stay and
fight, the company’s owner, Xiao-fang Li, moved operations to
Knock-Offs the Philippines. Xiao-fang Industries is the main global com-
petitor to Benford Analysis Group, and specializes in getting
When demand is high but supplies are low –
product to market faster and at lower cost than any other com-
or overpriced – there is an opportunity for savvy
pany. Even if quality sometimes suffers as a result, Xiao-fang is
local producers to grab the market. Knock-offs,
usually able to get legal knock-offs to resellers anywhere in the
the unauthorized duplicates of popular products,
world within 72 hours of the first scan of the original item.
are designed to be just different enough from the

61
PRESENT SHOCK
Piracy The largest single customer for illegal imports is
Copyright Violation the Acquisitions Directorate of the Transpacific
Is the Sincerest Form of Flattery. Socialist Alliance. The TSA Acquisitions agents routinely
– Posted in an anonymous chat board pay top dollar for rare or difficult-to-acquire items. The
on the TSA Web Alliance isn’t the only consumer, however. In general, the
biggest customers for smugglers are governments in the
While knock-offs and gray-market suppliers are care- developing world, which routinely seek items that can tip
ful to observe content rights, pirates have no concern about a regional balance of power. States without close relation-
such niceties. Content pirates are in the business of direct- ships with great-power patrons often do not have access to
ly copying licensed material for profit. This is widely con- cutting-edge technologies, and pay considerable sums for
sidered morally wrong, almost universally illegal, and modern systems. Such hard-to-get smuggled goods can be
very, very popular. sold for five to 10 times the standard price, the substantial
The WTO’s definition of piracy includes any unau- profit reflecting the danger to the smuggler.
thorized duplication, distribution, or use of licensed mate-
rial. Engaging in this practice isn’t as simple as it was in
decades past; many content-managed products simply do
not function for anyone other than the licensee, and stan- PENALTIES FOR PIRACY
dard consumer entertainment or information technology The WTO does not directly control how intel-
no longer allows for casual copying. Piracy usually lectual-property laws are enforced, but they pro-
requires some means of getting around CRM protections. vide detailed guidelines for governments. The
Many CRM-hacking tools are available on the TSA Web, following suggested penalties are typical for most
although possession of those tools is a felony in most non-TSA nations:
nations. Software and hardware modifications intended to First Offense: A fine equivalent to 10% of the
defeat CRM controls are not always reliable, and can actu- monthly income of the criminal and his registered
ally damage systems and data (see Hot Mods, p. 129). partners/spouse(s).
Despite the challenges, piracy is epidemic, as pirated Second Offense: Memetic rehabilitation/coun-
material is very popular. In some cases, it’s more popular seling and a fine equivalent to 10% of the annual
than legal copies, even at the same price – many con- income of the criminal and his registered part-
sumers in the developing world like to think they’re taking ners/spouse(s).
money out of the hands of Fifth Wave transnational corpo- Third Offense: Memetic rehabilitation/coun-
rations. For this reason, over 20% of the pirated material seling, imprisonment of one to ten years, and a
for sale in developing states is actually legally copied and fine equivalent to 10% of the annual income of the
produced, but repackaged to appear pirated. criminal and his registered partners/spouse(s).
In most jurisdictions, “casual” pirates – those
Smuggling who make or use illegal copies for personal use –
The heyday of smuggling has largely drawn to are given a warning but no fine on a first offense.
a close in the Fifth Wave world. The legalization of Piracy of intellectual property for purposes of
most forms of drugs over the course of the early resale is usually treated as a third offense and
21st century eliminated the vast majority of smug- given the maximum jail sentence.
gling into developed states. The advent of 3D print-
ers and robofacs has made it far more practical to
send data instead of physical objects. As a result,
data smuggling has now become much more com-
Stealth Testing and Distribution
mon than the illegal movement of material goods. Very occasionally, transition regions can have access
Tighter controls on drugs and other locally to technologies before they’re introduced in the hyperde-
prohibited materials, coupled with limited avail- veloped world. Corporations need to test new products,
ability of minifacs, keep smuggling alive in the and even the best simulation systems can’t always account
developing world, however. Neuro-agents, for the complexity of how people will make use of a new
weapons, minifacs, and advanced computer sys- device. Furthermore, mature technology markets are very
tems are regularly moved illegally from the hyper- competitive, and customers in the hyperdeveloped world
developed world into poorer areas. Satellite are extremely sensitive to poorly tested products. One
monitoring, v-tags, and AI customs agents help buggy release can destroy a firm’s reputation.
considerably, but Interpol estimates that nearly $65 Many Fourth and Fifth Wave companies realize that
billion worth of goods are smuggled across borders citizens of mid-late Third Wave societies are far more tol-
every year, worldwide. erant of imperfections. The accelerated markets in many
of these cultures means that having access to products

62
 PRESENT SHOCK
or services that are new can provide a distinct com- catch up with the developed world once again found
petitive advantage over users of less cutting-edge sys- themselves at the base of an even higher cliff. Some
tems. Customers in the hyperdeveloped world are less saw the barrier as insurmountable, while others started
likely to pay attention to occasional reports of technologi- climbing anew.
cal problems in the transition regions, letting firms try out – Caleb Metelits,
experimental designs with real users without running the The People’s History of the Future, 2067
risk of damaging the corporate image.
Fourth and Fifth Wave firms doing beta tests in tran- Relations between the hyperdeveloped and develop-
sition areas often look for people who ing nations in 2100 are neither as dismal as many had
will use the new systems in surpris- feared, nor as cooperative as many had hoped. Changes in
ing and challenging ways. The the use of energy and raw materials allowed advanced
goal of the tests is to discover states to wean themselves from dependence upon the
hidden flaws or features that resources of the developing world. While this led to less-
combine well with existing aggressive foreign policies, it also meant that the devel-
equipment. Some corporations oping world lost its one form of power over the advanced
focus exclusively on wealthy industrial nations.
businessmen as testers; others By the third decade of the 21st century, the developed
prefer more rugged environ- world was tempted to simply stop paying attention to the
ments, and look the other way if poorer nations. The problems seemed intractable, com-
the gear is used for not-entirely-legal pounded by societies that apparently did not want to stop
ends. In every case, the testers are required killing their neighbors or themselves. The advanced indus-
to sign NDAs (Non-Disclosure Agreements), with stiff trial countries were looking to the future, to developing the
penalties for violation. Once a test has run its course, and solar system and taking full advantage of emerging sci-
the producer has settled on a new design (or scrapped it), ences. There was little interest in rehashing the same terri-
the devices tested are much harder to get. Some corpora- torial, ethnic, and religious struggles that had been fought
tions require the return of test systems; others simply cut and re-fought for the last century.
off support. Yet for the most part, advanced states resisted the urge
There is a thriving black market for beta-test gear. to withdraw. Aid became a priority, and many of the poor-
Competitors, the TSA, even government intelligence serv- er nations were helped by technological and economic
ices offer substantial rewards for test systems. Depending assistance from the U.S., Europe, and China. Moreover,
upon the type of equipment and the range of features, the new generations of leaders had arisen, no longer tied to
black-market value of beta devices can range from three to post-colonial philosophies. Many developing states started
10 times the cost of a similar current-generation version. to think that for the first time they might have a chance.
Beta-test hardware is typically given unique identifiers, As a handful of nations took on the roles of “great
often woven into the components at a molecular level, so powers,” weaker societies sought patrons for protection
that they can be traced back to the registered tester. Theft and continued economic growth. This pattern continues to
of test systems is an ever-present concern; many corpora- the present, with the great powers maneuvering for politi-
tions outfit beta-test gear with biometric devices that fry cal advantage while their client states jockey for the best
the components of the system if someone other than the economic position. Great-power patronage does not come
registered tester attempts to use it. without a price, however; each year, the dominant states
and alliances interfere more deeply in the policies and

RELATIONS WITH THE

agendas of their weaker clients. Many in the developing
world see this as uncomfortably reminiscent of the colonial
days of two centuries past.

FIFTH WAVE WORLD BUSINESS

The return of the global middle class in the middle of In 2100, the developing and hyperdeveloped parts of
the century could be seen most conspicuously in the rapid the world remain closely bound. The increasingly wealthy
economic and technological advancement of many developing world is an expanding market for advanced
nations previously thought of as “Third World.” Yet while transnational firms, as stable Third Wave states consume an
the countries of the developing world evolved into infor- ever-growing portion of the technologies and ideas from
mation societies, the “First World” had long since moved the Fifth Wave producers. Despite the presence of pirated
on, integrating biotechnology (and now, increasingly, goods and cross-border smuggling, the vast majority of
nanotechnology) into its social and cultural models. economic transactions between the Third Wave and the
Developing countries that had struggled valiantly to Fifth Wave worlds are legal and mutually beneficial.

63
PRESENT SHOCK
Transnational Corporations MenteMundo, moved quickly into the market. A
“Always remember: You are not a people. You are Turkish startup called Ankaranet was even faster, how-
not a nation. You are a market.” ever, and managed to lock in several key Paraguayan cor-
– Rodney Phelps, CEO of American Pharmatek, in a porations and government agencies as clients.
telepresence speech to the parliament of Uganda MenteMundo’s board of directors was furious that a com-
after signing an agreement to invest $25 billion in pany from outside of South America moved in on the area.
the struggling country. Phelps denied that he said Throughout the early part of 2099, MenteMundo and
this, claiming that meme-hackers had manipulated Ankaranet attempted to disrupt each other’s ability to do
the datastream, but the uproar was sufficient to business. In July, local thugs hired by the Brazilian firm
have Uganda reject the investment destroyed the Ankaranet office in Asunción, accidentally
killing the advance-marketing agent. The Ankaranet
By 2100, many transnational corporations – firms that investors, with unspecified ties to the Turkish mafia,
set up shop and open subsidiaries in multiple countries – responded in kind, having the MenteMundo building
have moved into space. This doesn’t mean that they’ve lost burned down and killing several key Paraguayan employ-
interest in Earth; with the majority of the solar system’s ees. As of the end of 2099, 17 people have died, and there
population, and the richest consumers, Earth is likely to is no end to the violence in sight.
remain the best market for transnational companies for Competing corporations don’t often hire hit men.
years to come. Contrary to popular fiction, most transna- They’re more likely to hire “noise” – people who disrupt
tionals are fairly good global citizens. They are rich and the competitors’ ability to communicate, advertise, market,
powerful but they are focused on the bottom line. Control- deliver, or generally operate successfully. This disruption
ling governments, ruining environments, and hiring private doesn’t have to be violent, it just has to be effective. Jam-
armies are usually not profitable. Most firms would much ming communication networks, hiring key personnel away
rather have a market of eager consumers than servile labor- from competitors, and creating advertising campaigns for
ers. Despite the rhetoric from infosocialist parties, corpora- the competitors that are misleading or insulting are all
tions are not evil, in the same way that sharks are not evil. common methods of “market hacking.”
There are exceptions. In 2094, MetaCom A.G. Most transnational corporations are highly attuned to
became synonymous with callous rapaciousness when it their target culture. Ethnographers, sociologists, and net-
bought the most advanced biotech company in Mali, shut work analysts are part of the initial exploratory team, used
down its soil-rejuvenation and crop-improvement pro- to determine a market’s potential value and to find local
grams, and used its research department to pursue devel- talent. They need people who know the land, both geo-
opment of a species of lawn grass better able to withstand graphically and culturally; those with a strong Pop Culture
temperature spikes. When marketing studies came back skill (p. 125) are particularly valuable. Understanding of
indicating that homeowners in Europe and the U.S. were the local political scene is also helpful, and the leaders of
tending not to plant lawns, MetaCom abandoned the proj- underground movements are preferentially co-opted.
ect, sold the research equipment to tech brokers, and shut
down the biotech operation. MetaCom refuses to give the
Manufacturing
results of the soil and crop work, claiming that these are Manufacturing industries were transformed in the lat-
valuable assets, but it has yet to decide on an appropriate ter part of the 20th century by the advent of robotic sys-
price. Meanwhile, the Sahara continues to spread south tems, and by the 2020s, totally automated factories were
into Mali’s agricultural heartland. commonplace in the developed world. A similar revolution
has taken place with the advent of minifacs and robofacs,
Corporate Competition which allow a single facility to produce a nearly infinite
Such single-corporation domination is rare. More variety of products. Although the technology in 2100 is
often, multiple firms explore promising new markets, each slow and expensive, few expect it to stay that way.
looking for an opportunity for new profits. The Fifth Wave While robofacs replacing automated factories in the
economies are saturated, and it’s difficult for established hyperdeveloped world caused little concern, most manu-
firms to generate growth. Emerging markets are the only facturing facilities in the developing world still use human
new source of economic growth available on Earth. As a labor to manage and control the workplace machines.
result, competition between transnational businesses is Many governments in transition nations are extremely sen-
intense, and while rare, it’s not unknown for intercorporate sitive about new fabrication technologies eliminating so
struggles to turn deadly, especially in promising new areas. many jobs. In 2068, the Darjeeling Motors Corporation
In late 2098, the government of Paraguay opened its sought to open a fully automated plant outside of Tripoli,
information and communication networks up to global Libya, giving it easy access to the Mediterranean. In an
corporations in an attempt to jump-start the stagnant econ- inspired moment, the Libyan government asked the firm to
omy. The Brazilian web and virtual-reality giant, pay an annual fee equivalent to the welfare benefits for
the number of people that would have been

64
 PRESENT SHOCK
employed at a non-automated facility. The Indian
carmaker was surprised, but agreed. The Libyan Tax,
as it is now known, is now a common point of negoti-
ation between transnational corporations and the gov- MEMETIC SWEATSHOPS
ernments of developing markets. The process of making movies, InVid, virtual worlds, and
dramatic slinkies isn’t nearly as glamorous as many imagine.
Entertainment Much of the work is done in what the industry calls, in a mix of
While factory jobs are visible, the manufacturing honesty and morbid humor, “memetic sweatshops.” These are
industries are minor concerns compared to the largest small studios that provide people to write behavior scripts for
industry in the world: entertainment. A London School digital extras, perform slink “experience looping” (recording
of Economics report in 2098 estimated that almost visceral sensations such as fear, pain, or pleasure over the one
15% of the global workforce (outside of TSA coun- shown on the slink), and create the pieces that make the stories
tries) was employed in entertainment-related fields, come to life. They exist everywhere, and produce material for
from creation and production to distribution and sales. virtually every media.
The entertainment industry makes more money and Few consumers know about these shops, but for those
has greater memetic influence than any other organ- looking for a break, a job in one is a chance of a lifetime. It
ized activity. Products of the entertainment industry has been widely reported (and never corroborated) that
have a global reach and an appreciative audience. Peo- erotic-comedy slinky-star Holly Hartley started in a memetic
ple around the world love InVids from Bollywood, sweatshop as an experience looper. Copies of movies and
game shows from South Africa, moviefab block- InVid claiming to feature her reactions are widely sought-after.
busters from China, slinkies starring Holly Hartley,
virtual worlds from San Diego, slogs, News Hounds on
Mars . . . there has rarely been a better time to be part of
the entertainment-industrial complex.
One of the key myths driving the industry’s success no
LAW ENFORCEMENT
“We learned an important lesson over the last hun-
matter its medium is that anybody can be a star. In this dred years: crime that is not stopped overseas soon
case, the myth has an element of truth. While most recog- becomes a problem at home.”
nize that massive transnational entertainment corporations – Special Agent Sartaz Ahmed, Interpol
dominate the industry, it is also well-known that each of
these studios is starving for an edge over rivals. There have Of the various social and governmental institutions of
been enough cases of a new talent making a studio a sub- a society, law enforcement is among the first to be changed
stantial sum of money that most are occasionally willing to by links to the hyperdeveloped world. Fifth Wave forensic
take a chance. This process has been commoditized with equipment is made available, local databases are tied into
the near-ubiquitous use of prank game shows, 24-hour pro- global-information feeds, and police forces from the
files, and shows like The Hunt, in which a normal person hyperdeveloped world are more than happy to lend offi-
is kidnapped and brought to a secure island facility where cers and technologies to agencies in developing countries.
they are tracked down by a variety of increasingly bizarre This is not due to simple altruism – such gifts cost far less,
hunters – those that elude capture the longest win the in the long run, than criminal activity.
biggest prizes. All of these shows are designed explicitly to In most respects, police duties in 2100 have changed
turn a normal person into a celebrity to see if anyone pays little in the last century. Community law enforcement
attention. Few people become stars this way; most are focuses on the prevention, investigation, and punishment
returned to their everyday lives after their whirlwind 72 of crimes. The tools may have improved, but the process –
hours in the spotlight. finding evidence, identifying a suspect, and establishing a
In 2100, one of the newest forms of entertainment in case – is familiar.
the developing world is based on a two-century-old medi- The main procedural difference between policing in
um. Movies – with their 2D visuals and non-interactive, 2100 versus 2000 is the heavy reliance on physical evi-
linear stories – never really went away, but had greatly dence over eyewitnesses. It has long been recognized that
declined. By the late 21st century, most movies were lin- such testimony is faulty and that memories are easily
ear edits of interactive stories repackaged for lower-tech- manipulated. Witness testimony uncorroborated by physi-
nology audiences. The so-called “moviefab” movement cal evidence or monitoring systems is largely inadmissible
has changed this, using cheap, high-quality 3D environ- in Fifth Wave courts, and most developing nations, particu-
ment software as virtual soundstages to record 2D stories. larly transition states, are moving to this policy. Even the
Although technically possible for decades, the movement testimony of AIs is suspect; while they cannot lie, it is pos-
really started in 2093 with the Yin brothers in China. The sible to hack their memories. Fortunately for investigators,
practice has spread globally, with dozens of moviefab Fifth Wave forensic technology is quite powerful.
features being released on the web every month.

65
PRESENT SHOCK
GRA agents have an almost missionary zeal
– they really do believe that they are saving the
world from destruction. Field operatives, who
see the worst of the offenders, tend to speak in
apocalyptic tones about unfettered experimenta-
tion in bio- and nanotechnologies. The GRA can
be called in on situations ranging from unknown
environmental toxins to bioengineering waste
clean-ups to suspected use of bioweapons.

World Trade Organization

The World Trade Organization has changed
considerably since its origins in the late 20th cen-
tury. As modern industry came to rely on digital
information, the WTO shifted focus exclusively to
Aside from the multitude of law-enforcement agen- issues of intellectual property. The WTO is the leader in
cies, there are a handful of services with international maintaining controls over copyright, patent rights enforce-
jurisdiction. These organizations focus on narrow issues, ment, and prevention of information piracy, which includes
and work closely with local authorities. Most have some anything from data smuggling to the illegal exhibition of a
degree of indigenous operational personnel, however, for rights-managed work. It aggressively lobbies to ensure the
those situations where regional law-enforcement officers continued dominance of intellectual-property owners over
are less cooperative, or are themselves the subject of users. Infosocialist parties view the WTO to be the enemy,
investigation. and the feeling is mutual – in 2097, the WTO was discov-
ered to have funded anti-infosocialist party rallies across
Genetic Regulatory Agency Europe, some of which resulted in vandalism against party
The Genetic Regulatory Agency, based in the offices.
free city of Königsberg, advises nations on proper The WTO employs lawyers, lobbyists, activists, mar-
regulation of human genetic engineering and keting experts, strategists – anyone who may be able to help
enforces existing laws restricting bioroid develop- the WTO maintain and propagate the meme that content-
ment and illegal genetic modifications. Although it rights violation is wrong. The WTO also employs opera-
is largely European in outlook and policy, most tives to investigate potential cases of rights violations, and
nations are signatories to treaties authorizing its support the local enforcement of antipiracy laws. WTO
expanded global role. The GRA concentrates its agents are known to operate on every continent.
investigatory activities to those countries where WTO personnel rarely work alone. They more often
weak government, controls on the press, or a histo- operate in close cooperation with the intelligence and
ry of genetic engineering abuses make it likely that international law-enforcement bureaus of the United States
violations will be found, although the GRA claims and China. They consider the Transpacific Socialist
the right to investigate human-species-threatening Alliance to be their primary opponent, and with good rea-
genetic engineering anywhere. The GRA’s empha- son – almost all of the intellectual property pirated around
sis on the developing world is seen as unfair by the world eventually ends up on the TSA Web.
some, and is a regular point of dispute at interna-
tional gatherings. Interpol
The potential dangers of unrestricted biotech- Interpol, while declining in overall influence, remains
nology are well-known. Although the most egre- an important element of international law enforcement.
gious of the “black labs” have long since moved Historically more of a clearinghouse of information than an
offworld, a substantial amount of genetic engineer- actual law-enforcement agency, the organization took on a
ing of dubious legality still takes place on Earth. more active role in the 2030s and 2040s, as advances in
The creation of bioroids, the development of biotechnology made a wider array of inexpensive and pow-
bioweapons, and the synthesis of new lifeforms do not erful drugs available around the world. Even as global sen-
require a Fifth Wave industrial infrastructure, and less- timent moved away from legal controls on drugs, Interpol
advanced countries sometimes have fewer of those pesky retained its enforcement authority, making some high-pro-
regulations. As the international clearinghouse for infor- file arrests for illegal genetic modifications and data piracy.
mation, resources, and investigatory support for police Critics claimed that Interpol wasn’t sufficiently aggressive,
enforcing biotech regulations, the GRA is there to make often abiding by local laws over international treaties;
sure that international rules are enforced. the GRA and WTO moves to develop their own
enforcement branches is traced to these disputes.

66
 PRESENT SHOCK
Interpol still functions primarily as a center for Bangkok is widely known as a location for signifi-
information and coordination among local authorities, cant espionage against the TSA, but other regions that
but also employs a small number of investigation and seem to attract spies include Mexico City, Zanzibar, and
enforcement units. National and local police have ready Cairo.
access to Interpol’s databases and information tools, and Despite a flirtation with privatized intelligence in the
Interpol advisors can be dispatched within 24 hours of a early part of the 21st century, the United States and a hand-
request for assistance. Interpol strives for continued good ful of other advanced industrial nations, along with most
relations with local law enforcement, and it is widely governments, treat intelligence gathering as an official
respected for its history of effectiveness and honesty. duty. Transnational corporations have their own informa-
Interpol uses its own operations division only for the tion-gathering operatives, but they focus on other corpora-
investigation of non-piracy web offenses, such as comput- tions. Still, it’s not uncommon to have multiple
er intrusion cases and the pursuit of rogue AIs (Gypsy government agencies, a few corporations, and an interna-
Spirits), and for supporting local police in international tional law-enforcement service all investigating a single
smuggling cases. Over the last decade, however, the World target. Such circumstances lend themselves to
Trade Organization has occasionally contested Interpol’s disinformation, dis-
authority in this arena. It is not unusual to have both Inter- ruption, and “noise”
pol and WTO operatives show up to investigate a big campaigns.
smuggling case. The WTO argues that Interpol is not
aggressive enough, and is seeking authorization from Military
member nations to expand its jurisdiction officially. Advisors
It is rare for
POLITICS great-power nations
to send their own
Politics is about power, and the balancing, wielding,
troops to directly
and distribution of power is of great interest to transition
intervene in a crisis
nations. Transition states are looking for patrons to provide
in a transition nation.
the best protection, intelligence, and economic support;
More often, the great
great powers are looking for clients who are capable prox-
power send military advisors to nations in conflict, person-
ies, strong allies, and lucrative markets. The developing
nel who can provide substantial intelligence and strategic
world also provides a useful setting for competition
value, but who may not necessarily engage in combat. For
between the hyperdeveloped countries.
the great-power patrons, this has several benefits. It increas-
es ties between the local government and the patron, mak-
Diplomacy ing defection (seeking out the protection of a competing
With the decline of the United Nations, most diplo- great power) more difficult. It also creates a closer relation-
matic activity happens at a peer-to-peer level; dignitaries ship between the patron and the client’s military forces, use-
meet with each other, treaties are signed (both public and ful in situations where the client government decides to be
secret), and alliances are forged. Ties are rarely permanent, troublesome, and an opportunity to test new weapons or
however, and some developing nations have become quite tactics. Patron military advisors are usually under strict
adept at playing great powers against each other. Most orders not to engage in combat; the degree to which they
developing states with any reasonable level of stability abide by those orders depends on whether there are advi-
have signed treaties of friendship with all (or most) of the sors from another great power on the opposing side. With
great powers, as well as trade agreements, law-enforce- memories of the Pacific War still fresh, most Fifth Wave
ment cooperation pacts, and the like. Becoming a “good nations are desperate to avoid a situation that might spiral
international citizen” involves agreeing to a variety of into another global war.
international laws about intellectual property, genetics, and
weapons of mass destruction.

Intelligence Gathering
BACKWARDS AREAS
Not every transition area is an independent state.
Even with abundant espionage technology (satellites, There are a number of locations around the world where
microbots, webtapping), the bulk of effective intelligence parts of an otherwise developed (or even hyperdeveloped)
gathering involves personal efforts by operatives on the nation lag, where the fruits of the Fifth Wave have yet to
ground. Developing nations, especially those experiencing truly reach. This can occur for a number of reasons, rang-
rapid technological growth and social dislocation, are ing from tensions between populations to local environ-
fruitful locations for conducting espionage against oppo- mental disasters, or simply extended periods of economic
nents. States that border, or are strongly associated with, stagnation and poverty. These areas are often difficult
a particular great power are often hotbeds of activity. to integrate, and are left to fend for themselves.

67
 PRESENT SHOCK
As with developing countries, advanced technol- towns in a straight line west from Beijing. Success-
ogy is still found in the backwards parts of a Fifth Wave ful at first, it soon faced problems with local leaders
state. Police, especially those in larger urban areas, usually wary of tools which allowed greater central control, rural
have access to modern forensic equipment. Inexpensive populations with irrational fears of the new technologies
consumer goods are widespread, and industrial minifacs (there is still a rumor in western China that biotech repro-
relatively commonplace. Information and communication ductive treatments will make infants gwai lo, or “ghost-
networks are less dense, however, and environmental tech- person,” a derogatory term for white people), and
nologies such as v-tags and augmented reality are much non-Han ethnic minorities who fought any attempt to
less widespread. Advanced biotechnological and bionan- assimilate them into the broader Chinese culture.
otechnological medical treatments are difficult to find,
although modern treatments for commonplace diseases Cross-Border Cultures
usually have filtered down even to local clinics. Ethnic and cultural minorities who live on the edges
of a national geography often get left behind during tech-
Third Wave Communities in nological and economic development. This does not nec-
Fifth Wave Nations essarily happen due to overt racism; quite often, the
In even the most-advanced societies, there are region- minority culture is strongly separatist, and rebuffs attempts
al communities that have not quite caught up with the rest to bring in advanced systems, viewing them as assimila-
of the nation. In some cases, this is due to a massive influx tionist. Ethnic groups, which are minorities in every nation
of immigrants from the developing world; Los Angeles, in they inhabit, tend to face the most problems in develop-
the United States, is the best-known example (see pp. 97- ment. The Kurds, who live in territory overlapping the
104), but there are many others. In other situations, the E.U. (Turkey), the Islamic Caliphate (Iraq and Syria), and
process of development simply takes time to spread across the rogue nation of Iran, have refused every solution to
a large geography or population, such as in China, where their poverty and powerlessness that involved settling in
the majority lives in Third Wave and even Second Wave one area. Similarly, the Rom, traditionally called Gypsies,
conditions, even as the urban centers along the coast push remain a nomadic ethnic minority across much of Central
the cutting edge of nanotechnology. Europe, both in and out of the European Union. While a
Social Transition Stress Disorder and other extreme few clans have adopted high-tech systems that don’t inter-
reactions to change are fairly uncommon in these areas, in fere with their nomadic travels, most cling to traditional
part because the change is happening much more slowly ways, becoming an anachronism in Fifth Wave Europe.
and in part because these areas often have very strong
community-support networks. However, hyperdeveloped Pockets of Stagnation
nations often face strong economic pressure to attempt a In some cases, the Third Wave areas are the aftermath
“crash modernization” of backwards areas, in order to of failed development. Cases of STSD are rampant, either
bring consumption and production up to national stan- from the initial rapid advancement or from the rapid
dards. China tried this in 2085, with its “Thundering decline. The violence and apathy that often accompany the
Hooves” campaign, which attempted to install advanced disorder greatly hampers recovery attempts, leaving the
information and communication technology, optimized regions mired in a cycle of poverty. Marseilles, in the south
minifacs, and bioengineering clinics in all villages and of France, has still not yet fully recovered from the period

FIVE MOST POPULAR WORLD LEADERS

As rated by Trendorama, the Atlanta-based meme sam- She has regular run-ins with the Islamic Caliphate’s Adminis-
pling and analysis firm. trative Police Services.
1. Nambaryn Jargalsaihan. Known as “Namby,” Jargal- 3. Misha Leyden. An infosocialist senator from Flanders,
saihan is the 16th Dalai Lama’s nephew and a globally popu- Leyden is known best for her passionate support of the concept
lar musician. In 2098, he ran for the Mongolian presidency that “you own your own genes.”
and, much to the world’s surprise, won. The Chinese govern- 4. Paul Baruta. The former vice president of Rwanda,
ment regularly criticizes him, which increases his popularity Baruta now is a widely recognized leader in the abolitionist
elsewhere. movement, speaking globally for bioroid freedom and slavery.
2. Hannah Nablus. Often called the “Muslim Gandhi,” 5. Miguel Hernandos. The president of Belize, colorful
Nablus leads Dar-us-Salaam (“Abode of Peace”), a pacifist and charismatic Hernandos is known for his empathy for his
group seeking the independence of the Palestinian Enclaves. nation’s poor as well as for his deft diplomacy. He often han-
dles back-channel negotiations between the U.S. and the TSA.

68
 PRESENT SHOCK
of intense ethnic violence in the 2030s and 2040s, planting stories in the press to spreading rumors.
and remains an economic and social disaster. Outside Boycotts tend to fall apart, however, if the new tech-
of Johannesburg, South Africa, the slums of Soweto saw a nology or service provides a clear short-term benefit, has
seeming renaissance mid-century, only to fall back into no local alternative, or is backed through officially sanc-
disrepair and poverty as local corporations started using tioned force (e.g., rallies are broken up with police vio-
cheaper remote labor. lence, people who refuse to have their genome scanned are
subject to arrest, etc.).

RESISTANCE TO
In countries with a stable civil society, the use of law-
suits and legal harassment can interrupt and sometimes
even prevent the implementation of feared changes. This is

CHANGE a dangerous course, however, as tools available to activists

are also open to the entities being challenged, who usually
have much deeper pockets. Lawsuits are usually most
The transformations of the late 21st century do not effective when the subject has actually done something
come without a price. New communication networks can wrong, such as lie about genetically modified contents of
easily disrupt long-established hierarchies, access to exter- food products or use illegal bioroid labor to provide the
nal sources of art and culture can overwhelm local tradi- goods or services in question.
tions, and advanced methods of production can sweep
away uncompetitive businesses, quickly monopolizing Memetic Engineering
markets. The very nature of the modern world is the The purely memetic approach is less organized than
destruction of the traditional society. A substantial number boycotts or legal harassment, but more successful. Often
of people around the world are reluctant to pay this price, called “social engineering” or “meme hacking,” this
and this often translates into firm resistance to change. approach is intended to undercut the target’s legitimacy,
Ironically, access to and use of new technologies can making the broad populace question whether the technol-
actually accelerate the resistance to them. People may get a ogy or practice has a place in their lives. Planting rumors,
first-hand look at the immediate effects of the new tools or changing advertisements or AR information streams, even
practices and find them repulsive. Information technologies creating parodies – all are useful memetic tools.
may facilitate the organization of resistance or dissemina-
tion of knowledge about the changes. Biotech tools can be
used to disrupt the introduction of new bioengineered
plants and animals. Increasing availability of sophisticated
memetic engineering methods often results in the use of
RECENT BOYCOTTS
those very tools against the dominant power structures. As listed on Collective Action Collection, a web clear-
inghouse for activist information and communication:
Happy Burgerland. The New Zealand-based activist
FORMS OF RESISTANCE group Southern Health is boycotting the German fast-food
“In an era of memetic science, the use of puppets, company for its use of soy and wheat gluten patties instead of
costumes, and chants of ‘hey hey, ho ho, anthromorphic ground fauxflesh.
biotechnologies have got to go!’ just isn’t going to cut it. Athenawear. The European sapient rights group Sand-
We need to be sophisticated, compelling, and able to beat piper is boycotting the American sports clothing manufactur-
the transnats at their own game. In short, we need to er for its “murder” of AIs, after Athenawear shut down several
achieve meme-space dominance.” of its older design AIs as part of corporate restructuring.
– Ang Wen, Indus River Studios. The Christian Hyperevolutionist
A Guide to Meme-Hacking Politics Church is calling for the boycott of Indus River Productions
in response to the release of the InVid Judgment Day, which
Resistance to change can take on various forms, the church claims promotes stereotypes of Christian Hyper-
some more effective than others. evolutionists.
Clash of Civilizations. A grassroots group of music fans
Dissent and Legal Activism is calling for the boycott of all songs by the Greek fire band
The boycott – the simple refusal to be a part of a new Clash of Civilizations, after the band released a song that car-
system – is the most common and least successful method ried a program that erased any unauthorized Clash of Civi-
of resistance to new technologies, corporate practices, and lizations songs from a listener’s system.
government policies. The more effective boycotts are Islamic Caliphate. The bioroid-rights website Bioroid
those with ample media coverage and substantial popular Amnesty has renewed its boycott of all products and services
support. For this reason, the key to a successful boycott from the Islamic Caliphate in response to what BioAm calls
is good memetic engineering, from staging rallies to “the ongoing mistreatment of bioroid individuals.”

69
PRESENT SHOCK
The goal isn’t so much to get people angry about the discontent. Terrorism is often a manifestation of
change as it is to make it a subject of ridicule. Popu- Social Transition Stress Disorder.
lar comedians making jokes about the technology or prac-
tice can be devastating. As with boycotts, success is Civil War
contingent on the value or mandate of the technology, Civil war as a form of resistance is actually fairly rare
practice, or policy. in the transition states. The situation has to degrade severe-
One manifestation of this is sometimes called “hack- ly before war comes about, as the government is usually
tivism,” referring to its purely web-based form. While this able to buy off a sullen populace, especially with the help
can include direct action, it more often involves the of great-power backing. More-common scenarios for civil
attempt to spread resistance via popular web media, such war in a transition nation come when the government itself
as slogs. Since it involves the memetic manipulation of is resistant to the requests of a great-power partner, and the
people who work with memes daily, it’s difficult to carry more capable nation decides that elimination of the recal-
off. When it does work, however, it can be very effective. citrant regime is the only way to bring “much needed
democracy, modernization, and free markets” to the state.
Vandalism and Terror One of the better-known examples is the fate of Ango-
Vandalism is another popular form of resistance, la. In the 2050s, the Luanda government was ruled by a
although it is almost always illegal. This can range from charismatic pan-Africanist named George Ngolo, who had
pure destruction of property, such as blowing up non-sapi- a compelling Majority-Cultures-style philosophy and
ent cybershells or incomplete office buildings, to more some socialist policies. While Angola had nowhere near
subtle approaches, such as adulterating food products with the power of South Africa, Ngolo proved able to win sev-
a harmless but foul-tasting substance, or buying info- eral of the Central African states as allies. The Pretoria
morphs, reprogramming them to provide faulty informa- government, which had begun the process eventually lead-
tion and surreptitiously returning them to the market. ing to the creation of the South African Coalition, consid-
Vandalism combines memetic engineering intended to per- ered Angola a significant challenge. Throughout the
suade (or dissuade) the general public with direct action to 2060s, while working diplomatically to bring Angola into
disrupt the ability of the target to successfully operate. the fold, the South African government was quietly fund-
Terrorism is the ultimate form of vandalism, in that the ing a growing insurgency. By early in the 2070s, the upris-
dissuasion and the disruption are carried out in ways that ing had become a civil war. When Ngolo’s forces
intentionally risk the lives of others. Terrorism usually hap- reportedly massacred a village, the South African armed
pens when the element of the populace undergoing a tech- forces moved in an attempt to “restore order.” Ngolo was
nological or social transition feels powerless to stop it, and then toppled in a coup, and Angola has since been man-
has few, if any, alternative avenues for expressing political aged as an ally of South Africa, although it is not yet a
member of the coalition.

TYPICAL MILITARY FORCES IN TRANSITION AREAS

Conflicts in transition regions, while less common than opposition to bioroid use restricts them to special forces and
in the more chaotic regions, often be some the bloodiest on elite-guard assignments. The more the government has the
the planet. Sophisticated weapons are widely available, but support of a great-power patron, the more likely it is able to
soldiers are primarily human, with fewer cybershell and outfit troops with more recent equipment. In most cases,
bioroid troops involved in the fighting. Many transition special operations units have select access to Fourth and
states have sufficient biotechnological capacity to use a Fifth Wave equipment, either supplied by patrons or from
variety of environmental weapons against their opponents, the black market.
and the use of nanotech agents, while rare, is not unknown. Irregular troops, particularly those without significant
Armies maintained by stable, moderately wealthy gov- international patronage, are generally equipped more like
ernments are typically outfitted like low-Fourth-Wave sol- Third Wave soldiers. The capability imbalance between
diers (p. TS101), with high-quality smart gear such as battle Third Wave and Fourth Wave gear is significant, however,
rifles and intelligence-gathering microbots. Cybershells, and some lower-technology resistance movements resort to
whether teleoperated or AI-resident, are used largely for illegal biological, ecological, or nanotechnological
backup of regular troops; MCS-52 and MCS-64-type weapons. Great powers supporting local guerrillas are care-
cybershells (p. 123) are the most common. Bioroids are ful not to reveal their identity – resistance forces’ higher-
increasingly popular in combat units, as they are “mainte- technology weapons are often TSA copies of other nation’s
nance free” and don’t require spare parts, although public designs, even when the TSA is uninvolved.

70
 4 THE STATE OF
NATURE:
CONFLICT AND CRISIS

Stepping onto the rubble that used to be a suburb of The BND – Germany’s Federal Intelligence Service –
Tashkent, Hans Geipel was relieved that he was t’opping a had also been following the ULA leaders to try to connect
cybershell instead of being there in person. It had been them back to Zarubayev, in Kazakstan. The microbot bugs
nearly a month since the Uzbekistan Liberation Army set planted in the Tashkent warehouse were set to move to a
off the radiological bomb, but the rad levels were still high secure location and report back; when no message was
enough that he would have needed a full cellular after an received, the BND assumed that they were lost in the det-
in-person visit. His body couldn’t take another one this onation. The recent detection of a weak emergency
year. Besides, if the BND’s forward observer was right, beacon said otherwise, however, and Geipel’s team – tele-
there would probably be something more threatening than operating their stealth Fuchs cybershells – was
radiation to worry about. dispatched to retrieve whatever they could find.
The Uzbek national police had tracked the surviving A company of Kazak shock troops had been spotted
leaders of the ULA back to a warehouse just outside of coming over the border a few hours earlier, heading swift-
Tashkent. The rebels had been a thorn in the government’s ly toward Tashkent, undoubtedly going after the microbots
side since the late ’80s, and it had taken determined effort as well. That the Kazaks would be willing to cross the bor-
to root out and destroy the ULA forces. They hadn’t count- der so blatantly meant that the microbots must have picked
ed on the rebels having a dirty bomb, though. up something critical; Geipel knew that the ’zaks would
It was a big one, enough to irradiate sev- fight to the death to keep the BND from retrieving the data.
eral square klicks of Tashkent and sicken The BND forces would have the advantages of speed,
nearly a million people. Although the stealth, and technology. The Kazaks would have sheer
radiation levels would soon drop, most numbers and an insane willingness to do anything to stop
people fled the city out of terror. the Germans from retrieving that data.

71
THE STATE OF NATURE
What the BND didn’t realize was that the locals. This chapter looks at the parts of Earth in
Kazaks also had their own stealthed cybershell – an 2100 that are fighting simply to survive.
airborne hunter, scanning the spectrum for the tell-tale

THE ENVIRONMENT
signs of teleoperation, intending to seek out and destroy
the operators.
Hans, believing himself and his team safe in their
mobile t’opper center a dozen miles away, checked his At the beginning of the 21st century, many people
ammo load, watched for trouble, and pushed his Fuchs despaired of being able to slow down or stop runaway
faster toward the quiet ping of the beacon. environmental destruction. As it turned out, the threat of
global collapse brought on significant improvements in
While some developing nations are transitioning into understanding and treatment of Earth’s ecosystems. While
Fourth and Fifth Wave societies, much of the world con- rapid changes in sea levels, temperature, and weather pat-
tinues to struggle with environmental and political disaster. terns caused hundreds of billions of dollars in damage
In some cases, the hyperdeveloped states have taken an around the world, it also led to focused research on the
interest in regions, but not always to the benefit of the manipulation and stabilization of the global climate. Mass
extinctions across the planet pushed the development of
biome surveys and complex ecological-systems analysis,
while unexpected earthquakes drove advances in construc-
tion materials and seismic modeling. This leap in scientif-
ic understanding and technological capability allowed for
substantial environmental repair on Earth, and facilitated
the terraforming process under way on Mars.

HEAVY WEATHER
Day-to-day weather in 2100 is not significantly dif- through a serious dust storm is challenging at best (high
ferent than that of 2000, with a few exceptions. Summers winds, zero visibility, and interference with electrical sys-
are hotter worldwide, with temperatures averaging 2° tems), and should be considered impossible for anything
warmer, peaking at 10° warmer, than a century earlier. other than dedicated weather-sampling vehicles.
Storms are also of higher intensity and greater frequency
during summer and winter, and routinely interrupt travel. Hurricanes/Typhoons
The worst Atlantic storm season on record was in
Blizzards 2052, with three consecutive Class 5 hurricanes battering
High winds, low (or no) visibility, and dangerously the eastern and Gulf coasts of North America. That same
low temperatures combine to make blizzards a significant decade saw massive typhoons devastating the western
threat. Late-21st-century blizzards have sustained winds Pacific and swarms of summertime tornadoes. Although
topping 100 mph and last for two days. See GURPS Com- environmental mitigation eventually brought the worst of
pendium II, pp. 133-134, for cold weather rules. As with these under control, massive storms – the “supercells” –
other heavy windstorms, air travel is impossible, and land remain a problem. The Atlantic hurricane season is highly
travel is extremely difficult (50% slower) or impossible, variable, but generally spawns at least two Class 3 or larg-
depending upon the severity of the storm. er storms annually. Every four to six years a bad season
can see multiple Class 5 hurricanes, as well as one or more
Dust Storms supercells in the Atlantic and the Pacific oceans.
Heat and drought can combine to create dust storms.
While the Mars colonies are quite familiar with the phe- Tornadoes
nomenon, dust storms are actually a greater problem on Heavy summertime storms result in tornadoes across
Earth because of the thicker atmosphere and heavier wind the plains of North America, China, and southern Africa.
force. Major dust storms can spread for hundreds of miles When supercells hit land, they trigger tornado swarms
and last for days. Dust storms of this magnitude can also lasting for two or three days, with devastating effects. In
interfere with radio communication (50% chance each 2098 a supercell-caused swarm severely damaged the
minute of any attempted transmission failing) and increase Dongguan arcology in southern China, killing nearly
the likelihood of illness by putting pathogens into the 4,000 people. An individual tornado may last for a few
atmosphere (-2 HT roll to avoid contagion). Air travel minutes, but anywhere it touches is devastated.

72
 THE STATE OF NATURE
Pacific coastal cities as well, from Tokyo to Los
CLIMATE CHANGE Angeles to Sydney. Seawalls and massive pump sys-
tems are now commonplace in most Pacific urban areas,
A century of gradual warming has had substantial
results across the globe, despite the increased efficiency of patterned after those in place in the Netherlands, often with
Fourth and Fifth Wave industrial technologies and ongoing local improvements. The City of Angels arcology under
efforts at mitigation. development in Los Angeles makes use of increased tidal
and storm surges as an additional power source.
Changes in Arable Land
Among the areas hit hardest by the warmer climate
were the “breadbasket” farm regions in North America,
Western Europe, and Central Asia. Persistent drought and
migrating insects ruined many harvests in the first half of
STORMCHASERS
the century, resulting in famine across Southwest Asia, cut- Providing video, interactive video, and sensory-link
ting food exports from the United States by 50%, and material from close up – or even inside – a massive weath-
destroying the wine industry in southern France. Although er event is a profitable service in 2100. Audiences all over
crops bioengineered to be more resistant are now in wide the world enjoy what critics call “storm porn,” and pay a
use, many agricultural communities were destroyed and surprisingly good rate for rare, dangerous-to-get, or stun-
farming is now largely automated. ningly beautiful footage. People who actively seek out tor-
Desert areas have expanded across the globe, with the nadoes, hurricanes, lightning storms and more are known as
growth in the Sahara Desert in north Africa and the Great stormchasers, and big weather events often have multiple
Indian Desert in east India being particularly aggressive. chasers competing for the best access and material.
Agricultural land has been swallowed by the desert, and Traditionally, stormchasers tried to get as close to the
many formerly self-sufficient areas now require regular worst part of the storm as possible without endangering
food imports to survive. Dust storms are also an increasing their lives. The advent of rugged cybershells designed to
problem in the border regions, further degrading local research the atmospheres of the gas-giant planets changed
food-production abilities. Intensive agricultural use also that, as they proved able to withstand Earth’s heavy weath-
led to increased erosion and soil salinity, further degrading er. Storm footage saw a resurgence in the 2090s, as vid and
the ability of many areas to feed themselves. slinks from up close to and inside of tornadoes and light-
Not all of the climate-related changes to arable lands ning storms started to appear on the web. In 2100, every
were negative, however. Both Canada and the Central serious stormchaser uses a cybershell – usually teleoperat-
Steppes of Russia saw a doubling in the availability of ed, but resident AIs are not unknown – sometimes using
farmland, and Argentina’s agricultural production was even multiple units to capture different perspectives.
boosted by 25%. By 2100, Canada and its successor states
became the top international food exporters, and Russia
became a leading producer of quality wine.

Flooding EARTHQUAKES
Sea levels rose an average of three feet in the first 20 Seismology is a mature science,
years of the 21st century, and rose a total of about five feet and the process underlying earth-
since 2000. Many regions saw increased problems with quakes is well understood. Substantial
flooding, and a number of low-lying cities became disaster work has been done in the prediction
areas. The Netherlands suffered greatly, and Amsterdam of earthquakes, much based upon
was nearly lost three times, but managed to hold off seri- changes in subsonic noise as a meas-
ous damage. Venice, Italy was evacuated temporarily in urement of tectonic stress. Known
2033 and much of the city’s artwork was lost forever. New faults in stable countries are watched by
Orleans, Louisiana, held out longer, but hurricanes and ris- a network of earthquake monitoring systems. Monitored
ing oceans brought the city to its knees in the late 2040s. locations can expect an initial warning two to four weeks
The 2060 earthquake on the New Madrid fault destroyed ahead of time, and an alert 24 to 72 hours before the event,
the remaining levees and shifted the Mississippi, forcing including approximate magnitude and epicenter. Current
the city to be abandoned. Off-limits for health and safety equipment is about 80% accurate, and provides more false
reasons, New Orleans is now host to about 10,000 squat- positives than false negatives. After the first few urban
ters. Rangoon, Burma, was also hit hard by storm-related warnings resulted in gridlock as people tried to escape
flooding, but managed to rebuild prior to the Pacific War. even minor temblors (resulting in more deaths than the
Storm-surge flooding from the rising sea level com- quake would have caused), local authorities became more
bined with larger Pacific storms led to problems in all careful when informing the public.

73
THE STATE OF NATURE
New buildings in quake-prone regions have Madrid Event ended up exceeding the cost of Cali-
magnitude ratings, and those that can function as an fornia’s Big One, and led directly to the imposition of
earthquake shelter are usually well-marked. Fifth Wave tough building codes throughout the Fourth and Fifth
construction techniques are designed to withstand quakes Wave world.
of up to 8.5 to 9.0 on the Richter scale without collapsing.
Fourth Wave construction is intended to be good for up to
7.5 to 8.0. Third Wave construction techniques and materi- DISEASES
als are less reliable, and corrupt inspectors and contractors The human immune system is now well-understood,
remains a widespread problem. but disease remains a concern across the world. Classic
pathogens such as influenza and cholera kill thousands
. . . In Expected Areas every year, primarily in the less-developed countries. New
Countries in the “Ring of Fire” – the tectonically variants can erupt at any time, igniting a frantic rush to
active zone along the Americas’ coasts, across the Bering have disease-resistance genemods updated. The greatest
Strait, and down the eastern Asian seaboard – are accus- fear, however, remains the purposeful release of human-
tomed to large earthquakes, and are prepared for events. engineered diseases as weapons.
Central Asia, which is also commonly subject to quakes, is
less ready. Instability and poverty in Central and South- Natural Diseases
west Asian nations has precluded any serious efforts at Despite a century of biotechnology, most humans still
retrofitting structures. Small earthquakes occur frequently come down with the occasional illness. Disease vectors are
in the Ring of Fire zone, and large ones are not uncommon, remarkably robust, and few bioengineered upgrades pro-
although they usually hit in less-populated areas. vide total immunity. Simple genefixing, while eliminating
most sources of inherited diseases, does little to reduce
. . . And the Unexpected susceptibility to contagions. The Alpha upgrade provides
The eastern half of the United States took its own hit basic disease resistance, but only 40 million Alphas exist,
in 2060, when the New Madrid Fault Zone, located along primarily in the hyperdeveloped world.
the southern Ohio River and central Mississippi valleys, This is not to say that medical science has not
unleashed a series of 32 small-to-moderate quakes over the improved dramatically. AIDS was conquered early in the
course of a week. While none were of a magnitude larger 21st century, cancer is readily treatable, and Alzheimer’s is
than 6.4, cities from New Orleans to Chicago suffered sub- no longer a problem for most people. Immune-system
stantial damage, and commerce and transportation were boosters and antibiotics/antivirals exist for all major dis-
disrupted throughout the northeast. The cost of the New eases, and are readily available in Fourth and Fifth Wave
societies. Third Wave areas are less fortunate; epidemics
still sweep through populations before local medical
groups or outside assistance can shut the new strains down.
While the competition between bioscience and evolution
THE BIG ONE has shifted clearly to the side of humankind, variants of
suppressed germs still emerge in the wild. The 2075
The long-awaited “Big One” hit southern California
in 2042, measuring 7.8 on the Richter scale. New pre- aerosolized-strain Ebola epidemic in Gabon was abundant
dictive tools provided 24 hours notice, allowing selective evidence that natural diseases remain a potent force.
evacuations near the epicenter (just offshore in the Santa Treatment-resistant diseases can be particularly dead-
Monica bay, near Malibu) and sheltering of people in the ly to populations in transition areas, where a minority of
more-quake-resistant buildings. The earthquake caused the population has had disease-resistant genetic treat-
remarkably little loss of life, even if it did result in hun- ments and households have greater access to advanced
dreds of billions of dollars worth of property damage in anti-pathogen cleaning supplies. While commonplace
older buildings across the region. bacteria or viruses are more effectively attacked, the
Northern California has been expecting a similar- stronger treatment-resistant variants have a greater oppor-
sized quake since the 1990’s, and seismologists are con- tunity to spread. These new germs hit baseline humans
cerned that the long build-up of pressure will result in a much harder than usual, and even relatively innocuous
far larger earthquake than anyone is truly prepared for. diseases can be deadly. If the GM decides an outbreak of
Current models suggest that the chance of an 8.0 or larg- a treatment-resistant pathogen has occurred, all HT rolls
er quake happening in the next three years is 50%, and should suffer an additional -4 on top of normal HT roll
the chance in the next 10 years is close to 100%. The bonuses or penalties. See B133-134 for generic illness
entire San Francisco Bay Area has been in an earth- rules, and CII167-174 for a sampling of detailed illnesses.
quake-retrofit frenzy, and a dark fatalism is common- The continued evolution of new and treatment-resist-
place among the residents. ant strains of natural pathogens will also eventually
reduce the relative effectiveness of most genetically

74
 THE STATE OF NATURE
engineered defenses against disease. The GM may create and replicate a variant disease takes one hour.
wish to reflect this by having bioengineered resistanc- A Fourth Wave laboratory does not modify the Genet-
es degrade over time. Characters with the Disease-Resis- ics skill, and each attempt to create and replicate a variant
tant advantage will need to have the resistance updated on disease takes one day. The use of a Third Wave laborato-
a regular basis; for every four years a character goes with- ry results in a -2 Genetics skill penalty, and each attempt
out updating the resistance treatment, divide the effective to create and replicate a variant disease takes one week.
defense in half (i.e., after four years without updates, the Genetic modification of germs cannot be done without
bonus to HT rolls drops to +4; after eight years, it drops to access to at least a Third Wave lab. The base cost of mod-
+2; after sixteen years, it drops to +1, where it remains). ifying an illness is $5,000, plus $1,000 per attempt. Use of
Updating disease resistance takes half a day and costs a Fifth Wave lab cuts these costs in half.
$2,500.
Characters with the Immunity to Disease advantage New Germs
retain their resistance to all natural diseases over time. New diseases can emerge,
whether due to natural evolution or
Man-Made human design. New naturally
Even as medical technology slowly asserts dominance occurring pathogens are rare
over the natural world, the use of artificially created or but not unknown. The cre-
enhanced diseases remains a nightmare scenario. Detailed ation of entirely new dis-
knowledge of the genetic functioning of bacteria and virus- eases requires extensive
es makes the process of enhancing germs far simpler than modification of a base
most people would like. Commonplace diseases can be design or combining genet-
altered in a number of key ways. ic material from a variety of
Increased Infectivity: Designing a more contagious sources. Engineering a new
strain. This can result in a -1 to -4 on the HT roll for con- disease is a Genetics (Genet-
tagion (see Contagion, p. B133). ic Engineering) task. The use
Replication Controls: Designing in a limitation on the of a lab is required, as with
number of times a given germ can make copies of itself, or engineering a germ variant. How-
copies of copies. This gives the engineer more control over ever, a Fifth Wave laboratory gives
the spread and duration of a given epidemic. no effective skill bonus, a Fourth Wave
Tailored Lethality: Designing a more (or less) lethal laboratory gives a -3 skill penalty, and a
strain. Variations can include the modification of recovery Third Wave laboratory gives a -6 skill penalty. The base
rolls (e.g., an extra -1 to -3), severity of symptoms (e.g., cost of creating a new illness is $10,000, plus $2,500 per
doubling HT loss), or types of symptoms (e.g., adding attempt. Use of a Fifth Wave lab cuts these costs in half.
hemorrhagic fever effects to influenza). New germs should be designed by using the guide-
Target-Seeking: Designing a strain that only affects a lines on p. B133 or by modifying the various diseases
limited population, a virus may be modified so that it will found in GURPS Compendium II. The best way to “per-
only target hosts with certain clear-cut genetic traits. This sonalize” new diseases is to select disadvantages that occur
can be as broad as being male or female, or as specific as in addition to HT loss, usually after 1/3, 1/2, 2/3, or 3/4 HT
a particular person’s genotype (although the virus would has been lost to that disease. Especially appropriate disad-
also affect his clone or twin). vantages include Blindness, Sterility, or even Bad Small
Vector Modifications: Some of the most lethal dis- (from rotting flesh). More exotic diseases may cause men-
eases (such as rabies or hemorrhagic fever) spread only by tal disadvantages by attacking brain tissue. If a victim is
direct contact with bodily fluids, and thus can be readily based on a template with Taboo Traits, those restrictions do
contained. However, genetic engineering might be used to not apply to disease-based disadvantages. GURPS Bio-
alter a particular agent so that it can be airborne and there- Tech also provides extensive information on the creation
fore spread by coughing or sneezing. This also makes a and modification of pathogens.
germ much harder to localize and control, and will some- The Disease-Resistant advantage is half as effective as
times be used in concert with replication controls. usual against entirely new diseases; the Immune to Disease
Engineering a germ variant is a Genetics (Genetic advantage provides the same protection as full-strength
Engineering) task. If the geneticist has access to docu- Disease-Resistant. Updating disease resistance against a
ments describing previous successful modifications of the single new pathogen takes half a day and costs $500, and
same type, a simple success is all that’s required. If he is updating Immune to Disease takes one full day and costs
attempting to create the new strains on his own, a critical $2,000. Note that updates to resistance are contingent upon
success is required. Time needed is based on access to the new disease being isolated and studied, and can take
equipment. The use of a Fifth Wave laboratory gives several days to several weeks to be made available.
an effective +2 Genetics skill, and each attempt to

75
THE STATE OF NATURE
they call nanoformers: extremely durable microbots
and engineered bacteria that contain a nanotechno-
ENVIRONMENTAL CLEANUP AND logical biochemistry, able to slowly consume and
transform a landscape. Nanodynamics claims that
ANTI-ECOWEAPON the design will double the speed of environmental
repair, and also act as an “immune system” against
CORPORATIONS subsequent degradation. They were finally brought
Green-Blue Associates, based in San Francisco. to market in late 2098. In early 2099, the design
Founded by former researchers for the Amazon Restora- code for the nanoformers appeared on the TSA
tion project, Green-Blue specializes in accurate repair of Web.
native ecosystems.
ProtECO, based in Brasilia. Jointly owned by Nano- Ecological Weapons
dynamics and the National University of Brasilia, ProtE- It is clear that the skills and technologies neces-
CO claims to be the only environmental defense firm to sary to modify and rebuild a degraded ecosystem
deploy a nanoformer “immune system” against ecoterror. can easily be used to make the environment worse.
Le Monde Vert, based in Marseilles. Suppliers of eco- In 2068, Vietnamese farmers discovered a set of eco-
former tools for various African environmental cleanups, formers relentlessly changing forestland to infertile
in 2099 Le Monde Vert hired M. Dyson, widely consid- scrub. Vietnam blamed China, China denied respon-
ered the top SAI coder of antivirus systems, and has built sibility, and Vietnam eventually had to request assis-
a highly competitive anti-ecoweapon protection system. tance from Europe to clean up the ecoformer
infestation. The global media dubbed this “ecotage.”
Focused attacks on an opponent’s environment
have long been part of the tactics of states and the state-
less alike. This practice is most often used to deny an oppo-
ECOTAGE nent the use of the land for strategic support, from the
In much of the world, the work of repairing the dam- ancient Roman practice of salting the earth to the use of
aged environment has gone from crisis to careful mainte- defoliants in late-20th-century conflicts. With tools avail-
nance. The most difficult work is in the rain forests of able to repair environmental damage, attacks on opponents’
South America and Africa, where biosphere repair ecosystems have actually increased, although not without
involves quite a bit of ecological experimentation, attempt- public outcry when exposed. Ecoweapons are used prima-
ing to get the balance of reintroduced plants, animals, and rily against opponents of lower technological capability,
microorganisms right. The organizations overseeing the who are therefore unable to easily counter the assault.
environmental work are not generally opposed to using There are two broad categories of ecoweapons: tacti-
genetically modified species to better fit within a niche, cal and strategic. Tactical ecoweapons are usually defo-
particularly one that has seen significant near-irreversible liants intended to eliminate ground cover and infestations
change from human activity, but have a policy of trying to intended to drive out populations or kill crops without poi-
rebuild as “natural” a state as possible. Doing so takes soning the land. Strategic ecoweapons, conversely, are
patience, knowledge, and the right tools. long-term effect weapons intended more to shape policy or
damage a population’s morale than to ruthlessly strip an
Ecoformers area of life. Strategic ecoweapons are usually part of a
The attempts to repair a dangerously altered ecosys- multi-year covert operation, with the goal of defeating the
tem, combined with the technology behind the terraform- opponent without firing a shot.
ing of Mars, led to a series of important environmental
engineering breakthroughs in the 2060s. The tools devel- Environmental Terror
oped made it possible, over time, to alter soil chemistry, Many revolutionary, criminal, and terrorist organiza-
reliably introduce a set of microorganisms, and seed a tions have access to ecoweapons, usually in the less-devel-
diverse ecology of plant and insect life. These semi- oped regions. Depending upon the goals of the attacker,
autonomous systems, known as ecoformers, sped up the the weapon use can be visible or subtle, with long-term or
environmental repair process considerably. A network of immediate effects. Environmental terror attacks are more
ecoformers can clean up one acre of a toxic release in 24 broad-spectrum and deadly than typical military versions.
hours; repairing more complex damage (such as climate- They’re also often harder to stop. Ecoterrorists have lifted
change-related effects or the use of ecoweapons) can take techniques from computer-virus creators and use layered
five to 10 times as long. defenses against countermeasures: attempting to stop the
In 2096, Nanodynamics, working with the Environ- visible attack unleashes a hidden plague, or the immediate-
mental Science department of Brasilia National impact event is actually a long-term assault that re-
University, announced advanced ecoformer systems infects the host area after each cleanup.

76
 THE STATE OF NATURE

AREOFORMING
Although the terraforming of Mars is now thought and that they will continue to use areoformers on Earth
to be irreversible, the activist group calling itself Red as long as terraformers are active on Mars.
Right Hand continues to agitate for the total cessation While outbreaks of areoformers are easy to detect
of all terraforming activity. In 2097, that agitation and counter in the hyperdeveloped world, less devel-
turned violent as the group began using “areoformers.” oped areas find stopping them very difficult. Red Right
Derived from the terraforming and ecoforming tech- Hand – which, despite its ideology, is probably prima-
nologies in use, areoformers are designed to make a rily Earth-based – is known to swiftly seize advances
region of Earth’s environment as Mars-like as possible in ecoforming technology, often using pirated designs.
by breaking down all biomass, altering soil chemistry, A non-functional nanoformer network discovered out-
and releasing ozone-destroying chemicals. Red Right side of Mexico City in late 2099 is now believed to
Hand claims that this demonstrates reversal is possible, have been a failed Red Right Hand attack.

Environmental terror attacks are difficult to carry off now suspects that some Deep Environmentalists have
successfully, but the numbers are slowly increasing as tools detailed knowledge of ecoformer engineering, perhaps
and techniques become more widely available. Source code from professional experience. In 2088, construction of the
for many of the more-virulent ecoweapons and ecoterror Three Gorges arcology in China was halted for six months
systems can be found in the deeper reaches of the web. after at least 100 ecoformer systems were found to have
China and the United States claim that the worst were actu- been released in the area and reprogrammed to break down
ally designed by the TSA’s Bioweapons Directorate, a materials common to 21st-century manufacturing in an
claim that the TSA routinely denies, noting that the first attempt to return the area to a more “pristine” nature.
known ecoformer attack was against a country which
became a TSA founder. Ecoterror countermeasures are
harder to come by, in part because a number of companies INDUSTRIAL POLLUTION
make a business out of environmental cleanup and anti- Even if the global climate has stabilized, many
ecoweapon protection systems, and thus are protective of regions still face enormous environmental burdens. Most
their “trade secrets.” of these are man-made, the result of inefficient and waste-
ful industrial practices. For the most part, advanced tech-
Deep Environmentalists nologies have fewer waste products, although there are
In contrast to those attempting to repair the Earth’s significant exceptions. Pollution therefore accumulates
biosphere while still living in it, the Deep Environmentalist most rapidly in those countries least able to afford cleanup
movement desires to return the Earth to a pre-Homo-sapi- and abatement technologies.
ens state. Few in number but memetically influential, the Developing regions of the world still face polluted air,
Deep Environmentalists are often portrayed as the only although the widespread adoption of fusion power and
“pure” environmentalists left. There is no single Deep hydrogen/electric vehicles has greatly reduced that problem.
Environmentalist organization; most actions are carried out The greater issues for the less-developed areas are water pol-
anonymously by a handful of individuals. The public face lution (industrial runoff) and garbage accumulation. Modern
of Deep Environmentalism is benign, and people claiming filtering and recycling methods, which rely heavily on bio-
sympathies to the cause are found in groups encouraging engineering, are expensive to license and difficult to build
more off-world colonization and population controls. with Third Wave technology. Nonetheless, most countries
Occasionally, the darker face of Deep Environmental- have adopted aggressive pollution restrictions, even if the
ism is shown. In 2099, a small-but-noticeable drop in goals remain difficult to achieve.
birthrates across the globe was traced to a virus bioengi-
neered to attack sperm motility. While routine antivirals Biotechnology
were able to clear the infection in most victims, hundreds While biotechnology is much less polluting in general
of thousands of men were effectively sterilized. The Amer- than older industries, it can have its problems, particularly
ican Center for Disease Control believes that the virus was in the early stages of a transition to a Fourth Wave econo-
originally spread at an airport in Sydney, Australia. The my. Biohazards can be expensive to safely destroy, and
perpetrators of the attack are still at large. most governments are extremely sensitive to the possibility
The movement is particularly opposed to the intro- of a disease outbreak. It’s not unusual for major bioengi-
duction of modified-genome plants and animals, and is neering firms from the hyperdeveloped world to create
believed responsible for the assassination of environ- local subsidiaries in transition states that do nothing but
mental managers engaged in their release. Interpol handle biowaste at whatever price the market can bear.

77
THE STATE OF NATURE
Nanotechnology between officials and polluting industries to under-
Although nanotechnology-based production is enforced building codes. Larger crises bring unwant-
rarely encountered in less-developed countries, many such ed international attention.
states have adopted restrictions on nanotech production Environmental disasters on the scale of a large earth-
out of an unsubtantiated fear of potential runaway disas- quake or massive industrial accident often require outside
ters. Not that there haven’t been problems – in 2096, the help to get through. For countries well-integrated into the
Masterson & Bajpai Nanoworks facility, on the outskirts of global system, offers – and acceptance – of outside help
Hyderabad, India, accidentally released partially pro- are pro forma. Countries that hide themselves from the
grammed medical nanomachines into the local sewage outside world are in a serious quandary. They are unlikely
system. While no human deaths or injuries were found, it to have enough resources to confront the disaster, but
was responsible for a rash of deformities and high death allowing in outside aid can result in undesirable exchanges
rates in the local frog population. The company paid for of information. Some of these states will attempt to mud-
the cleanup, and had its corporate charter revoked. dle through, denying that the disaster took place if at all
possible.
This is a problem if the crisis’ effects cross internation-
al borders. In August of 2044, the explosion of a chemical
It’s all well and good to say factory in northern Burma led to poisonous smoke crossing
into China. The Burmese government at the time, a brutal
that a rising tide lifts all boats, military dictatorship, denied that the explosion had taken
but when your boat already place and refused to accept international assistance to put it
out, even when presented with satellite data showing the
has holes, a rising tide means fire spreading. Finally, in mid-September, China occupied
you’re gonna drown. the region in a rapid invasion, which resulted in the deaths
of over 100 Burmese troops. Chinese personnel brought the
– Dr. Michael Ngombe, chemical fire under control, and it was completely extin-
Congo Recovery Project guished within 10 days. The Chinese forces then withdrew,
albeit only under considerable international pressure.

Using Less-Developed Countries as

Dumping Grounds KLEPTOCRACIES,
GANGS, AND
While modern production methods are generally clean,
the environmental safety technologies require large initial
investments. Corporations from the hyperdeveloped world
have been caught moving production facilities to poorly
regulated regions in the less-developed world. Although
this is highly illegal, avoiding the costs of environmental
WARLORDS
protection can mean substantial financial savings for a As bad as natural disasters are, they pale in compari-
company and profits for its owners. son to what humankind has proven willing and able to do
Since current industrial technology is heavily based to itself. Although less common in 2100 than in centuries
on biotechnology, the Genetic Regulatory Agency had ini- past, criminal regimes are still a significant problem, using
tial responsibility for the global law enforcement concern-
ing industrial pollution. In 2088, the Biosphere
Management Group spun-off from the GRA to function as
an independent pollution-enforcement organization, also
headquartered in Königsberg. Well-funded, the Group has
investigatory teams to find abuses and abatement units to
clean up the worst excesses – at the guilty company’s
expense.

COPING WITH ECO-CRISIS

Whether natural or man-made, environmental crises
pose substantial challenges to governments. The financial
costs are enormous, but so are the potential political costs.
Disasters often expose corruption, from hidden deals

78
 THE STATE OF NATURE
corruption, violence, and terror as tools of the protesters. Some officers refused, and Yerevan
governance. Ethnic tensions, religious fac- was the scene of vicious fighting between army divi-
tions, and warlords hungry for power continue to sions. Eventually, Russia and the E.U. moved in troops to
tear apart fragile countries. The great-power nations restore order and put in place a democratic government.
pay either too much or too little attention, often using In other cases, the fall of the corrupt government has
conflicts to pursue larger political or economic goals, or the counterintuitive result of the local crime network, find-
simply bowing out completely, leaving the locals to sort ing itself the only moderately legitimate source of author-
things out for themselves. ity, more or less going straight. Keeping the country going
becomes of greater concern than making more money. The
KLEPTOCRATIC REGIMES classic example of this is Russia, which was considered
among the most corrupt governments in the world
In the late 20th century, the appearance of govern- throughout the first several decades of the 21st century. In
ments run only for the enrichment of a small number of 2029, when a failed military putsch killed the president
individuals prompted the creation of a new political term: and much of the parliament, the vice-president, who was
kleptocracy, the “rule of the thieves.” In some cases, the also a powerful figure in the Russian Mafia, had to step in.
thieves were the petty warlords who had struggled for Over the course of the next five years, the new president
dominance and then became intent on looting the country. found himself drawing on the resources of the crime net-
In others, the thieves were the criminal networks that had work to rebuild infrastructure and the staggering economy.
operated in the shadows of the previous regime, now thrust The Russian Mafia, which had found itself taking over the
into power as the only group organized enough to maintain civil society, was in turn absorbed by the society.
control. In most cases, the criminal dominance didn’t last,
as either alternative forces challenged the corrupt govern- Bandit Kings
ment’s rule or the leadership fell victim to internal rival- The other major form of kleptocratic
ries. The century between 2000 and 2100 saw many such regime has little concern about leadership,
kleptocratic governments spring up and die out; today, and is more interested in pure wealth
Haut-Zaire and Kyrgyzstan are the most visible examples. accumulation, no matter the cost to the
populace. Found most often in the weak-
Corruption as Policy est and least stable of regions, the simple
Traditional kleptocracies are simply governments pattern is the ongoing impoverishment of
dedicated to the ongoing enrichment of the leaders. While the already poor. It requires fine political
the most notorious of these are led by powerful, charis- balance; the bandits in charge of the
matic figures fond of gold-encrusted homes, the majority regime must take enough from the people
are less ostentatious, with regional crime networks pulling that the opponents aren’t strong enough to
strings behind the scenes, giving the appearance of nor- fight, but not take so much that they feel
mality in the government. It may be well-known that the they have nothing left to lose. Few leaders
political leadership is corrupt, but as long as they don’t get have this much political sense, and the
too greedy and the economy is stable, this arrangement can vast majority of these nations spawn
last for years. In the case of these kleptocracies, the goals bloody uprisings or factional warfare.
are to stay rich and not become a target for insurrection. Haut-Zaire and Haiti are current examples
Kyrgyzstan was such a stable kleptocracy for much of the of this type of regime, and most observers
last three decades, although a new generation of leaders expect both to fall into chaos at any time.
seems more intent on self-glorification than policy. In a very few cases, a combination of
Kleptocratic arrangements work well in otherwise sta- charisma, power, and savvy actually leads
ble environments, but create problems if the government to a very long rule; when the leader’s
collapses for other reasons, such as a major ideological health fails, there is usually an attempt to
shift, unrelated scandal, or external pressure. Suddenly, the pass power on to his progeny, inevitably
mafias are exposed, or – worse still – the only ones in a with bad results. The advent of modern
position to maintain order. Historically, this spells the end biotechnology is changing this pattern,
of the kleptocracy, in one way or another. however. The iron fist of Dr. Eric Townsend
In some cases, the governmental collapse eventually has ruled the Caribbean island of Grenada since 2064. A
leads to chaos, such as with Armenia in 2047. When the trained geneticist, Townsend has spent most of his accu-
president and vice president killed each other over the a mulated wealth on Fourth and Fifth Wave treatments
woman, discontent with the scandal-plagued leadership intended to improve his health and extend his life. He has
boiled over into street protests. The local mafia – which welcomed so-called “black labs” to his island, and even
had long been content simply to skim money from the flirted with membership in the TSA, although Grenada
official coffers – panicked, and had the military attack currently remains a member of the Caribbean Union.

79
THE STATE OF NATURE
them. To the dismay of aid workers and activists,

ACTIVE CRIMINAL ORGANIZATIONS this approach quite often works.

Locos También, Los Angeles, United States. While prone to

internecine fighting, Locos También dominates the local under- ORGANIZED CRIME
world through sheer numbers and force. For an urban gang, it is Even as advanced forensic technologies and
organized and powerful; an attempt by the Maple Syndicate to monitoring systems make the life of the individual
move into the region in 2094 was met by an intense guerrilla- criminal difficult, the same systems that have
style reaction, eventually causing the larger criminal organization empowered business and terror organizations
to withdraw. The FBI believes that Locos has over 10,000 mem- around the world give new life to organized crime.
bers, all concentrated in southern California. Dense communications, encryption, widespread
Kali’s Sword, Bombay, India. Despite its somewhat fear- information flows, and the ability to assemble
some name, Kali’s Sword is one of the least violent mafias of its operational groups quickly are as valuable to crim-
size. Operating out of Bombay, but with cells across India, the inal organizations, from urban gangs to traditional
PRA, and U.S., Kali’s Sword deals exclusively in pirated intel- mafias, as they are to mainstream corporations.
lectual property, from entertainment to classified military Criminal networks vary in their motivations and
designs. In the TSA, Kali’s Sword has become a popular brand goals, but most use similar tools.
name, and the WTO claims that the criminal network is largely Gangs are usually urban, and will form and
supported by the nanosocialists. stay together for a variety of reasons: geography
al Mohajir, Algiers, Algeria. Functioning mainly as a conduit (members come from the same neighborhood), eth-
between Africa and Europe, al Mohajir is a distributed-network nicity (usually a minority identity), or memetics
criminal group. Interpol estimates that al Mohajir has approxi- (linked by ideology or religion). Mafias are differ-
mately 500 cells of three to 10 people each, although parts of the ent; they function more like clans, with a distinct
network are intentionally ignorant of each other’s activities. They family-tribal element. They often start as a local
specialize in shipping small arms from Africa to Europe and the means of social and economic control in opposition
Islamic Caliphate, low-level technology smuggling, and moving to a distant central government. As they rise in
stolen vehicles from Europe to failed states in central Africa. power and grow, they become alternative sources of
authority. In addition to these groups, since 2044,
international law-enforcement agencies have classi-
fied some organized crime groups as “criminal ad-
Debt Slavery hoc networks.” Based more on goals than on particular
The most common and arguably the most insidious personal identities, these networks are based on a form of
form of kleptocratic rule is debt slavery. Found throughout organization very similar to that of terrorist groups.
the developing world, even in democratic societies, debt
slavery is often an embedded part of local culture. Essen- Urban Gangs
tially life-long indentured servitude, in debt slavery money Traditionally, many gangs use indelible markers of
is borrowed – often to pay off medical or gambling bills – membership or identity. Tattoos or ritual scarification have
in exchange for labor. However, the servant is rarely able long been favorites, but those are now commonplace and
to make enough money through work to pay back the loan. fairly easy to remove. Some gangs have moved on to more
As the person remains in servitude, any family he may elaborate (and painful) methods of marking identity, meth-
have is enslaved as well, all working toward the repayment ods that are much more difficult to reverse or hide. A few,
of the loan. To someone from the Fifth Wave world, the such as Le Sang in Marseilles, use the ritual amputation of
amounts can seem ridiculously small – $100 or so – yet are the little finger on the left hand as a symbol. Some gangs,
still impossible for the slave to pay off. especially those that named after sharks or other predatory
Despite being paid a small salary, debt slaves are animals, have taken to sharpening their teeth. Very rarely,
charged for food, housing, clothing, and other support. On gangs with access to gene hackers, such as Locos También
rare occasions, a debt slave may be able to save up enough in Los Angeles, are starting to experiment with genetic sur-
money to buy off the original debt, at least the portion gery to make somatic changes, usually to skin color or tex-
owed by one member of the family. That newly freed per- ture.
son can then get a real job, making enough money in a
short time to buy off the debts of his family or even his Mafias
friends. Debt slavers are aware of this process, and use Mafias have been around for centuries, and while
behavioral conditioning to convince slaves that once they they’ve had varying levels of influence over the years,
are free, they’ll have no security in their lives. They are many are powerful in 2100. While the term is primarily
taught that they can starve, be thrown out of their homes associated with the Italian Cosa Nostra, existing global
or worse, because they have no one to look after mafias include the triads and tong organizations of

80
 THE STATE OF NATURE
mainland Asia, the Japanese yakuza, the Russian and In regions where ethnic struggles dominate,
Central Asian maphiya, and many others. Their political affiliations usually mirror tribal or clan
main source of power is their deep, multi- structures. When one faction achieves politi-
generational clan structure. Mafias are cal dominance, it is rarely kind to opposing
invariably large, wealthy, and well-con- ethnic groups. This perpetuates the strug-
nected to local governments or religious gle, making tribal warfare extraordinari-
hierarchies. ly difficult to resolve.
One of the most intractable ethnic
Criminal Ad-Hoc disputes concerns the Kurdish popula-
Networks tion of Southwest Asia. With a popula-
The newest variation of criminal tion that covers land claimed by Turkey,
organization has a wider reach than typical Syria, Iraq, and Iran, the Kurds have a long
urban gangs, and a flatter, less-formal struc- history of both oppression by majority popu-
ture than traditional mafias. Relying on the kinds lations and violent opposition to compromise.
of operative cells and distributed leadership character- Various attempts to solve the “Kurdish problem”
istic of terrorist groups, organizations of crime cells – have failed, and the current hands-off policies have result-
called “criminal ad-hoc networks” by sociologists – have ed in the emergence of local clan warlords staking out con-
proven to be resilient opponents for global law-enforce- trol of different parts of “Kurdistan.” Kurdish soldiers,
ment agencies (see also pp. TS106-107). Rather than experienced in both interclan conflicts and irregular war-
emphasizing identity or territorial control, these networks fare against Turkey, the Islamic Caliphate, and Iran, are
are task-oriented, whether the goal is to smuggle weapons widely sought by international terror and rebel movements.
or distribute neural agents of dubious legality. Eliminating
a leader or even multiple nodes of the network does little Religious Factions
to disrupt activities for very long, as the distributed struc- Religious struggles are nearly as intractable as tribal
ture cannot easily be wholly destroyed. Their greatest vul- conflict. While often overlapping ethnic disputes, they
nerability is their inability to scale; if they get too large, can be wholly separate, as Catholic-Protestant and Sunni-
these sorts of groups fracture into competing networks, Shi’ite struggles demonstrate. Religious wars can be dif-
often violently. ficult to resolve due to opposing faiths having wholly
divergent historical myths, usually involving oppression

FACTIONS AND WARLORDS and divine promises. The result is often an endless cycle
of vengeance.
Wherever there is power, there are factions. The rise of the Islamic Caliphate coincided with the
– Anonymous decline of fundamentalist Islam, and current confessional
disputes are primarily centered on doctrinal disputes with-
Factionalism is inherent to power politics – all political in a given religion. The 2038 split of Catholicism may
structures evolve alternative power centers struggling for have been nonviolent in the Fifth Wave nations, but
authority. Stable societies are usually able to mature this Catholic churches in parts of the developing world were
process into political parties, although the parties them- attacked by opposing factions. Religious conflicts in the
selves will typically have factions. Danger arises when fac- hyperdeveloped states revolve more around questions of
tional disputes cease being seen as purely political or sentience and human identity, although this, too, often
memetic and become violent. leads to violence, usually against those with divergent
views within the given faith.
Ethnic/Tribal Factions This is not to say that religion no longer provokes
Ethnicity is a core part of individual identity, and larger political conflicts. The tension between Islam and
many of the world’s political organizations remain found- the non-Muslim world has not disappeared, even if radi-
ed on ethnic affiliation. Ethnic rivalry, often leading to vio- cal Islam is much less commonplace. Struggles between
lence, remains common in nations across Africa, Central Muslim, Christian, and traditional religions are common
Asia, and Southern Europe. These disputes often result in North and Central Africa. This is readily visible in the
from political borders not matching cultural borders, border region between Sudan and South Sudan. The non-
sometimes from forced migration of refugees. These con- Muslim, non-Arabic southern portion of the country split
flicts are by far the most difficult to resolve, since one’s off in the 2010s, but conversion efforts from the north
ethnic identity does not arise by choice and rarely changes. continued. At present, the shaky democratic government
The dominant ethnic tensions of 2100 – Hutu versus Tutsi, of South Sudan faces a population in its northernmost sec-
Tajik versus Pushtun, Magyar versus Rom, etc. – are little tion that is split between a handful of armed groups, both
changed from those from one or two centuries past. Muslim and Christian, engaged in a low-intensity war.

81
THE STATE OF NATURE
Armies it is sometimes necessary to fight a war. Few states
While ethnic and religious splits are easy to identi- look forward to this, while all states prepare for it.
fy, there are cases of a nation being torn apart by regional Given the destructive capability of both conventional and
warlords who differ only in name. In these cases, the only unconventional weapons, the rarity of full-scale war is for-
affiliation is a desire for power. Some of these warlords tunate. Conflicts on a smaller scale – uprisings, revolu-
may use ethnicity or religion as a mask to gain interna- tions, and coups – tend to be much more common.
tional support, but their primary focus is the predatory con-
sumption of the money and resources of the home country.
Warlords of this type can be found anywhere there is a
UPRISINGS
Civilian communities are rarely as well-armed as the
power vacuum, and should not be considered a purely state militaries, especially on Earth. This does not stop the
developing-world phenomenon. masses from occasionally rising up to throw off the yoke
The most painful example of this sort of chaos is the of dictatorship, however. Given sufficient provocation, the
current situation in Kongo. The central government rules masses will march; street violence, vandalism against
in name only; its military forces are sufficient only to pro- commercial and government targets, and the relentless
tect the city of Kinshasa, now filled with refugees. The rest power of the mob can threaten even the best-armed state.
of the country, the core of the old Democratic Republic of Dictators fear that the military may side with the people, a
the Congo, is ruled by a dozen different warlords of vary- concern that is steadily declining as increasing numbers of
ing power and allegiance. Three – Robert Mulumba, authoritarian regimes move to the use of perfectly loyal
Charles Hugo, and Antoine Mulembe – control armies cybershell and bioroid soldiers. Above all else, though,
large enough to potentially dominate the state. Shifting protests are memetic events, designed to change minds at
alliances, both among the three leading warlords and with home and abroad.
a handful of secondary armies, keep any one of them from
mounting an offensive sufficient to wrest control of the Mass Protest
nation. The key warlords have some measure of interna-
The most common sort of “upris-
tional backing; the presence of moderately advanced
ing,” mass protests are common-
weaponry and technologies such as puppet implants point
place, especially in places where the
to the support of external forces.
police or military tend not to use
violence randomly. Mass protests

REVOLUTIONS are memetic warfare, trying to pro-

duce change by giving the appear-
ance of broad public support for or
AND WAR against a given policy. Protests are usual-
ly filled with individuals armed with web-
linked cameras, upslinks, and other tools of memetic
Power flows from the barrel of a gun. engineering, trying to create a groundswell of support for
– Mao the cause.
In and of themselves, mass protests are not terribly
Sometimes it is necessary to act decisively to remove effective, as they are widely considered to be media
the government that oppresses you, whether that govern- events. The activist journal MemeWar estimates that about
ment is your own or a threatening neighbor. Even in 2100, half of mass protests world-
wide are orchestrated, with
small numbers of hired
protestors and march lead-
Things fall apart; the center cannot hold; ers guiding the crowds. As
Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world. part of a larger constella-
tion of activism, however,
The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere they can be very effective,
as they provide com-
The ceremony of innocence is drowned; pelling visuals to go along
The best lack all conviction, while the worst with political demands.
Mass protests are fre-
Are full of passionate intensity. quently linked to general
strikes, at least in areas
– William Butler Yeats, The Second Coming

82
 THE STATE OF NATURE
where a significant portion of the population is military force – were used quite often throughout the
employed. 21st century as a way of effecting political change.
Occasionally, protests can effect significant change. In Civil wars, by definition far more violent and longer last-
a scene eerily reminiscent of the 1989 fall of Ceausescu, ing, were fortunately much less common.
the authoritarian Romanian government was overthrown World politics seem to go through periods of spasms
in 2038 when nearly three million people marched silently – the international community can go for years with rela-
through the capitol city of Bucharest. Fearing a fate simi- tive stability, even in the weakest of developing countries,
lar to the 20th-century dictator’s, the Council of Directors then encounter a decade of relentless unrest and violence.
fled the nation for Byelorussia. Coups can happen in both the developing and developed
Leading a mass protest requires a combination of per- worlds, although the latter will more often use legalistic or
formance abilities (such as the Voice advantage or Bard judiciary maneuvering to have a faction installed into
skill), a way to make a connection with the masses (Street- power over the popular will. In the highly interconnected
wise and Pop Culture skills are useful here), and at least world of 2100, it is difficult to carry off a coup or sustain
passing knowledge of the issue being protested. a civil war without the knowledge and partial acquies-
cence of the great powers, who may support or suppress
Violence in the Streets the political action for their own reasons.
Sometimes protests turn violent; sometimes the sup-
pression of protests does. Violence as part of political
activism can be a subtle tool. While rock-throwing, arson,
and the like can be random, it is often well-planned; when
properly controlled, it is noticeable without being sufficient
to bring massive retaliation from the government. This is
another manifestation of the memetic engineering of polit-
ical protest. Video or slinky recordings of government sol-
diers employing deadly (or seemingly deadly) force against
rock-throwing protestors is often very useful for lining up
international support. That support can fade quickly if pro-
testor violence turns against civilians, or can be effectively
tagged as “terrorism.”
Military Coups
International Attention The classic coup is the “decapitation” of the govern-
Protests can be considered asymmetric memetic war- ment by the domestic military forces. A coup plot is more
fare. Governments control, or at least heavily influence, likely to work when soldiers are disciplined to take orders
the official media of the state. It can be difficult for a dis- from their commanders, but not to see their authority as
sent movement, even one with broad domestic support, to subsidiary to civilian rule. Although the stereotype is of
have its voice heard over official newsfeeds. As a result, generals taking over, lower-ranking officers such as majors
the web and global-media outlets are the protester’s best and colonels are far more commonly the leaders of coups.
friends. Every piece of information (or propaganda) that In the 21st century, coups were generally triggered either
goes out unfiltered by “official” sources is a victory for the by a sense of indignation over official corruption, or a fear
activist. The more a given state is tied in to the global web, that the political leadership was biased toward the wrong
the more difficult it is for the government to control infor- side of an ideological conflict (usually nanosocialism).
mation. In a sufficiently advanced network, each virtual Since the 2060s the intelligence services of the great-
interface is another potential global witness. There is power nations have taken more active roles in advising and
strong global bias toward open societies, and states that steering political factions in less-developed countries. But
intentionally cut off the populace from the web are pre- the great powers are not the only actors here; many
sumed guilty, often of offenses far greater than those nations, both developing and developed, maintain aggres-
they’ve actually committed. sive programs of covert operations against their rivals.
This was vividly seen in August of 2020, when India and
Pakistan simultaneously found themselves facing unex-
COUPS AND CIVIL WARS pected coup attempts, each resulting from manipulation by
If uprisings and protests are considered memetic con- the other’s intelligence bureau.
flicts, coups and civil wars are more traditional. Military
force has a long history as an effective tool of regime Civil Wars
change, whether for reasons of factionalism, ideological In the early 21st century, the United States, Europe,
dispute, or simple power struggles. Coups – an illegal and China tried to ignore civil wars, avoiding being
change in national leadership, usually involving drawn into the internal politics of chaotic regions.

83
THE STATE OF NATURE
The hegemonic powers gradually moved to a more merly part of the same country, making them extend-
interventionist posture toward the middle of the centu- ed civil wars in most respects. Great-power interven-
ry, an example being American involvement in the Andes tions tend to be brief affairs; Fifth Wave nations have so
War of the mid-2050s. This carries with it its own set of much more capability – satellites, intelligence, cybershells,
difficulties, especially when warring sides consider the etc. – that less-developed nations have little chance of suc-
peacekeeping forces to be greater enemies than their cess. That said, defeating an army and subduing a country
domestic opponents. are two different things, and history is filled with examples
Civil wars are not always entirely homegrown. Histor- of powerful nations that managed to do the first but not the
ically great powers have often used civil wars as a means of second.
driving out unwanted governments, supplying the rebels
with aid, arms, and intelligence. In other cases, such as with Border Disputes
China’s role in the simmering Malaysian civil war of the Boundary skirmishes, such as those found throughout
2050s, the great power provides covert support to both Central and West Africa, are the most common type of war
sides, in order to cultivate friendships with the eventual between two nations. Given their frequency, they rarely
winner and keep a potential regional rival distracted. receive significant attention from the global press. Some
Civil wars where different great powers support conflicts, such as attacks on Kivu from forces in Burundi
opposing factions have been used by the hyperdeveloped and Haut-Zaire, or the occasional firefights over the border
nations as opportunities to test new military technologies. between Indian Kashmir and Pakistani Kashmir, have
The United States, which supports the anti-nanosocialist gone on for so many years that they are widely ignored
insurrection in Honduras, has been very careful to docu- unless something major results.
ment how various pieces of experimental armor and
weaponry work against TSA designs, especially those Resource Wars
based on stolen designs of modern European and Chinese It was widely expected that the decline of the petrole-
systems. The TSA has been paying equal attention, taking um economy would put an end to the wars that flared up
special note of which of the American weapons and armor over energy and resources, such as the Antarctic War of
do best against the Chinese designs. 2033-2034. Certainly advanced material and fabrication
technologies, as well as bio-agricultural techniques that let
INTERSTATE WARS crops grow nearly anywhere, have greatly reduced the
developed world’s dependence upon imported raw materi-
Aside from the Pacific War, full-scale intercountry als. Resources remain a strategic consideration, however.
warfare has been rare in the 21st century. The nature of Fusion energy is based on Helium-3 resources controlled
modern weaponry is such that even small conflicts can get by a small number of spacefaring powers, minifacs still
out of hand very easily. Most of the wars that did happen require raw inputs, and while declining populations and
during the last century were between nations that were for- recovering climates have reduced conflicts over water

FIVE DEADLIEST CURRENT CIVIL WARS

1. Kivu: One of the successor states in the collapse of Kazakstan after a failed coup in 2099, and Kazakstan has
Congo, Kivu has been invaded across every border, and is sent in both troops and weapons, ostensibly in support of
often a battleground between rival factions in neighboring the Uzbek regime.
states. The government has appealed to the world commu- 4. Honduras: Part of the Transpacific Socialist
nity for help, without response. Alliance, Honduras is focused on a major guerrilla insur-
2. Haut-Zaire: After the 2030 collapse of Congo, the gency operating largely in the north. The nanosocialist gov-
provinces of Equauteur and Orientale became the new state ernment is heavily supported by neighboring Guatemala,
of Haut-Zaire, and proceeded to use its military to consoli- while the United States is funding and supplying the rebels.
date the region’s diamond and gold mines, many of which 5. Philippines: Although technologically advanced and
are located in neighboring states. The current regime is par- part of the prosperous Pacific Rim Alliance, the Philippines
ticularly corrupt, and has used terror and ecological warfare suffer from an increasingly effective nanosocialist revolt in
against its own citizens in order to put down uprisings. the heavily Muslim southern islands. Covertly supported by
3. Uzbekistan: The Uzbek government is under pres- Indonesia, the Islamic Socialist Party has won a number of
sure from both Islamic fundamentalists (backed by the surprising victories against the government forces, and are
Caliphate) and pro-democracy insurgents (backed by the poised to declare independence on Mindanao.
E.U.). Anti-Zarubayev rebels fled over the border from

84
 THE STATE OF NATURE
somewhat from their midcentury peak, it is
still an issue. Moreover, the continued growth
of national economies is contingent upon the
INTERNATIONAL TERROR
expansion of markets. Increasingly, the Fifth Wave MOVEMENTS
world is looking upon consumers as a vital strate- Terrorism remains a useful, if horrific, form of asym-
gic resource. metric warfare. A small group, or even a single person, can
do tremendous damage given the right equipment, particu-
Proxy Wars larly if they are willing to die in the process. While an elab-
Conflicts between developing nations are orate infrastructure of training camps and weapon factories
often thought of as mirrors of great-power rival- may facilitate a widespread terror campaign, the reality is
ries, especially when there are great-power allies that a motivated individual requires very little support to be
on opposing sides of a battle. Ironically, in situa- able to inflict devastating punishment upon a target. Terror
tions where rival Fifth Wave states face each other attacks remain a regular part of the international scene in
over a developing-world battlefield, their most 2100.
likely next move is to push their erstwhile allies to By and large, few terror incidents have explicit
the bargaining table. Proxy wars, where one state motives. The power of terrorism is the fear that it gener-
was supported by a great power in its struggle ates and the ignorance of when and where it will occur
against a different great-power-supported nation, next. Yet as a method of forcing an opponent to give up
occurred sporadically throughout the century, but territory or abandon a position, terrorism is woefully inad-
the Pacific War – and the realization that war equate. Terrorism, even repeated attacks, can rarely bring
between the great powers was not unthinkable – about political change or do much to weaken the resolve
has made a number of great powers reconsider the of the target. In most cases, terrorism is used simply to
practice. punish and distract an opponent. In this particular task, it
is very effective.
Great Power Conflicts
The only large-scale conflict between
great-power nations in the 21st century was the
Pacific War of 2084-2085. Its rapid onset, violent esca-
lation, and near-global effect scared everyone. In the
years that followed, explicit comparisons have been
made to the conflicts leading up to World War One. A
minor result has been the re-negotiation of several
treaties between great-power states and regional
nations, removing language that would promise an
active defense of that nation if an outside force
attacked (a scenario widely considered to blame for the
onset of the first World War).
Although another showdown between the TSA
and China is the most likely future great-power war,
other combinations suggest themselves. There is little
love lost between the TSA and the PRA, and border
conflicts could quickly heat up. While China and the
United States cooperate in the fight against nanosocial-
ism and data piracy, they are rivals in nearly every other
Modern Terrorism
arena – a conflict over resources, especially off-world, Terrorist use of weapons of mass destruction (nuclear,
could escalate to direct combat at home. The Islamic chemical, biological, or nanotech weapons) remains a
Caliphate, although generally inward-looking over the widespread fear, but most terrorists still rely on more tradi-
decades since its formation, considers the TSA and, to a tional means. Conventional bombs, whether on a suicidal
lesser extent, the U.S. and E.U. to be ideological oppo- operative, a bomb-jacked remote carrier, or planted in an
nents. Although the United States and Europe are gener- innocuous location in public, remain the terrorist weapon of
ally friendly, the issue of bioroid slavery has become an choice. People in the Fourth and Fifth Wave world are even
increasingly volatile topic. Several European senators more fearful about bombings than in the past, as large
have threatened “swift retaliation” should the U.S. enter explosions are one of the few ways that a person can be
E.U. territory (on Earth or in space) trying to recapture injured beyond all recovery. Shootings still occur as well,
fugitive bioroids. but it has become far more difficult to smuggle a firearm
into a civilian area than in decades past.

85
THE STATE OF NATURE

GREAT POWER INTERVENTION FORCES

When the great powers move militarily, these are the specialize in infiltration and counterterrorism operations,
units that usually get sent in first. Often specialists in and rely heavily on cutting-edge technology to make up for
covert and guerrilla operations, they move fast, hit hard, smaller numbers. Although the PRA does not reveal any
and get out. These groups are most likely to be deployed in information about SAS TAG/OAT, units are believed to be
“limited war” or “operations other than war” scenarios. operating in an advisory capacity in the Philippines.
China: 3rd Special Warfare, 12th Special Warfare. SAC: First Reconnaissance Brigade. First Recon is
Post-Pacific-War power struggles in China’s top leadership seeing a wave of popularity in the South African Coalition
led to a major reshuffling of special-operations organiza- after both a series of successful interventions in Central
tion. The 3rd Special Warfare battalion, which specializes Africa and a pseudodocumentary InVid called Recce,
in air and waterborne assaults and reconnaissance, which chronicled the lives and battles of a First Recon
remained under the control of the People’s Liberation squad. In 2092, the SAC Ministry of Defense became the
Army. The 12th, which focuses on infiltration behind first to require upgraded or parahuman genomes for all
enemy lines and command-control-communication-intelli- new special-operations recruits; over the subsequent
gence disruption, became part of the Ministry of Intelli- decade, non-upgraded personnel were gently moved to
gence. Both groups rely primarily on bioroid units, other divisions. First Recon is not currently deployed,
although the 3rd tends to have more heavy combat cyber- although there is much debate as to whether to send them
shells than does the 12th. As of January, 2100, neither bat- into the war in Kivu.
talion is known to be currently undertaking operations. TSA: Kesatuan Gurita (Indonesia), Fuerza de Opera-
E.U.: Combined Operations Force – Rangers. The ciones Especiales (Peru). There is no substantive TSA-
degree of military integration between E.U. members wide intervention force, although the two most-powerful
remains a slightly controversial subject in Europe. Ger- Alliance members, Indonesia and Peru, use their own spe-
many, France, and the U.K. retain highly effective inde- cial-operations and intervention military divisions for
pendent militaries. When unity is needed, the Combined Alliance-wide actions. Both are presently in use, despite
Operations Force serves as a coordinating structure for the the ongoing process of rebuilding after the Pacific War.
various E.U. militaries. The COF – Rangers group com- Indonesia is believed to have deployed a limited number of
prises units from the British Special Air Service, French KG units in support of the rebels in the Philippines, and
Groupe de Combat en Milieu Clos, German Kommando Peru is known to have sent FOE soldiers to support the
Spezialkraefte, and other E.U. special forces. European Honduran government.
soldiers are primarily human/parahuman, with a large vari- U.S.: Unified Combat Applications Group. In the post-
ety of cybershell units. As of January, 2100, COF – Ranger conflict analysis following the Andes War, the United States
units are known to be operating in Uzbekistan. decided that it had too great a variety of special-operations
Islamic Caliphate: Ghazi. Recruited from Caliphate forces, and that territorial disputes, struggles over funding,
national armies, Ghazi forces are well-trained, although and a lack of compatibility between technical resources was
equipment is somewhat less advanced than in other great- the inevitable result. Critics claimed that the subsequent
power intervention and special-operations groups. Ghazi reorganization made matters worse, but by the 2080s the
units are particularly strong in counter-terrorism. As of Unified Combat Applications Group was considered one of
January, 2100, the Ghazi is known to be operating in the best special-operations organizations on Earth. Over the
Uzbekistan and along the Caliphate’s border with Iran. last two decades UCAG has largely focused on spaceborne
PRA: Special Air Service TAG/OAT. Although all operations, but the civil war in Honduras, and the U.S. gov-
Pacific Rim Alliance members contribute to the collective ernment’s decision to support the anti-TSA rebels there, has
defense, PRA special operations and intervention forces are increased UCAG’s budget for Earthside operations. Aside
largely based on Australian units. The Special Air Service from Honduras, there are no other known UCAG deploy-
Tactical Action Group/Offshore Assault Team squadrons ments on Earth as of January 2100.

Although conventional weapons are most commonly Terrorist organizations are still structured in 2100 as
employed, weapons of mass destruction have been used in they were two centuries earlier. Distributed sets of small,
terror incidents. The last decade has seen an attempted independent cells train for particular activities, not knowing
nuclear weapon attack on Mars, the release of viral dystro- if they are going to be part of a larger campaign, the entire-
phy in Taipei, and, most recently, the attempted release of ty of the attack, or even a sacrificial distraction. A small set
nanotech weapons by the resurgent Aum Shinrikyo death of individuals link the cells, but no one person has direct
cult in Japan. There is good reason for fear. contact with more than a portion of the network. Even
these commanding operatives rarely know many of

86
 THE STATE OF NATURE
the others at their own level. An even smaller number messages are encoded “in plain sight” by being part of
of leaders give orders to the commanding operatives, public web or slinky transmissions. These public trig-
but again, no one has contact with all parts of the network. gers are often used to activate so-called “sleeper cells,”
The goal is to avoid decapitation and disruption. A flat- which train for an action and then lie dormant for years,
tened, distributed network like this is very difficult to waiting for the signal to attack. These are very difficult to
destroy. Its main drawback is the challenge it presents to defend against, as the members of the cell will be complete-
communication. Encryption is helpful, but more often ly law-abiding, normal citizens up until the moment they
strike. Once a cell receives its trigger, no
upstream communication is required.

TERRORIST MOVEMENTS IN 2100 Stopping Terror

Nations suffering from terrorist attacks
Aum Shinrikyo: The Aum Shinrikyo cult in Japan re-emerged often use quick, devastating retaliation
in 2099 after nearly a century of silence. There are currently few against the source of the assault.
clues as to the whereabouts or motives of the movement; all that is Most of the time, if their intel-
known is that a small group of young women attempted to release ligence is correct, they manage
a sophisticated nanoweapon in the Tokyo shopping district in to suppress or even eliminate
August. Although the women killed themselves upon being cap- that particular terrorist group.
tured, material they carried with them identified them as members Stopping terror attacks before
of the group. The Japanese government managed to suppress news they happen is more difficult,
of the attempted nanoweapon attack until very recently. Officials however, relying on a combi-
refuse to provide any estimate of how many people might have nation of detailed intelligence
been killed had the attack been carried off successfully. and ubiquitous vigilance. No
Blue Duncanites: In early November of 2099, a TSA diplomat nation on Earth has managed
was assassinated in Singapore. Later in the month, the home of an to build a 100% effective
Indian nanosocialist author caught fire, killing the writer and her defense against terror.
family. In December, a car exploded on a Manila street, killing the Nearly every Fourth and
driver and his passenger. A statement was issued later in the day by Fifth Wave society uses public
a group calling itself “Blue Duncanites,” claiming that the men killed monitoring to some degree.
were TSA spies, taking responsibility for the earlier attacks, and Fears of totalitarianism have
declaring war on all “information statists and their sympathizers.” largely gone unrealized,
I Ho Ch’uan: This Chinese movement seeks the overthrow of although most states have spo-
the current government, claiming that it has lost the “mandate of radic incidents of monitoring
heaven” with its failure to destroy the TSA in the Pacific War and system misuse. Few technical
allowing the Chinese colony on Mars any independence at all. In security operations in 2100 pay
the several years that the group has been publicly visible, China has attention to individuals per se.
variously claimed that they were puppets of the TSA, of the Unit- Most engage in pattern analy-
ed States, and of Japan. I Ho Ch’uan has primarily used explosives sis, watching overall flows of
in its attacks on Chinese government officials, aside from its initial people in public, of data across the web, of
attack, which used the bioweapon viral dystrophy. point-to-point communications, and the
Kulturkampf: A radical splinter group left over from the Major- like, to look for anomalous patterns. It has
ity Cultures Movement, Kulturkampf is believed to comprise a long been recognized that masses going
small number of ex-E.U. citizens who believe that modern culture about their normal, day-to-day activities
is inherently evil. It has claimed responsibility for a series of produce fairly consistent signals. Crowds
embassy bombings in the developing world, all targeting European moving through a shopping district do so in
Union or E.U.-member-state consulates. a regular way; telecommunication networks
Red Right Hand: An Earth-based activist group calling for the show reliable maps of regional connections
total cessation of all terraforming activity on Mars, Red Right for given lengths of time. Any one
Hand is known best for its use of environmental terror weapons. individual shopper or connection may vary,
Starting in 2097, Red Right Hand began using “areoformers” to but even those variances fall into regular
turn local areas of Earth into rough approximations of the pre-ter- patterns. Security pattern analysis looks for
raform Martian surface. Little is known about the group, other the signals that fall well outside of the
than its clear expertise with advanced environmental technology. norm, and attempts to match them against
They are believed to be an Earth-based offshoot of the Negative other pieces of evidence for unusual or
Growth terror network on Mars. potentially threatening activity.

87
THE STATE OF NATURE

This type of monitoring first showed up at is still widely used to watch for criminal activity
the end of the last century, as a means of pre- in public spaces, it has been generally adopted
venting vehicle theft by watching for people by agencies trying to stop terrorists before they
walking through parking garages at a pace that strike. The smartest and most sophisticated
varied from the norm. Over the last 100 years, SAIs in existence are owned (or employed) by
it has been extended and deepened to be able to intelligence services in order to carry out this
match far more complex sets of patterns. While it particular task.

TYPICAL MILITARY FORCES IN CHAOTIC AREAS

The military options available to the poorer and is up to the standards of a Fifth Wave army, some of it
less-stable regions are limited. Sophisticated equip- is comparable. The so-called “Basic Combat Rifle,” a
ment, even from the black market, is too costly for gov- rugged, cheap to produce, simple light automatic rifle,
ernment or irregular armies. When high-technology is found throughout the developing world (see p. 137).
materiel does appear on the battlefield, it is almost Cybershells are very rare, although older, obsolete
always due to a more powerful ally. Opposing sides still models are slowly finding their way into the developing
seek an advantage, however; unconventional weapons, world’s armies. The problem isn’t simply availability;
particularly bioweapons, can play a larger role in com- combat shells require trained personnel to operate and
bat in these areas than anywhere else on Earth. maintain, and replacement parts can be hard to obtain.
At best, soldiers involved in combat in politically The most common use of cybershell troops is as
chaotic regions will be outfitted as Third Wave soldiers “palace guard” units, dedicated to the protection of the
(p. TS101). More often, they will be equipped with national leadership. The MCS-64 cybershell (see
whatever generation weapons and gear is available. If p. 123) is usually preferred for this duty, because of its
maintained moderately well, guns can last for decades; intimidating shape and size.
a significant number of the rifles discarded by the Bioroid soldiers are also uncommon due to their
advanced industrial states in the early part of the 21st expense, although as more Fifth Wave nations replace
century made their way into the arsenals of the devel- bioroid soldiers with advanced SAI cybershell troops,
oping world. Traditional dumb ammunition is cheap older – but still viable – bioroid units are starting to
and easy to make, and remains a very effective tool for show up in palace guards and elite units around the
killing. developing world. There are also scattered incidents of
As the antiques are retired, weapons from the sub- rogue governments, such as the warlords running the
sequent generation of arms – the first attempts at Kongo, using cheap puppet implants (see p. 134) to
“smart” weapons – are becoming more common, espe- control captured opponents, using them as front-line
cially in nations with rudimentary but functional infor- soldiers against their former comrades. Considered a
mation and communication technologies. Cheap war crime, there has yet to be a prosecution of anyone
battlefield computers, night-vision equipment, and involved in such atrocities. Nonetheless, it’s easiest and
laser-targeting systems give significant advantages over least costly simply to put a combat rifle in the hands of
older combat technology. While none of the equipment a 12-year-old.

88
 5 LIFE IN THE
WORLD OF
BROKEN DREAMS

Richard Odinga sat nervously in the TransGlobal Air- reaching into the sky, miles away and still under construc-
ways passenger lounge at Jomo Kenyatta Interplanetary tion, yet impressively, unimaginably large.
Spaceport. The plane was late, but that wasn’t what both- And then he saw the lasers.
ered him. He hated transatmospheric flights, and he wasn’t Two – no, three – bright flashes, supernaturally
really eager to go to Mexico City anyway. He continued to straight lines of light, appeared from the midpoint of the
study the latest financial scenarios for the new wind power tower. A massive fireball flowered in the sky close to the
generators his company had designed. They didn’t look construction site. It was too close, Odinga realized, for it
good. Even the AI freelancer they’d hired couldn’t make the to have been an accident. Somebody was trying to fly a
numbers better. plane into the tower, probably one loaded with explosives.
Headlines from the TEN web service scrolled across The plane’s wreckage spiraled to the ground, black smoke
the bottom of his notebook, distracting him from the data an unmistakable marker of its location.
model. They were the usual litany of crises, power strug- Within seconds, speakers throughout the spaceport
gles, and greed: “U.S. Congress to Consider Memory crackled to life. “Ladies, gentlemen, and all traveling sapi-
License Fees,” “Honduran Government Denies Ecowar- ents, we have an announcement. Due to unforeseen cir-
fare Claims,” “17 Dead in Kazak-Uzbek Border Clash,” cumstances, the airspace around Nairobi, including the
“InVid ‘Holly Hartley Shoots the Moon’ Tops Weekend Jomo Kenyatta Interplanetary Spaceport, has been tem-
Downloads,” and on and on. Giving up, he folded his note- porarily closed. Please speak to your travel representative
book and slid it into his jacket pocket. He walked over to for information regarding flight rescheduling and
the window, catching sight of the Olympus Tower temporary accommodations.”
Mexico City would have to wait.

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LIFE IN THE WORLD OF BROKEN DREAMS
mismanaged economy, and an authoritarian govern-

NAIROBI ment left Kenya weakened at the onset of the 21st cen-
tury, and Kenyans from across the country came to Nairobi
in search of work. At its peak in 2025, Nairobi’s popula-
The textbook example of a transition society, Nairobi tion topped seven million people.
has progressed from an overcrowded Second Wave capital Despite its problems, Kenya managed to avoid the
to a thriving borderline-Fourth-Wave global city in less ethnic and political meltdowns that plagued much
than a century, and the culture shock is still visible. The of the rest of the continent. Successive relative-
combination of a strongly Preservationist government with ly honest reformist governments kept the lid
the influx of money supporting the Olympus beanstalk on political tensions, and the Kenyan econo-
project has resulted in a local way of life that is both quite my grew in strength and stability with the
conservative and wildly experimental. assistance of South Africa and the European
Union. In 2033, Prime Minister Louise
OVERVIEW Johansen orchestrated deals with American and
European businesses to move remote support and tele-
An accidental city, Nairobi’s history has been that of a operation services from India to Kenya – the English-flu-
crossroads for trade and migration. The Olympus Project is ent population gave Kenya an advantage over many of its
simply the latest variation on a centuries-old trend. competitors. This arrangement also had the effect of rapid-
ly modernizing local technology, pushing Kenya toward a
History of Nairobi Third Wave society. Over the subsequent decade, Nairobi
Nairobi was founded by British colonialists in 1899, developed one of the best telecommunication systems of
on a place that the indigenous Masai people called “Uaso any major city, as corporations upgraded the regional infra-
Nyirobi,” or “the watering place.” At the midpoint of the structure to support remote work.
Kenya-Uganda railway, Nairobi became the headquarters In 2063, on the centennial of its independence, Kenya
of the British effort to open the interior of eastern Africa to officially joined the South African Coalition. This has not
trade and colonization. Nairobi was in an ideal location, been without controversy. The Kenyan representative in
being close to the Great Rift Valley escarpment, on the the SAC Deliberative Council submits a resolution each
southern slopes of Mt. Kenya, and midway between the year to change the Coalition’s name to something less
Indian Ocean port of Mombassa and the city of Kisumu on regionally biased. More importantly, many Kenyans con-
Lake Victoria. Its altitude – nearly 8,700 feet – meant that, tinue to prefer political independence, not wishing to give
despite being almost directly on the equator, its climate up their hard-won sovereignty. The once-dominant
was surprisingly temperate. Kenyan African National Union political party maintains a
The early part of the 20th century saw a series of “Kenya Out of the SAC” plank in its official platform.
plagues decimate the Nairobi population as well as the rail- The late 2060s also saw the growth of Islam as a polit-
road workers the British East Africa Protectorate brought ical force in Kenya. While Muslims had long been a
in to complete the “Lunatic Express.” Nonetheless, the minority in the country, radical Islamic Caliphate evangel-
Protectorate officially became a British colony in 1905, ists from Sudan began a conversion campaign in 2067,
and thousands of settlers from across the British Empire mostly in northern Kenya. Disaffected urban youth also
made their way to Kenya. Nairobi grew as a racially seg- started to pick up the banner of Islam, particularly after the
regated settlement, even as the influx of settlers pushed the Nairobi Islamic University opened in 2070.
native Masai off of their traditional lands. Nairobi’s position close to the equator is an ideal loca-
African nationalism emerged as a resistance to colo- tion for space-launch facilities, and in the 2070s work
nial power, building across the region in the 1920s and began on upgrading Jomo Kenyatta International Airport
1930s. The movement grew more rapidly after World War to allow it to support spaceplane landings and launches. In
II, as a European-educated Kenyan nationalist calling him- 2080, the expanded and renamed Jomo Kenyatta Inter-
self Jomo Kenyatta became the leader of the political planetary Spaceport opened. While nowhere as busy as the
struggle for independence. In 1952 the British imprisoned American facility in Quito, Ecuador, Jomo Kenyatta is a
Kenyatta, even as the Mau Mau, a violent independence popular transfer point for European and South African
movement, grew in strength. Finally, in 1963, the combi- travelers. The same year the spaceport opened, a coalition
nation of political pressure from moderates like Kenyatta, of transnational corporations also began to examine the
the violent revolt of the Mau Mau, and the overall collapse feasibility of using Mount Kenya as the Earthside anchor
of empires led the British to leave Kenya. for a space elevator, popularly known as a “beanstalk.”
Nairobi remained the capital city of Kenya after inde- The Kenyan government opposed the project, fearing
pendence, beginning a period of rapid growth which irreversible environmental damage to Mount Kenya and the
brought its population to over three million people at the surrounding area. Campaigning against the elevator
end of the 20th century. AIDS, corruption, a development, Prime Minister Ngoma was returned to

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 LIFE IN THE WORLD OF BROKEN DREAMS
office in 2083 with a resounding 68% of the vote. The Cybershells and AIs of all sorts were rare in
transnational corporations behind the elevator proposal Kenya until the onset of the Olympus Project. Both
moved quickly to build support for the idea with both pub- teleoperated and AI-resident cybershells are now fairly
lic advertising campaigns and private (well-hidden) dona- common in Nairobi, and cybershell repair and construc-
tions to pro-beanstalk politicians in Kenya. The Popular tion businesses have sprung up across the city. The gov-
Development Party, running on a strong pro-elevator plat- ernment believes that many of the designs used in these
form, won a majority of the parliamentary seats in the 2088 shops were smuggled in from the TSA, but the occasion-
election, and has retained power in each election since. al crackdowns rarely result in major busts.
The Olympus Project began work in 2093, and is Nairobi, as a two-century-old city, displays an archi-
scheduled to be completed by 2114. The beanstalk is the tectural mix of ultramodern “grown” buildings, Third Wave
biggest construction site on Earth, and the ground station, high-rise towers, and colonial-era estates. Traditional stone
which currently rises over 10 miles into the air, will even- or brick buildings were demolished in the 2020s to build
tually reach nearly a hundred miles up. As feared, the work massive apartment blocks. As Nairobi’s population fell in
required to construct this massive edifice has fundamen- the 2040s and 50s, many of these residential complexes
tally altered the shape of Mount Kenya. The symbol of the were replaced by parkland. With the population growth
Kenyan People’s Coalition, the current opposition party, is associated with the Olympus Project, there is again pressure
simply a black silhouette of the old Mount Kenya. on the government to add housing.
Kenya is managing its transition from Third Wave to
Fourth Wave society relatively well, with political and cul-
tural tension overshadowed by the prosperity the Olympus
Project has brought over the last decade. The scope of the
transition and the growth in prosperity are both most visi-
ble in Nairobi, where rituals and arts going back to pre-
colonial times coexist with the latest InVids and musical
groups from Europe, and where a street vendor with a
Nairobi Today pushcart is as likely to be selling designer minifac software
Nairobi in 2100 is the most modern African city north as local handcrafted art. The pressures of transition are
of Johannesburg. Its population stands at 5.5 million peo- intense as well; population growth, problems with infra-
ple, with another 200,000 or so itinerant workers. Most of structure, and the emergence of new memes, movements,
the city’s population is under age 40, giving Nairobi a and ideologies make Nairobi a political cacophony. Street
youthful vibrancy absent in European and American cities. protests are a weekly occurrence, sometimes daily in the
About 8% of the urban population is non-African in origin, Nairobi Hill district. Violence remains uncommon, but not
with about half of those being long-time residents of Indi- unknown, in these marches. The Kenyan Special Police
an origin, and half business people or Olympus Project Service, which focuses on internal security and law
workers. While Christianity had dominated Kenya for enforcement, watches Nairobi’s political situation with
nearly 200 years, Islam is now the most popular religion unease, and many political activists believe that the SPS
among believing Kenyans; about 35% of Kenyans are has planted infiltrators in their midst.
Muslims, compared to 30% Christians and 25% believers Social Transition Stress Disorder is increasing among
in traditional religions. the adult population of Nairobi. Treatment, which has to be
A small but growing portion of the Nairobi population tailored to the local cultures, has been slower to emerge. At
is genefixed. Much of the economic and political elite used least 10% of the violent crimes in Nairobi in 2099 were
genefixing reproductive clinics in Europe or America dur- associated with STSD, up from 7% in 2098.
ing the previous decades, but the proliferation of biotech Nairobi is one of the key economic engines of the
firms in Nairobi has brought the price of basic genetic South African Coalition, with four major industries domi-
repair down to middle-class affordability. Kenya, having nating its market. With the Olympus project well under-
seen countries in the region torn apart by ethnic hatred, has way, a substantial portion of Nairobi’s economy centers on
an aversion to genetic upgrades, but the practice is taking the support of the elevator construction, particularly the
hold among the wealthy, most of whom live in Nairobi. Mount Kenya gateway facilities. Thousands of laborers
Bioroids, as throughout the South African Coalition, from all over the world have come to work on the project.
are considered citizens with full legal rights. Very few While many workers reside in temporary housing in towns
actually live in Kenya, although Jomo Kenyatta Spaceport at the base of Mount Kenya, most prefer Nairobi. An
is a popular location for bioroids on the run to request asy- assortment of entrepreneurs provides a wide array of serv-
lum in the SAC. Signs throughout the spaceport actively ices to the workers, some of dubious legality. While laws
encourage bioroids to do so, and there is a full-time cus- against prostitution and drug use still exist, both vices are
toms office there set up specifically for this purpose. commonly available to laborers. Olympus workers are
also eager consumers of pirated InVids and slinkies.

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LIFE IN THE WORLD OF BROKEN DREAMS

ROBERT AMPALA 100 POINTS

Born 2068. Age 32; 5’9”, 160 lbs. Dark brown skin, sometimes slips them free copies of material in exchange
black hair, brown eyes. for information. His employer, the pirated-content distrib-
Robert Ampala is a life-long resident of Nairobi, mar- utor, is known only as Jon, but clearly has access to a
ried, with 2 children. Several months ago, he lost his job decent-sized organization and influence. Jon has managed
as a logistic administrator on the Olympus Project to get the police off of Ampala’s back once already.
when the material-management division was moved Ampala doesn’t care much for the idea of sell-
over to Bonn-based infomorphs. He now sells gray- ing pirated wares, but is willing to do whatever it
and black-market versions of InVid and slinkie enter- takes to keep his family fed. He’s unlikely to reveal
tainment off of a cart near the Olympus Project information about his current employers to the
employee village on the outskirts of the city, barely authorities, recognizing that they are well-connected
making enough money to keep his family fed and in the world of organized crime. He’d be more will-
housed. ing to provide information about the Olympus Pro-
Prior to working on the Olympus Project, ject, for the right price.
Ampala was on the staff of a VR support center, pro- The one event that would truly push Robert
viding customer assistance for a game world popular in Ampala over the edge is if he were to lose his job, par-
Korea. In early 2098, the game owners canceled the con- ticularly if there was clear cybershell or infomorph
tract with the Nairobi firm and moved the support center to involvement (such as cybershell police officers arresting
a less-expensive provider in Belize. Ampala was out of Jon). Ampala would be likely to react violently in this sit-
work for nearly a month before he got the job on the Olym- uation, probably attacking his former employers.
pus Project.
Robert Ampala has Social Transition Stress Disorder, ST 10 [0]; DX 11 [10]; IQ 12 [20]; HT 11 [10].
although he has not had it officially diagnosed. He’s edgy Speed 5.50; Move 5.
and easily angered, and has a strong visceral reaction to Dodge 5.
the sight of cybershells. While he knows that cybershells Advantages: Common Sense [10]; Contacts (Within the
were not directly responsible for either of his recent job Olympus Project workforce; business, skill 18, 15 or
losses, he is aware that there are two ways that they get less) [9]; Deep Sleeper [5]; Patron (Employer; power-
around – with either an infomorph or a remote operator ful, 12 or less) [20]; Very Fit [15].
controlling them, the two technologies that were the cause Disadvantages: Bad Temper [-10]; On the Edge [-15];
of his current status. He has not yet had a violent reaction, Sense of Duty (To his family) [-5]; Struggling [-10].
but sometimes finds it difficult not to get angry. Only his Quirks: Afraid of rejection; Bites fingernails when upset;
knowledge that getting arrested would make it even more Pessimist; Speaks very quickly. [-4]
difficult for his family to survive moderates his actions. Skills: Administration-16 [10]; Brawling-12 [2]; Comput-
He got his current work, as the street seller of pirated er Operations-17 [10]; Fast-Talk-12 [2]; Leader-
InVid and slinkies, after one of his old friends still on the ship-14 [6]; Merchant-13 [4]; Scrounging-15 [6];
Olympus Project hooked him up with the local distributor. Stealth-12 [4].
Ampala still has good contacts within the Project, and Languages: English-11 [1]; Swahili (native)-12 [0].

Although many Fifth Wave business- Kenya is also a leader in the study and preservation of
es have gone to personality-emulating African biodiversity. The Great Rift Foundation, funded
infomorphs for support services, quite a largely by European Union members but based in Nairobi,
few emerging Fourth Wave firms still has been a vocal proponent of returning vast stretches of
make use of human beings for remote the region to a wild state, and has distributed significant
assistance and teleoperation needs. Many sums of money to organizations researching the complex
of these customers are up-and-coming mem- mix of African ecologies. Most of these organizations
bers of the SAC, and Nairobi has emerged as the maintain offices in Nairobi to be able to work closely with
center of technological innovation for sub-Saharan Africa. (and lobby) the Foundation. Their efforts are aided by an
Over half of the students at Nairobi’s Arap Moi Technical upswing in popular interest in African ecology. The popu-
University are from outside of Kenya. This occasionally larity of safari tourism fell throughout much of the recent
leads to flare-ups of nationalist tensions – in late 2099, a century, but is on the rise again, particularly tours using
group of Sri Lankan students were beaten by a crowd SafariShells (see p. 93).
protesting the loss of jobs to foreign workers.

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 LIFE IN THE WORLD OF BROKEN DREAMS
Finally, Nairobi is the capital of Kenya, so all of
the primary government services have headquarters
there, including the powerful Bureau of Resources and
Environment, which oversees both the protection of the SAFARISHELLS
Kenyan wilderness and the development of natural Wilderness tourism and safaris are coming
resources. As the leading regional capital, Nairobi is con- back in vogue due to the development of
sidered diplomatic neutral ground during central and east SafariShells, teleoperated bodies that give the
African conflicts. Embassy Row is one of the busiest parts tourist an immersive experience without endanger-
of Nairobi, with diplomats, tourists, and business people ing them or the wildlife. Safari tourism has long
from around the globe competing for data services and posed the problem of how to keep visitors and ani-
taxicabs. In 2099, the Australian and German embassies mals safe while still making it possible for wildlife
opened new offices in the Nairobi South business district – to be viewed up close. Teleoperated cybershells
the influence of the Olympus Project consortium on designed to appear like native fauna is a popular
Kenyan politics is increasingly of concern to its partners in solution, as they make it possible for tourists to
the South African Coalition. come much closer to dangerous animals than ever
While Kenyan culture as a whole is strongly Preser- before. Mainstream SafariShell outfits such as
vationist, Nairobi, with its mix of political and economic Kenya’s Wild Domain and Tanzania’s Serengeti
forces, tends to be more cosmopolitan in outlook. Many of Tours use cybershells that mimic local birds,
the global ideological groups have supporters in Nairobi, although some specialize in cybershells that func-
and the city has houses of worship for all major religions. tion like gazelles and similar species, giving the
The economic environment is aggressively competitive, tourist a ground-eye view and the occasional
however, and Nairobi has a sizeable indigent population. excitement of having to run away from a predator.
Safaris that use animal bioshells rather than
The Olympus Project animal-mimic cybershells are illegal throughout
Since 2093 Nairobi has been the focus for the Olym- the SAC, although they can still be found in more
pus Project, the first attempt at constructing a “beanstalk” remote locations. Poachers are employed to hunt
ground-to-orbit system for Earth. The orbital elevator is down and capture a candidate animal, usually a big
designed to bridge the distance between the summit of cat or elephant. The animal’s brain is replaced with
Mount Kenya and geosynchronous orbit, cutting the cost a shell infomorph that allows for remote operation,
of interface transport dramatically. Nairobi, as the nearest but which gives the bioshell more or less natural
major city, will function as the primary transfer point for behavior when not under direct control. Animal
cargo and passengers. It is already building a second full- bioshells are used by tourists wishing to go hunt-
size airport, as well as upgrading the rail lines between ing as a lion or cheetah. Recently, illegal bioshell
Nairobi and the Indian Ocean port of Mombassa. safaris have started to use slink-style interfaces
Mount Kenya, about 100 miles north of Nairobi, is rather than simple teleoperation systems, giving
the second tallest mountain in Africa, and sits almost the tourist a more complete experience.
directly on the equator. Long considered one The South African Coalition typically pays a
of the most difficult climbing chal- substantial bounty to anyone putting a stop
lenges anywhere, Mount Kenya is to bioshell safari operators and poachers.
extremely rugged, and a signifi-
cant part of the expense of the
Olympus Project is in simply
constructing the gateway sta- available until 2120. Delays have come
tion on the summit and the from two main sources: labor disputes
roads and rail from the station and slowdowns, and the environment
to Nairobi. The base of the on Mount Kenya. The original design
elevator is Kere Nyaga Sta- for Kere Nyaga Station had to be over-
tion – Kere Nyaga means hauled when the initial work proved to
“Mountain of Brightness,” the be insufficiently braced against the high
name for Mount Kenya in the winds that rip across the summit, and a
local Kikuyu language. rockslide destroyed a section of the railway
Work on the elevator is taking to the station in 2098, stopping all construc-
more time than initially estimated. The tion for several months. Kere Nyaga, which will
current estimate for when the beanstalk will be eventually be nearly a hundred miles high, is now a
operational is 2114, although Olympus officials pri- mere 10 miles in height – but is still by far the largest
vately concede that the system may not be fully structure ever created on Earth.

93
LIFE IN THE WORLD OF BROKEN DREAMS
available to work, meaning that several contractors
had to spend weeks training people to do tasks typical-
ly done by automated systems elsewhere in the world. Most
frustrating for the project has been the epidemics of new
variant strains of local illnesses; at one point in 2099, near-
ly 20% of the project crew was down with a virus that had
slipped past the latest antiviral upgrades. The increase in
both virulence and frequency has led Olympus Project
managers to suspect that the diseases were not naturally
The labor problems have proven even more trouble- occurring.
some. Communication between local workers and manage- Security is the single largest part of the Olympus Pro-
ment from outside of Africa has been more difficult than ject budget, from hundreds of heavily armed guards to the
expected, and at least one work stoppage has happened sophisticated anti-aircraft/anti-missile defenses installed
over a perceived insult. Kenyan law restricts the use of around the mountain. Most of the project security funding
cybershell labor in jobs where humans are willing and has come straight from European defense and intelligence

NYOTA KONGATA 124 POINTS

Female, born 2073. Age 27; 5’10”, 135 lbs. Dark opponents of the plan, Kole and Kalahari Biodesigns are
brown skin, black hair, brown eyes, muscular build and becoming increasingly worried and angry.
sharp features. Nyota Kongata cares little for the administrative oper-
Nyota Kongata is a Field Specialist at the Nairobi ations of the Service, and makes an unlikely contact in the
National Park. She is the park’s top ranger, albeit the least city itself. In the field, she can be found in both the Nation-
loved by the administrators. Honest and willing to chal- al Park and in the larger stretches of wilderness outside
lenge those she thinks are wrong, Kongata knows she will toward the Great Rift. She is strongly opposed to poach-
never rise much above her current position – a situation ers, and uses her vulture SurveyShell and her personal
that suits her fine. She prefers wildlife to humans. time to hunt them down. If Kole and Kalahari Biodesigns
Kongata can usually be found in the park, operating a decide to move against her, they are likely to do so when
realistic vulture SurveyShell as a way of monitoring the she is alone outside of the park, and will make it look like
animals. Similar to the SafariShells used by tourists, hers vengeful poachers.
includes a number of biosampling tools. She has learned
how to make quick repairs to the cybershell in order to ST 13 [30]; DX 10 [0]; IQ 13 [30]; HT 11 [10].
maximize her time in the field. The vulture cybershell is Speed 5.25; Move 5.
hers, purchased a little over a year ago. While she also has Dodge 5.
the official Wildlife Service gazelle SurveyShell to use as Advantages: Administrative Rank 2 (Kenya Wildlife Ser-
backup, she prefers the vistas and mobility of the vulture. vice) [10]; Fearlessness +3 [6]; Genefixed [0]; Intu-
Increasingly regarded as an expert in Kenyan ecology, ition [15]; Legal Enforcement Powers [5]; Reputation
she has been outspoken against the introduction of bio- +3 (“Bioengineered-wildlife opponent;” local preser-
engineered animals. Her field papers and recordings have vationists, 7 or less) [5]; Single-Minded [5].
been leaked by sympathizers to local preservationist Disadvantages: Combat Paralysis [-15]; Honesty [-10];
groups, and she has become a minor celebrity. While Loner [-5]; No Sense of Humor [-10].
largely apolitical, Kongata has no problem with her words Quirks: Impatient; Questions authority (Particularly
being publicly seen, as long as they are used honestly. regarding biotechnology); Rolls eyes when annoyed;
Her opposition to bioengineered wildlife is causing Speaks very softly; Uncongenial. [-5]
her more trouble than she knows, however. The Great Rift Skills: Animal Handling-13 [4]; Area Knowledge (Kenya
Foundation director pushing the introduction plan, Marcus Wilderness)-15 [4]; Area Knowledge (Nairobi
Kole, is working closely with the South African bioengi- National Park)-19 [12]; Climbing-10 [2]; Computer
neering firm Kalahari Biodesigns. Adoption of the pro- Operation-14 [2]; Ecology-13 [4]; Engineer (Safar-
posal would mean million of dollars in licensing fees for iShell)-14 [6]; First Aid-13 [1]; Guns (Rifle)-12 [1];
Kalahari. It would also put them in a position to better Hiking-11 [2]; Naturalist-15 [8]; Orienteeering-12
compete with Ithemba Biotechnologies in the broader [1]; Veterinary-13 [4].
biotech market. As Kongata’s position galvanizes the Languages: English-12 [1]; Kikuyu-12 [1]; Swahili
(native)-13 [0].

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 LIFE IN THE WORLD OF BROKEN DREAMS
budgets, and Germany’s intelligence bureau opened industry. By the 2040s, after a period of polluted dis-
a new department in 2097 to deal exclusively with the use, the transnational information-technology industry
Olympus Project. The last-minute prevention of a bomb- started to move in, converting old warehouses and factories
ing in 2095 convinced the Project managers to err on the into remote-support centers and high-bandwidth teleopera-
side of added caution; the resulting increase in anti-air- tion hubs. By the 2070s, as the economy shifted, many of
craft/anti-missile defense aggressiveness has led to the the information technology firms along Uhuru Highway
destruction of five small aircraft that had left their assigned and Mombasa Road became bioinformatics and ecosys-
landing corridors at Jomo Kenyatta Spaceport. In at least tems businesses. When the airport at the end of Mombasa
one case, the aircraft had changed to a path that would Road became the Jomo Kenyatta Spaceport, many transna-
have taken it right into Kere Nyaga Station. tional corporations doing business in SAC countries moved
their local headquarters to Nairobi South.
PLACES Today, Nairobi South is the most business-focused
district in the city, with research labs and network-opera-
The original layout of Nairobi was based on the large tion centers intermixed with corporate offices. The Olym-
estates first owned by British colonial officials, then pus Project headquarters is in Nairobi South, in the old
owned by the Kenyan elite. While these properties were General Motors building. There is little official police pres-
long ago divided up and converted to residential and busi- ence in the district; most of the corporate residents prefer
ness districts, it’s not uncommon for locals to use the old to control their own security, and are wary of government
names as references to points in the city. surveillance systems letting trade secrets slip. The latest
renovations to the district have removed pedestrian thor-
Embassy Row/Mabaraka oughfares, and corporate security officers deal harshly
Running along Langata Road from the Mabaraka with loiterers. Political marches starting in Nairobi Hill
Estate district to Moi Estate in the southwestern quadrant rarely end up in Nairobi South, although when they do,
of the city, Embassy Row is outside of the main down- they usually turn violent. Local security is more willing to
town area but still one of the power centers of the city. use force against protestors than does the
Upscale boutiques and financial houses sit alongside police, and the reverse has also become
diplomatic compounds, making Embassy Row the most true.
heavily policed section of Nairobi. Cameras, microbot
swarms, and officers on the street outfitted with Mugshot Jomo Kenyatta
software linked to public and law-enforcement databases Interplanetary Spaceport
make it dangerous to even think about committing a To the east of the Nairobi South
crime. The local restaurants cater to the diplomat crow, district, the spaceport is Nairobi’s
but any clandestine business is done well away from the main transit hub for both people and
ever-present surveillance. goods. When the aging Jomo Kenyatta
Uhuru Memorial Hospital sits at the center of International Airport was the subject of a
Embassy Row, and is considered the best medical facility multi-year, multi-billion dollar refit in the 2070s, many
in the mid-continent. It is also one of the most difficult to observers thought that the investors – primarily a South
get into – Uhuru Memorial does not take walk-in emer- African consortium and a bank from the Pacific Rim
gencies, only established patients of the hospital’s physi- Alliance – had wasted their money. To be sure, the Jomo
cians. This is not without cause; in 2068, people claiming Kenyatta Interplanetary Spaceport had substantial overca-
to be accident victims entered the hospital in order to pacity at first, with six spaceplane-capable runways and
assassinate the President of Sudan, who was there receiv- more terminal space than London Heathrow. But Jomo-
ing treatment for liver cancer. The medical equipment in Ken (as many call it) had a number of advantages going for
Uhuru Memorial is solidly high Fourth Wave, similar to it: a near-equatorial location, easy overland-rail connec-
that found in good hospitals in Europe or America. Price tions, and a relatively close Indian Ocean port, all in a sta-
are much higher, however; treatment costs are three to five ble and modernizing country. Use grew rapidly, as the
times higher than those listed in Transhuman Space or spaceport was able to handle any size aircraft, from com-
Fifth Wave. muter planes to streamlined transatmospheric vehicles.
At the southwest end of Langata Road is the main gate In 2094, JomoKen added the continent’s only laser-lift
to Nairobi National Park, the headquarters of the Kenya system outside of South Africa. While primarily used now
Wildlife Service, which oversees the park along with the for Olympus Project work, it will give carriers using
Great Rift Foundation as a living biodiversity laboratory. Kenyan facilities the option of fast and expensive launch
or slow and inexpensive elevator transit in a single loca-
Nairobi South District tion. A dedicated fusion plant powers the laser-lift system,
Now the business center of the city, Nairobi South making excess electricity available to Nairobi when
was once dominated by manufacturing and heavy the laser is not in use.

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Nairobi Hill The Ngong Academy, at the eastern end of
At the city center, Nairobi Hill Karen, is the most prestigious private college in
is the main downtown area, home to Nairobi, specializing in memetics, public administration,
many local businesses, popular and political economy. The sons and daughters of the elite
eateries, and entertainment venues. study here; a degree from Ngong means guaranteed place-
It’s also where most of Nairobi’s ment in key government positions upon graduation.
homeless population lives, and the Ngong recently turned down an endowment from the
focal point of most political rallies. SAC, not wanting to appear partisan to students from out-
Uhuru Park has been the center of side the Coalition.
many confrontations between protestors The campus of the Arap Moi Technical University sits
and the police, and is regularly occupied by just north of Karen, in an abandoned convent. Small and
speakers and activists supporting various causes. Inexpen- highly competitive, AMTU has a limited number of aca-
sive boarding houses and restaurants ring the park, making demic tracks, all focusing on cutting-edge science and
it a traditional starting point for many new residents of the technology. Most of the faculty is from Europe and the
city. Across Haile Selassie Avenue from the park is the Pacific Rim Alliance, and none are permanent. The pro-
headquarters of the Nairobi Guardian, one of the oldest gram for the 2099-2100 academic year includes courses in
news agencies in the region. The Guardian is best known medical nanotechnology, fusion engineering, and sub-
for its investigative reports and muckraking editorials, mersible cybershell design. Over half of AMTU’s students
published hourly on the web and weekly in print. come from outside of Kenya.
Much of Nairobi’s nightlife happens in the Nairobi One of the more-recent additions to the district is the
Hill district. Street vendors and performers crowd the Nairobi Islamic University. Founded in 2070, the majority
pedestrian mall, sometimes working with local pickpock- of its funding comes from the Islamic Caliphate, and it cur-
ets. Clubs with live music, after-hours bars, and virtual- rently enrolls about 8,000 students. It provides a mix of
gaming centers make the area lively 24 hours a day. The religious and practical education, intending that its stu-
southeastern corner of the district is the local red-light area, dents be able to support themselves on their spiritual jour-
much more active now than prior to the Olympus Project. neys. The Islamic University is politically moderate, not
Police vice raids occasionally sweep through here and wishing to endanger friendly relations between the
arrest unwary prostitutes, but this is usually only around Caliphate and the SAC, and discourages campus political
elections or in reaction to a rise in violent crime. organizations and activism. It does have an evangelical
Each March, Nairobi Hill is home to the Pan-African aspect, however, and many graduates go on conversion
Arts Festival, a three-day affair that combines modern missions into the rural parts of central and southern Africa.
music and art with traditional forms of performance from
across the continent. Multiple stages, outdoor galleries,
and hundreds of street vendors bring a crowd that fills
CURRENT EVENTS
The Kenyan Special Police Service believes that the
Nairobi Hill, sometimes spilling into the north and the series of diseases hitting the Olympus Project employees
Karen district to the west. Several globally popular musi- were engineered by a group opposed to the elevator. The
cal acts, including Kilimanjaro Dawn, made their debut at SPS had not intended that this theory become public
the festival. In recent years, the Nairobi police have knowledge, but a veteran reporter from the Nairobi
expressed concern over the size of the event. In 2099, the Guardian broke the story in mid-December. While the ini-
festival drew a crowd of nearly 750,000 people, and over tial uproar has died down, the SPS is nowhere closer to
a million are expected to show up in 2100. solving the mystery. The Guardian reporter has gone into
The crowds and commotion make the Nairobi Hill hiding, having received what the paper termed “credible
district a favored area for off-the-record meetings between threats” against his life.
diplomats or corporate executives. A major poaching/bioshell safari ring was broken up
when rangers from the Kenya Wildlife Service traced a
Karen District teleoperation signal from a bioshell elephant back to a
To the west of Nairobi Hill is the Karen District, home camp outside of Nanyuki, near Mount Kenya. Rangers are
to many of Nairobi’s colleges and religious centers. While still searching for the ring’s bioshell technician, Dr. Lucien
many young adults live and study in Karen, there are few Duvalier. There is a $50,000 reward for his capture.
nightclubs or bars. The Karen District has a character of A New Year’s Eve vice sweep through the red-light
seriousness that underscores the sense of mission many district came up with an unexpected prize – Michael Lom-
students have in Nairobi. Most non-Kenyan scholars are basa, a Master of Public Administration student at Ngong
here with the clear goal of returning home and bringing Academy . . . and son of the Minister of Finance. The Min-
their countries into the modern world; parties and local ister and his son are refusing to talk to reporters,
politics are distractions from that goal.

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 LIFE IN THE WORLD OF BROKEN DREAMS
although a spokesperson is pushing the story that this Portola led a Spanish expedition along the
was a setup by one of the Minister’s political rivals. coast, and set up camp along the Los Ange-
The laser-lift system at Jomo Kenyatta Spaceport has les river. Spanish settlers arrived a dozen years
been shut down for over a week, as technicians attempt to later, and the city of Los Angeles was born. By
troubleshoot a recurring problem with beam coherence. the early 19th century, Los Angeles was the cen-
The most recent event led to an emergency shutdown one- ter of a sprawling collection of Mexican ranch-
third of the way through launch, requiring that the es. In 1847, an American named John Fremont
unmanned cargo vehicle ditch in the Indian Ocean. The wrested Los Angeles from its Mexican owners,
manufacturer, System Technologies AG, has sent in its top and the city was incorporated into the state of
laser-lift engineer, an SAI named Stavrogin. California in 1850.
The Kenyan People’s Coalition has announced that it Year-round good weather and abundant
will be supporting a major anti-Olympus Project rally dur- local resources attracted settlers, and the popu-
ing this year’s Pan-African Arts Festival. As a result, the lation of the city grew from a few thousand
Nairobi Police Department has officially requested outside when incorporated to over 320,000 by the early
assistance to maintain order. The police are asking for per- 20th century. The weather also proved attrac-
sonnel, microbot swarms, helicopters, pacifying equip- tive to a variety of industries, especially film-
ment – anything that can help control a crowd of up to a making; Los Angeles was considered the heart
million people. Johannesburg, Pretoria, and London have of the global entertainment industry for over
all pledged support. 150 years.
The local heavy equipment manufacturer, Nyeri Los Angeles boomed in the years subsequent to World
Viwandazito, is aggressively pursuing the contract for the War II, and a combination of rapid population growth, the
high-speed rail link from Mount Kenya to Nairobi. It faces automobile, and cheap land led to a suburban explosion.
stiff competition from the Ukrainian industrial giant The Los Angeles model of multiple urban cores surround-
CHERKOM, which has promised Nairobi that it will set ed by massive suburban tracts was emulated worldwide,
up robofacturing facilities in Kenya if it wins the bid. but also led directly to the city’s notorious pollution prob-
While the local corporation was thought to have a lock on lem. By late in the 20th century, there were more vehicles
the contract, recent statements from the Olympus Coordi- in the greater Los Angeles area than there were residents.
nation Office have suggested the Ukrainian group might The city’s growth soon reflected a greater cultural diversi-
have the edge. ty; it was one of the first major urban centers in the nation
to have a Hispanic majority population.

LOS ANGELES
Despite periodic ethnic clashes, Los Angeles in the
early 21st century remained focused on economic devel-
opment and environmental mitigation. Air pollution, dwin-
Once the largest urban-metropolitan area in the United dling water resources, and problems with disease and pests
States, Los Angeles weathered a series of economic, envi- made the local environment a key political concern. As the
ronmental, and political disasters over the course of the last rapid global warming of the early century brought on ris-
century. Although it still attracts immigrants from around ing seas, the city moved rapidly. In 2033, work began on
the world, L.A. is no longer a center of global culture. Its the Seawall, a massive flood control and tide-management
problems over the last hundred years have left it behind the structure stretching for miles down the Santa Monica bay.
rest of the country economically and socially, making it The Seawall would take five years to complete, two
more like a Third Wave city than an urban center in one of more than originally planned. When the last gate in the
the richest nations on Earth. Seawall network of locks was installed in 2038, the city
was relieved. Rising seas had already caused problems in
cities around the world, and the new Seawall again made
OVERVIEW Los Angeles a model for others to emulate.
Los Angeles historically has been a case study in The relief was short-lived, however. Although the
extremes, with immense wealth and poverty, a massive 2042 earthquake caused comparatively light damage, it
population on top of an environmental nightmare, and a pushed many established residents over a psychological
local culture that celebrated the transient and ephemeral. edge. In 2043, for the first time in well over a century, the
The 21st century was not kind to L.A., but it again appears Los Angeles area saw a decline in population. Businesses
to be recreating itself from the ashes of disaster. that had long considered L.A. their home started openly
looking to relocate. The biggest economic hit came late in
History the decade, when several of the major movie and InVid stu-
The region now known as Los Angeles was originally dios shut down, selling off content and intellectual proper-
home to a series of native tribes, living quietly in what ty to the rising Bollywood powerhouses. A few studios
some called the “smoky valley.” In 1769, Gaspar de remained, but faced quickly declining revenues.

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LIFE IN THE WORLD OF BROKEN DREAMS
The early 2050s saw the signs of a recovery, as The 2090s were marked by the construction of
several major manufacturers opened factories in the the Aztlan arcology complex in downtown Los Ange-
area. Although few people were actually employed by the les and the rise of the Mexican immigrants. Although they
firms, the resulting tax revenue allowed Los Angeles to make up only about 10% of the city’s population, citizens
begin re-investing in education and infrastructure. In 2054, of Mexican heritage own the majority of large businesses
a conglomerate of the remaining local studios, high-tech- and a substantial percentage of the region’s property. The
nology manufacturers, and amusement-park companies powerful county Sheriff, Juan Reyes, and the current
opened Worldarc, the first arcology in the state of Califor- Chairman of the Board of Supervisors, Hector Alvarez,
nia, and an experiment in residential entertainment. both come from long-established Mexican immigrant fam-
The recovery did not last. In 2058 and into 2059, the ilies. More so than any other cultural divide, the split
“heavy weather” period in the Pacific peaked in what between Mexican and non-Mexican Hispanic groups
became known as “el Año del Niño,” a six-month series seems poised to lead to political trouble in the near future.
of massive ocean-based storms. High winds and incessant
rain battered the region for weeks on end. The Seawall, Los Angeles Today
which had withstood two decades of annual severe weath- The greater Los Angeles area is home to over 7.5 mil-
er, proved unable to handle storms of this magnitude and lion people, down from its peak of 17 million in the mid-
quantity. In March of 2059, the Seawall breached in sev- part of the 21st century. About 500,000 people live in the
eral locations. A wall of water smashed through the various regional arcologies – even City of Angels, which
coastal cities, reaching as far east as Beverly Hills and has at least two years of construction left before comple-
south to Long Beach. Thousands died, and hundreds of tion, houses 20,000 people – a number that is expected to
thousands were left homeless. grow as the economy rebuilds and more people return to
the area. There is already talk of a Valley arcology, and
Aztlan is seeking approval for a plan to add a fifth pyra-
mid. Most of the population of Los Angeles is foreign-
born, largely from Central America and Southeast Asia.
Many immigrants fled nanosocialist nations, giving the
region a strongly anti-infosocialist political character.
The immigrant dominance and recent decades of sig-
nificant poverty give Los Angeles the distinction of having
the lowest proportion of genefixed citizens of all American
urban centers. It also has the youngest average population,
at 21. Few immigrants or youth care to vote, however, and
the county remains under the control of a Board of Super-
visors made up of the same set of leaders for 33 years, re-
elected each term by a bloc of aging, wealthy voters in the
gentrified San Gabriel region. The Board is reluctant to
spend money on rebuilding poorer parts of the county,
Emergency measures began immediately. By 2060, focusing instead on arcologies and law enforcement.
the county Board of Supervisors had taken the lead role in Since 2060, the bulk of policing in the area has been
coordinating recovery and reconstruction efforts, and the the responsibility of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s
county Sheriff had taken on the main policing duties. By Department. Without the scandal-plagued history of the
the middle of the decade, the region was economically and LAPD, the Deputies were initially greeted warmly by the
politically stable, and parts – such as Worldarc and down- populace. Since the 2092 election of Juan Reyes as the
town – were managing to actually thrive. director of the office, however, the methods of regional
The ’70s and ’80s were relatively calm, with occa- law enforcement have taken a harsher turn. Moving
sional attempts to revitalize parts of the city and a gradual aggressively against the gangs that dominate parts of the
return to a net positive population flow. Many migrants city, Reyes proceeded to re-outfit the officers with mili-
chose to call Los Angeles home, in large part because its tary-police equipment and implement a new street-moni-
cost of living was the lowest in the United States. The vast toring policy heavily dependent upon remotely operated
geographic size of L.A., even with areas lost to the sea, cybershells. The initial wave of arrests has dropped back
provided ample opportunity for ethnic communities to down to the pre-Reyes levels, as gangs and unlicensed
grow and prosper. The two waves of TSA-related migra- brainbug dealers have learned to adapt to the monitoring
tion – the first in 2075, at the formation of the Alliance, and systems, sometimes even hacking them.
the second a decade later, fleeing the Pacific War – gave L.A. has little of the sense of promise or opportunity
Los Angeles its current ethnic mix and conservative commonplace in much of the rest of the United States,
political complexion. and most of the city (outside of the arcologies) would

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 LIFE IN THE WORLD OF BROKEN DREAMS
remain familiar to a Los Angeles citizen of half a Some problems remain intractable, however.
century earlier. The majority of first-generation immi- Locos También effectively owns large parts of the
grants live in ethnic enclaves, keeping tight hold of their downtown and east L.A. regions, making them no-go
traditions and cultures. There has been little movement out zones for the L.A. County Deputies. A brief territory strug-
of Los Angeles by these groups, due in part to culture gle with the Maple Syndicate left the local gang in a
shock and in part to a political mood in the U.S. that offers stronger position than ever, with control over brainbug dis-
little support to immigrants from the developing world. tribution networks and weapon smuggling across all of
Economically, most analysts are hopeful that Los southern California. Its only significant competition is the
Angeles has seen the worst of its troubles, and is firmly on Malaysian gang known as Koro, which operates largely
a path to recovery. The success of the Worldarc and Aztlan out of the western half of the city, in the Floats and a few
arcologies, and the momentum behind the construction of parts of the Westside.
City of Angels, has started to improve the appeal of L.A. Of greater long-term concern is the growing evidence
as a place to live. There are also strong signs that the of a major underground bioengineering operation in the
regional economy is picking up. It remains an open ques- region. Aside from supplying new brainbugs to the Locos,
tion how much these changes will improve the lives of the there are signs that it is working on unlicensed – and poten-
majority of the local citizens. tially illegal – genemod designs as well. Sheriff’s office
In early 2099, Carlos Hererra, one of the founding investigators believe that the labs are distributed through-
designers at Nanodynamics, left the company and moved out the Westside-downtown corridor, operating out of
south to the Aztlan arcologies. Although his representative abandoned buildings or slum apartment complexes. No
infomorphs claimed that he did so in order to live closer to currently operating lab has been discovered yet, however.
his dying mother, inside rumors suggested that he opposed A handful of raids have only found recently abandoned
Nanodynamics’ handling of its Exogenesis acquisition. locations.
These rumors were borne out when, in September of 2099,
he founded Hererra Femtodynamics, and hired several of
the key nanotech and AI designers who had left Exogene- PLACES
sis. Headquartered in Pasadena, on the old Cal Tech cam- The county of Los Angeles encompasses over 4,000
pus, the firm has yet to announce any products or public square miles, larger than several European countries. The
strategies, but has begun investing heavily in improving city itself covers over a third of that territory, and contains
the information and communication infrastructure of the just about half of the population. The urbanization pattern
region, including signing on as a subcontractor for the City runs largely along an east-west axis, from the ocean to the
of Angels project. deserts of the Inland Empire cities. The one exception is
The lead contractor for the arcology, CSD Incorporat- the Valley, which stretches to the north of the city center.
ed, is a cybershell-based construction firm based in San
Diego. By signing Femtodynamics as a subcontractor, The Floats
along with canceling a large cybershell order from Nano- Nearly 250,000 people live in the Floats, the raft vil-
dynamics, CSD has generated a lot of publicity as well as lages that fill the Santa Monica bay inside the Seawall.
substantial hostility from its former supplier. As far as the Most inhabitants come from Southeast Asia. The first
county is concerned, however, CSD can do little wrong, as wave arrived in the mid-2070s, with the formation of the
the City of Angels project appears to be coming in slight- Transpacific Socialist Alliance; a second, larger wave
ly ahead of schedule and on budget. Furthermore, the cor- arrived a decade later, escaping the ravages of the Pacific
poration exceeded its local-employment requirements by War. The average age of the Floats population is 15.
10%, training nearly 1,700 people in construction cyber- The Floats mainly comprise thousands of boats of
shell operation, over a third of its total workforce. varying sizes permanently lashed together, stretching for
The most inspiring sign of regional recovery was the miles. Along the western edge, the Floats are anchored to
purchase of the former Warner Brothers Studio lot by Indus the Seawall; the east side is more ragged, and has more
River Studios. Indus River, the second-largest Bolly- temporary connections. Scattered throughout the residen-
wood production house, claimed to be looking for tial boats are various commercial centers, from tav-
an additional location and office space well erns and gambling parlors to restaurants and
away from its current home in Mumbai. It’s an markets. There are two main Floats areas: Lit-
open secret, however, that the current head of tle Bangkok, which is primarily Thai; and
Indus River, Sarai Ramamoorthy, is strongly Kuala Baru, which is primarily Malaysian.
anti-infosocialist, and fears the strength of The two groups are on relatively good terms
the nanosocialist movement in her home with each other, although Little Bangkok has
country. Los Angeles leaders are hopeful that seen increased difficulty with the Koro gang,
a return of the entertainment industry will be based largely in Kuala Baru.
the decisive push to renew L.A.

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LIFE IN THE WORLD OF BROKEN DREAMS

CHAWALIT SANG LIKPHAI 80 POINTS

Female, born 2048. Age 52; 5’1”, 105 pounds. Weath- by doing contract genetic designs for some of the new
ered tan skin, black and gray hair, brown eyes. biotech companies started by refugees.
Chawalit Sang Likphai is a doctor and genetic engineer The Koro gang has offered her $10,000 to design a
living in the Floats. Trained in Thailand, she arrived with the brainbug that could compete with Jellybean (p. 133). Likphai
refugees fleeing the Pacific War. She does not have strong was tempted – her bioengineering and surgical equipment
anti-nanosocialist feelings, instead ignoring politics entirely. has become a bit dated – but turned it down. The Koro have
She is unmarried, has two children (both are adults and have yet to decide whether to return with a greater offer; Likphai
moved out of the Floats), and is increasingly reclusive. would find it much more difficult to reject a larger sum.
Although Likphai was born healthy, exposure to biolog- People with a good relationship with the Little Bangkok
ical and chemical weapons during the Pacific War has left population would likely be directed toward Chawalit Likphai
her with frequent migraine headaches and an extremely sen- if they were in need of medical help or were looking for a
sitive metabolism. She rarely ventures out during the day good no-questions-asked bioengineer. The local citizens are
(bright light can trigger the headaches) and eats only bland highly protective of her, and would not allow her to be threat-
foods – the smells of spicy dishes can leave her debilitated ened or injured. Likphai is not aware of the recent legal
with nausea. Only her relatively high pain threshold allows crackdown on brainbugs in the Los Angeles area, and may
her to function on a day-to-day basis. find herself a fugitive if she helps the Koro and is identified.
She has developed a reputation in the Floats as a doctor
willing and able to handle a wide array of problems, particu- ST 9 [-10]; DX 10 [0]; IQ 14 [45]; HT 9 [-10].
larly those related to genetics. She asks no questions (other Speed 4.75; Move 4.
than what she needs for diagnosis) and makes no judgments Dodge 4.
(although she will tell someone if they’re doing something Advantages: Acute Taste and Smell +2 [4]; Alertness +1
dangerous), making her popular with Float citizens who run [5]; Genefixed [0]; High Pain Threshold [10]; Intu-
afoul of the law. In recent months, members of the Malay ition [15]; Reputation +3 (“No-questions-asked doc-
Koro gang have started to make use of her services. tor”; Floats criminals, 7 or less) [5].
Over the last decade of living in the Floats, Likphai has Disadvantages: Delicate Metabolism [-20]; Migraine (8
managed to amass a fairly well-equipped field lab. She is or less) [-10]; Reclusive [-10].
able to perform routine germline analyses of embryos as well Quirks: Evil grin; Impatient; Prays before every meal;
as do minor genetic-surgical repairs. Her equipment allows Scratches nose when nervous; Vindictive. [-5]
her to analyze and synthesize most medicines, and she is not Skills: Biochemistry-16 [16]; Chemistry-15 [6]; Genetics
averse to making additional medicine for her poorer patients. (Genetic Engineering)-16/22 [20]; Meditation-14 [4];
She charges on a sliding scale (and charges gang members a Pharmacy-14 [4]; Physician-13 [2]; Surgery-14 [8].
bit more than other patients), but makes most of her money Languages: English-12 [1/2]; Spanish-12 [1/2]; Thai
(native)-14 [0].

The biggest problems for the residents of were designers and inventors unwilling to
the Floats are the winter storms. Although see their work nationalized; there is a
the Seawall generally protects the com- small but diverse market for soft-
munity from the worst ravages, every ware, bioware, and genetic design
year there are dozens of storm-related in the Floats. It operates largely
deaths. Among the more active busi- behind the scenes, so as to avoid
nesses in the Floats are retrofitters the attention of regional offi-
who work covering boats with mod- cials. Products that “improve
ern carbon-fiber material. on” existing designs are fairly
Despite the ramshackle appear- common, and some are of dubi-
ance, advanced technology can be ous legality. The leader of the
found in the Floats. Solar, tidal, and Koro gang, Kit Siang Mahathir,
hydrothermic differential power is actively seeking bioengineers in
sources provide abundant electricity, and the Floats to provide his gang with
computers are commonplace. Many of brainbugs to compete with those sold
those escaping from the nanosocialist countries by Locos También.

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 LIFE IN THE WORLD OF BROKEN DREAMS
Los Angeles International Airport communication networks, and NEMS, the façade
(LAX) has a shape that suggests a human form reaching up.
The skin can change shape to a small degree, allowing it to
The flooding after the Seawall breach did extensive
better withstand wind or catch a greater degree of sunlight.
damage to the Los Angeles International Airport, which
Normally, the skin is a translucent golden color, visible for
sits right on the coast. One of the landing strips perma-
miles around; individual “cells” can shift tint, however,
nently closed, and traffic eventually dropped by over 50%.
and one of the plans for the arcology is for it to function as
In 2094, the Board of Supervisors seriously considered
a massive, ever-changing video display.
closing LAX. Only the City of Angels project saved it.
Aside from the growing City of Angels population,
Repair and improvements to LAX were critical to the
most of the Westside inhabitants come from the Floats. A
success of City of Angels. The airport had to be upgraded
number of the houses in the hillier areas managed to avoid
to support transatmospheric vehicles, and cargo handling
the worst of the flooding, but were abandoned as the sur-
facilities needed to be changed to support the transfer of
rounding area became essentially unusable. Families from
construction cybershells, which can weigh as much as 10
the Floats have gradually begun moving into those houses,
tons. High-capacity rail lines from LAX to the City of
largely illegally, and using them as combined residences
Angels site went in almost immediately; in late 2099, the
and places of business. A dozen or more small minifac-
Board of Supervisors authorized funding for additional
software design and bioware-engineering groups operate
high-capacity lines to run to the Aztlan arcology complex,
across the coastal areas of the Westside.
as well.
Downtown
Downtown Los Angeles survived the 21st
I wanna live in Los Angeles, century relatively well, in large measure
because of close economic ties to Mexico. The
not the one in Los Angeles. cycle of boom and bust that hurt the region so
badly wasn’t as bad in downtown as in the rest
They got one in 2525, built just of Los Angeles, and a notable number of older
like a beehive. financial and property-services corporations
have offices there. The decision by the Mexi-
– Frank Black, Los Angeles, can oligopolists to maintain their U.S.
presence in Los Angeles also made
1994 a significant difference. It’s
rumored that ConMex, one of
the largest construction firms
Westside in North America, was grant-
ed the prime contractor role
Historically the wealthier part of Los Angeles, the
for the construction of Aztlan
Westside took a killing blow when the Seawall breached.
in exchange for remaining in
Most of the coastal cities remain flooded, and the stretch of
downtown L.A. With the rise of
land east to Century City and south to Torrance is now a
the infosocialist movement in
mix of urban decay and swamp. Yet it was here that CSD
Mexico, an increasing number of
and the Board of Supervisors decided to build the City of
smaller businesses are quietly moving their headquarters
Angels arcology.
from Mexico City to Los Angeles.
This was an understandably controversial decision at
Abandoned manufacturing and warehousing facilities
the time, but now – although only half completed – City of
surrounding the core downtown area emerged as a lively
Angels is considered one of the finest examples of arcolo-
visual-arts community in the 2080s, with aspiring painters
gy architecture in existence. With a base covering nine
and sculptors from throughout the Americas moving to the
square miles and a façade tower reaching nearly half a mile
area known as “La Ciudad.” Inevitably, attention brought
up, City of Angels is designed to house 150,000 people
gentrification, as wealthy young couples, seeing the arts
along with a corresponding assortment of businesses and
community as “hip” and wanting to avoid arcology life,
entertainment centers. (While large, this will not be the
started to move into the area in the early 2090s. Demand
largest single arcology on the planet – Three Gorges in
for space by the wealthy (one local satirist called them
China will take that prize.)
“YUMAMAs” – Young Urban Moderately Affluent Mex-
What is most notable about City of Angels is the
ican Americans) eventually drove out most of the original
façade covering the otherwise fairly conventional arcology
inhabitants. La Ciudad still has a somewhat avant-garde
structure. Made of ultra-lightweight and strong carbon
feel to it, even if few of the residents are artists.
nanofiber, and embedded with an array of solar cells,

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RUBEN GALINDO 218 POINTS

Born 2073. Age 27; 5’10”, 165 pounds. Light tan skin, dyed blond hair,
beard (no mustache), green eyes, ruggedly good looking. The major addition is the Aztlan
Ruben Galindo was a star at 19. He had songs popular around the world, he Arcology Complex, currently
had a hit InVid show (¿Qué Tal, Mundo?), and black-market shadows being comprising four traditional Cen-
sold that were claimed (falsely) to be copies of him. By the time he was 22, his tral American step-pyramid-
popularity had waned, and he retired to a home in the trendy La Ciudad district shaped arcologies, although
to wait for the inevitable comeback tour. His only regular companion is Bellis- considerably larger than the origi-
sima, his SAI/cyberdoll agent/assistant/occasional lover. nals. Each pyramid houses
Galindo made a lot of money during his period of stardom, money well- 50,000-75,000 people and corre-
managed by Bellissima. She keeps him on an allowance, which he spends sponding services, and each is
quickly – he enjoys making new friends and buying them presents. Bellissima named for an ancient Mesoameri-
allows him this habit as long as it doesn’t threaten his long-term financial sur- can city (Uxmal, Tenochtitlan,
vival. Chichén Itzá, and Tetzcoco – the
Over the past year, Galindo has taken to haunting the Sunset Strip night- planned fifth pyramid will be
clubs looking for opportunities to play music, make new friends and indulge in Tula.) Aztlan’s population is pri-
his increasing appetite for brainbugs. He normally doesn’t take Bellissima when marily wealthy second- and third-
he’s out – he says she can’t dance and her looks intimidate other women – so generation immigrant families,
she is not aware of how he has become entangled in the world of neuro-agents. although many Mexican business-
He is a regular user of C-love, but has now also started in Jellybean (see p. 133). men opening offices in Los Ange-
Ruben Galindo is recognized often enough that he still feels his importance, les are buying units in Aztlan as
and has a small devoted crowd when he is out partying. However, his supplier well.
of brainbugs, the La Cienega 92s gang (part of Locos También), are unim-
pressed with his former fame, and only interested in making certain he pays for The Basin
his drugs. Since he became addicted, he has been running through his allowance The Basin is the general name
faster than usual, and has debts to local bars and to the brainbug suppliers. for the broad area of land stretch-
Galindo is charming and sexy, and would quickly strike up friendly con- ing from the Pacific inland to the
versations with anyone with an unusual look (a mildly unattractive appearance edges of the San Gabriel region,
is more unusual than off-the-shelf beauty). He is beginning to get nervous about completely surrounding the down-
the gang members that are asking about him, and would offer substantial sums town area. The majority of Los
of money, drugs, and sex to people who help him with his problem. Depending Angeles citizens in the Basin live
upon whether he tells Bellissima about his situation, he may even be able to pay. in a mélange of ethnic communi-
ties, converted industrial areas,
ST 10 [0]; DX 10 [0]; IQ 13 [20]; HT 13 [20]. and pockets of quiet suburbia.
Speed 5.00; Move 5. Several regions in the Basin are
Dodge 5. particularly notable.
Advantages: Ally (Bellissima, 12 or less) [70]; Handsome [15]; Charisma The Sunset Strip, in the west,
+1 [5]; Metanoia-series Upgrade [36]; Musical Ability +3 [3]; Voice remains the densest accumulation
[10]; Very Wealthy [30]. of clubs, bars, and opportunities
Disadvantages: Addiction (Brainbugs) [-10]; Extravagance [-10]; Enemy for late-night trouble in the city.
(La Cienega 92s, medium group) [-20]. The decline and slow rebirth of
Quirks: Eternal optimist; Gets up early; Horrible hangovers; Sleeps naked. Los Angeles has given new life to
[-4] the Strip, as old and new genera-
Skills: Acting-14 [4]; Bard-19 [6]; Carousing-17 [24]; Motorcycle-13 [8]; tions of musicians and partyers
Musical Composition-16 [2]; Musical Instrument (Keyboard)-15 [1]; mix on a nightly basis. The Strip is
Performance-15 [2]; Sex Appeal-15 [2]; Singing-20 [2]. essentially dead during the day,
Languages: English-13 [1]; Malay-12 [1/2]; Spanish (native)-14 [0]; and the streets really fill after mid-
Thai-12 [1/2]. night. Sheriff’s Deputies consider
the Strip a borderline no-go zone;
they respond to minor crimes or
Overall, the downtown skyline survived the Big One reports of violence, but any large-scale problem or gather-
and the heavy weather years fairly well, and has a glass- ing result in the Deputies cordoning off the area until
and-steel retro look that has come back into fashion. the morning, not letting anyone in or out.

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 LIFE IN THE WORLD OF BROKEN DREAMS
Industry, to the south, used to be a depop-
ulated manufacturing and oil-refining area.
Most companies have moved out, but the
infrastructure remains – multi-acre factories,
BELLISSIMA 343 POINTS
rail right-of-ways, and toxic fuel-production SAI/Cyberdoll, manufactured 2092. Age 8; 5’11”, 150 pounds. Pale,
facilities. The largest single no-go zone in the almost translucent skin, jet black hair, vivid blue eyes, achingly beautiful.
area, Industry is the primary arena for compe- Bellissima was constructed as Ruben Galindo’s assistant, and has
tition between and within the L.A. gangs. An stayed with him for seven years. She has a great deal of affection for him,
abandoned automobile factory is an arena for although she wouldn’t say that she loves him; she recognizes that her
skirmishes, usually struggles for control. devotion is, at least in part, programmed. Nonetheless, she considers his
Locos También has monthly gatherings well-being to be her primary duty.
known as “el Mercado” here. A mix of market, She suspects that Galindo has a brainbug problem, but has not asked
party, and political rally, everything from him about it. She abides by his request not to go with him to clubs, but
weapons and vehicles to slinkies and artwork tries to fill his social life with parties that she can attend as well, such as
can be bought and sold. industry events, where cyberdoll assistants are common. She is not aware
East Los Angeles was the focus for a of the depth of Galindo’s circumstances, but she has noticed unsavory
stalled redevelopment effort in the 2070s, individuals driving past the house at different times of the day and night.
where state and federal funds underwrote the If Bellissima confronts Galindo, or encounters a situation where she
modernization of information infrastructure comes to believe he is at risk, she will use both formal and informal
and the establishment of local info- and means to protect him. She is not combat-oriented in any way, so she
biotech firms in a high-technology business would want to hire bodyguards for him, whether or not he is aware of
park. Although many of the pioneer compa- them. She would be hesitant to alert the Sheriff’s Department, at least ini-
nies have since gone bankrupt, a few remain. tially, given their current crackdown on brainbug users.
Moreover, in 2084 the Board of Supervisors
invited a number of global bio/nanotechnolo- ST 14 [0]; DX 10 [0]; IQ 13 [30]; HT 12 [0].
gy companies to the East Los Angeles tech- Speed 5.00; Move 5.
nology park area. The rumored trade-off for a Dodge 5.
fairly stiff level of taxation was weakened Advantages: Cyberdoll (Clockwork Souls Custom) [182]; SAI-8
environmental supervision. ShonTec and Gen- [75].
Tech Pacifica are two corporations with labo- Disadvantages: Easy to Read [-10]; Sense of Duty (To Ruben) [-5].
ratory facilities in East L.A., although both Quirks: Attentive; Careful. [-2]
claim that all environmental and biogenetic Skills: Accounting-18 [4]; Administration-14 [4]; Area Knowledge
regulations are being followed scrupulously. (Los Angeles)-13 [1]; Erotic Art-15 [40]; First Aid-14 [2]; Law-
18 [14]; Savoir-Faire-15 [4]; Sex Appeal-13 [2].
Greater Metropolitan Area Languages: English-12 [1]; Spanish-12 [1].
Two important regions in the Los Ange-
les area stand outside of the jurisdiction of the
Board of Supervisors and the Sheriff’s virtual/physical environments called “Story-
Department. The so-called “Inland worlds.” There are about a dozen worlds
Empire,” consisting of San Bernardino active simultaneously in Worldarc, careful-
and Riverside Counties, is home to the ly constrained so as to prevent visitors to
area’s wealthiest residents. Comprising one world from stumbling into another.
dozens of interlocking gated communities, The center of the arcology complex is an
the Inland Empire is patrolled by thousands old-style amusement park, kept as a living
of public and private security officers, giving museum.
the region the highest police/citizen ratio in the Despite the growing popularity of entirely
state. Public spaces, whether shopping districts, virtual entertainment, millions of people from around
parks, or civic buildings, are also heavily policed; anyone the world still visit Worldarc either physically or through
stopped and discovered not to have “good reason” to be in the teleoperation of cybershell “actors,” paying $100 for a
the area (at the officer’s discretion) is arrested and taken day’s outing. John Wayne International Airport is the
to the nearest Los Angeles County border. main transportation center for Worldarc, and was directly
Further to the south, in the heart of Orange County, is connected to the arcology complex in 2065. Growth of
Worldarc, the most surreal arcology on Earth. Covering Worldarc stopped in 2074, and the arcology’s population
over 20 square miles but no more than five stories high, has been gradually declining since 2093. About 10% of
Worldarc requires that all residents spend at least half the complex is private living and business space for
of their day as cast members in vast combined residents, but nearly a quarter is currently unused.

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LIFE IN THE WORLD OF BROKEN DREAMS

TOP FIVE WORLDARC STORYWORLDS – JANUARY, 2100

Camelot: Set in an idealized medieval world, Invasion!: Unlike most of the other Storyworlds,
Camelot is home to knights both noble and dark, Invasion! has strong plotlines which run over a sever-
ladies, and stories of chivalry. There are few evolving al-month to several-year period. The Invasion! themes
stories, and it attracts older visitors on brief stays. have varied from H.G. Wells’ War of the Worlds to
Colt: One of the first Storyworlds to open, Colt is (most recently) Robot Warlords, which attracted the
set in the fictional town of Jackrabbit Hill, and sticks largest percentage of SAI visitors Worldarc has ever
closely to traditional Old West stories. This Storyworld seen. The new Invasion! story is to begin in March of
is most popular with visitors from outside of the U.S. 2100, and the new plot is a tightly held secret.
Fae: Another standard Storyworld, Fae is mostly Verne: One of the newest Storyworlds, Verne is set
for children, allowing visitors to live and play alongside in the late 19th century as imagined by authors such as
characters from classic fables and fairy tales. In 2098, Jules Verne and Arthur Conan Doyle, with a bit of
Fae was upgraded to support a new variety of cyber- steam technology thrown in for good measure. The
shell characters, in part because many of the resident emphasis isn’t on combat, but on romance and
actors had decided to leave. intrigue. Worldarc is negotiating with slink star Holly
Hartley to do an extended stay as Ada Lovelace.

victim was a Guatemalan immigrant, ethnic tensions in the

CURRENT EVENTS city are particularly high at the moment.
The County Sheriff’s Department believes that a seri-
Throughout 2098 and well into 2099, the most
popular brainbug on the streets in L.A. was “C- al killer is stalking the Floats. In late December, the body
love,” which tended to make the user overly friend- of a young Malaysian woman washed up on the shore
ly and had odd neurological side effects. In late toward the southern end of the bay. She had been stabbed,
2099, a new brainbug, known as “Jellybean,” start- repeatedly, and her hair cut off. This was the fourth victim
ed appearing; users typically have erotic hallucina- to be found in 2099, all with similar wounds. Deputies
tions, although in a few cases the visions are far less believe that the killer is a resident of the Floats, but have
pleasant. Due to encrypted-DNA markers in one of so far received little cooperation from the community.
the proteins used in the design, investigators believe Two rival factions of the Locos También are moving
that they may have a breakthrough in tracking down closer to full-blown warfare, with the bombing of an under-
suppliers to the brainbug labs. ground dice game in the south-central part of the city. The
As part of Reyes’ crackdown on unlicensed La Cienega 92s currently dominate Locos, but is being
brainbug dealers, the major highways out of the challenged by a south-central group known as Los Her-
county are now guarded by Deputies, who use snif- manos Muertos. The girlfriend of the La Cienega 92s leader
fers and molecular sensors to search each vehicle as was shot last week and was unable to be resuscitated. The
it slowly passes through a roadblock. Local activists bombing of the dice game, which killed several Los Her-
claim that the effect of these searches has been to manos Muertos members, is a significant escalation of the
prevent poorer citizens from leaving L.A. The Sher- violence.
iff’s Department has not announced how many arrests
have been made, but has indicated that the roadblocks will
end within a couple of weeks.
New Year’s holiday visitors to Worldarc declined pre-
ALMA-ATA
cipitously this year, and rumors are flying that the owners I ask again: what is the value of free will in a world
of Worldarc are considering selling part of the complex to without structure? Higher beings could only evolve when
outside investors, possibly a Bollywood studio. once-independent cells gave up their pretense of freedom
In early December, theft of building materials from (which really gave them only the freedoms of eating and
the City of Angels site led to the introduction of armed breeding) and subsumed themselves into the greater
guards to supplement passive monitors. Last week, a guard whole. Can my skin cell, scratched off in a moment of casu-
shot a youth whom he thought was stealing from the site, al reflex, survive on its own? No! Yet think how much
although video evidence later showed that he wasn’t. The greater it is than the bacteria, which knows only simple
kid died, as the guard did not immediately call in the shoot- survival. My skin cell, even in death, knows the glory of
ing, and emergency personnel arrived too late to resus- being part of the greater whole that is man.
citate. As the guard was of Mexican origin and the

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 LIFE IN THE WORLD OF BROKEN DREAMS
So it is with my people. For millennia, they have home to the Soviet space program; to this day,
struggled in silence, alone in the wilderness, with only Baykonur remains an active spaceport, the most
their survival instinct to keep them alive. Even more trag- sophisticated in the region.
ic are those who sacrifice themselves on the altar of imag- After the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, the
inary spirits and gods, trying (but failing!) to become part newly independent Kazakstan returned Alma-Ata to its old
of a greater whole that simply does not exist. But a struc- name, Almaty. For the first six years of independence,
tured society does not emerge from the people – the people Almaty remained the capital city of Kazakstan. In 1997,
could no more produce a true society than a mass of bac- the national capital was moved to the more modern (and
teria could produce a man. Kazak-dominated) Astana. Almaty, with its majority-Russ-
The people must be made to forget their past as indi- ian population, declined in influence.
viduals, becoming instead the willing cells of the glorious At the beginning of the 21st century, Kazakstan faced
body of society. A society led by a single mind, immortal, serious problems: an unstable economy, despite an abun-
perfected, thinking only of tomorrow. dance of mineral and oil wealth; ecological devastation left
– From The Future of Forgetting, over from the Soviet era, including military toxic dumps;
by Sergei Zarubayev and tensions between the Russian and Kazak populations
over both ethnic rights and religion. Faced
with these challenges, Kazakstan strug-
gled along for several years, trying to
avoid both Islamic fundamentalism
and dependency upon Russia. In 2016,
Kazakstan elected the charismatic
Muslim Unity Party candidate, Daoud
Mara, as President. During his brief
term in office, he attempted to imple-
ment Islamic law (Shariah) and confis-
cate the business and property
holdings of the ethnic Russian minori-
ty. His government was overthrown in
2018 by a combined ethnic Russian
and military putsch.
By 2024 one of the coup backers,
an oil tycoon named Sergei Maksi-
movitch Zarubayev, had outmaneu-
vered his rivals and become the
country’s “interim President.” He
returned the capital of Kazakstan to its Soviet-era home,

OVERVIEW and reinstated its older name: Alma-Ata. The Russian pop-
ulation of the city welcomed Zarubayev with open arms.
The capital of Kazakstan, Alma-Ata is the distillation The early years of Zarubayev’s rule consisted primari-
of the terror, paranoia, and sense of crisis endemic to that ly of a program of rapid modernization of industry and the
beleaguered nation. The image of the dictator, Zarubayev, military, often working closely with secular ethnic-Kazak
is everywhere, as are his cybershell guards. leaders. Few knew that Zarubayev had secretly reinstated
the KGB and was expanding his control. By 2027, “inter-
Alma-Ata History im” disappeared from references to his Presidency.
Originally known as Almaty, the city of Alma-Ata In 2038, Zarubayev began his Russification program.
grew slowly over hundreds of years from a village along Initially casting it as a means of aligning Kazakstan with
east-west trade routes into the regional stronghold of the the developed world, Zarubayev soon dropped all pretense
Kazak people. Little is known of the city’s early history. In of moderation. President Zarubayev openly called for the
the mid-19th century, Russian soldiers entered the Almaty total eradication of the majority’s Kazak culture, language,
area, by then the center of the Great Kazak Zhuz region, to and religion. The reaction from the international communi-
“protect” the Kazaks from the depredations of British-sup- ty was, as the dictator expected, immediate, loud, and com-
ported tribes to the southwest. By the Russian Revolution pletely ineffective. Castigated in the global press,
in 1917, the region was well-established as part of the Zarubayev was patient, knowing that eventually attention
greater Russian empire. Renamed Alma-Ata, the city would be directed elsewhere. When the Ares Conspiracy on
became the capital of the Kazak Soviet Socialist Repub- Mars was discovered in 2041, Kazakstan disappeared
lic in 1929. The Kazak city of Baykonur became from the headlines.

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LIFE IN THE WORLD OF BROKEN DREAMS
Zarubayev’s regime spent the next decade actually the result of a failed neurological upgrade.
strengthening and consolidating its rule, building up a Yet Zarubayev never hid the implants, and was known
cadre of ethnic Russian followers, and continuing elimi- to walk the streets of the Russian section of Alma-Ata after
nating Kazak culture. Alma-Ata became the showplace for each operation, showing off his latest enhancement.
these efforts, and thousands of its ethnic Kazak citizens Beyond relying on cybernetics and emerging medical
disappeared over the course of the 2040s. Others were treatments, the dictator encouraged Verkovenskii to inves-
drafted into Reconstruction Camps and used as labor to tigate other, longer-term possibilities at his newly formed
rebuild Alma-Ata as a shining example of Russian cultur- Ministry of Mind and Body.
al domination. A massive Presidential manor was built in By the early 2080s, Zarubayev had undergone a series
the southeastern part of the city, and soon nicknamed “the of increasingly detailed brainscans in order to create func-
Castle” by bitter Kazak residents. tional shadows of himself, and to see how close a digital
During this period, Zarubayev spent much of his time version of himself would be to the real thing. Reports
thinking about what to do with the power he now held, smuggled out of the Castle told of his glee at being able to
eventually leading to the 2053 publication of his manifesto exact horrific mental torture on his own shadows. In the
on the perfect society, The Future of Forgetting. At this latter half of the decade, Verkovenskii managed to save
same time, a young scientist named Nikolai Verkovenskii and repair two of the Zarubayev shadows, editing them
drew his attention, with a series of provocative papers on into what he believed would be the perfect advisors and
the nature of memetic control and identity. Verkovenskii guards for the dictator.
was soon drawn into the aging dictator’s inner circle. In 2088 Zarubayev activated these edited shadows of
himself and had them installed into military cybershells.
Given the names “Zhukov” and “Lebed,” the two were
assigned leadership of military units. Verkovenskii
Zarubayev’s vision for assured Zarubayev that the shadows were properly edited
Kazakstan could not be to give the real Zarubayev their complete loyalty, but their
mental heritage proved stronger than Verkovenskii’s
accomplished in the decade skills. Within two years, each shadow unit had developed
personal followings in the military and among some of the
or two he had left of his Russian elites. On February 14, 2090, they launched a
natural life, so he turned to brutal combined coup against Zarubayev.
They were nearly successful. Zarubayev’s 17-year-old
modern technology – and son, Peter, was killed in the initial attack, standing in for his
father to deceive the assaulting troops. When the coup-plot-
got frightening results. ters announced Zarubayev’s (supposed) death, the nation
erupted in celebration. Pictures and statues of Zarubayev
were torn down, and Russian citizens in many of the larger
Zarubayev faced several major dilemmas. His vision cities were hunted down and shot. The mayor of Astana
for Kazakstan could not be accomplished in the decade or was left hanging in the city square for days, and Kazak cit-
two he had left of his natural life, he could not be certain izens threw stones at his body. Meanwhile, the rebellious
of his military’s loyalty, and the ongoing Russification pro- forces were struggling to consolidate control. Verkovenskii
gram was stalled, meeting a core of resistance in both managed to fool Zhukov into thinking that Lebed was
urban and rural Kazak communities. Verkovenskii felt that going to attack him now that Zarubayev had been killed,
all of these problems could be solved with the proper setting off a fight between the two coup factions (and
application of modern technology. By the end of the saving Verkovenskii from certain execution).
decade, Verkovenskii’s plans began to bear fruit. At the end of the week of fighting, Zarubayev – alive,
In 2060, cybershell troops were introduced as military well, and very angry – emerged from hiding to rally his
police in the cities, starting with Alma-Ata. The first wave forces. Loyalist troops defeated the distracted rebels; with-
of cybershells was brutal but effective, finding and crush- in 48 hours from the dictator’s reappearance, the coup was
ing an incipient uprising that included a number of mixed- quashed. Zarubayev was inconsolable with grief over his
ethnicity Kazak/Russian soldiers. Their efficiency was son, and unleashed his anger against the Kazak people.
utterly demoralizing for the Kazaks. Not only did the Bioroid and cybershell death squads hunted down anyone
cybershell troops defeat the rebels, they were immune to who had any record of anti-Zarubayev activity, slaughter-
bribery, blackmail, or appeals to national solidarity. ing thousands. On the President’s direct order, the city of
That same year, Zarubayev began a program of bion- Astana was burned to the ground, with any who tried to
ic enhancements and experimental genetic treatments to escape shot down. Scholars estimate that nearly 340,000
extend his life. Not all were successful; the cold, people were killed across Kazakstan in the period now
unchanging glare of his current appearance is known as “The Silence.”

106
 LIFE IN THE WORLD OF BROKEN DREAMS
For much of the decade since the massacres,
Alma-Ata, like other Kazak cities, remained in a state
of shock. The dead were quickly buried and buildings
damaged repaired or replaced, but the character of THE MUSLIM UNDERGROUND
Zarubayev’s rule had changed. The memetic warfare the Many traditional Kazak beliefs are still practiced in
regime committed against its own people increased dra- secret, away from the eyes and monitors of Zarubayev’s
matically, with each year seeing increased levels of regime. Islam has a tradition of allowing believers to
paranoia and terror. outwardly renounce Islam and avoid its daily require-
In January of 2099, this situation came to a head, as ments, even while secretly practicing whichever duties
anti-Zarubayev rebels launched an uprising across the are possible. Refugees from Kazakstan claim that over
southern part of the country. Survivors claim that China 50% of the Kazak citizens remain believing Muslims, a
had promised them materiel and political support, but that percentage that E.U. analysts suggest is likely somewhat
support never came – in late 2098, China was embroiled in high, but not impossible.
a political scandal, and unwilling to distract itself with the Most cities have “underground” mosques, with a
Kazakstan situation. Within a month, the revolt was single mullah or alim. Prayer sessions are held in aban-
crushed, and the rebels retreated to sanctuaries in neigh- doned buildings or away from town; Muslims in Kazak-
boring Uzbekistan. Zarubayev was not satisfied, and stan are good at avoiding monitoring equipment. No
launched cross-border raids, eventually establishing a written material is kept; the Koran is memorized and
“security zone” close to the Uzbek capital of Tashkent. recited. The sessions are never held in the same location
Within weeks, a long-smoldering Uzbek resistance move- twice in a row, rarely the same location twice in a month.
ment had exploded, clearly supported by the Kazak gov- There is an ongoing attempt to smuggle people out
ernment. As the E.U. and I.C. moved troops in to support of the country, referred to as the “Hajj,” in reference to
the faltering Uzbek regime, Zarubayev withdrew from the Muslim’s scripturally required journey to Mecca.
public view, pondering his next step. Despite its proximity to the border with Kyrgyzstan,
Kazaks rarely manage to escape Alma-Ata via the Hajj;
Alma-Ata Today security in the capital is extremely tight.
Two Kazak citizens meet on the edge of an empty field The anti-Zarubayev movement that erupted in 2099
at midnight. was largely coordinated through the Muslim under-
The first one says, “Comrade, what do you think ground, which lost many of its key leaders when the
about President Zarubayev?” uprising was crushed.
The second one pauses for a long moment, then
answers, “Why, I think of him the same way you do.”
The first one nods. “Comrade, you’re under arrest.” circumstances, working menial labor, although a small
number have been co-opted into the elite, living essential-
The post-Silence, post-revolt, war-scarred Alma-Ata ly as Russian citizens. This is done in part to show Kazak
may well be one of the most frightening places on Earth. citizens the value of cooperation, and in part to appease
This is not immediately apparent to a visitor unfamiliar international critics. Kazaks are not allowed to travel
with Zarubayev and his policies, however. Superficially, freely, even within the country. Passports are required for
Alma-Ata is a clean, well-ordered, bustling city. The visi- inter-city travel, and a non-Russian citizen must have
ble presence of armed cybershell police, the unwillingness approval from the city government before being allowed to
of people to make eye contact or even speak in public, and leave or enter a city.
the abundance of vid screens gives the visitor a sense that The remaining 35% of the population are krovniki
something is amiss, however. (from polovina krov’, “half blood”), nominally Russian but
Approximately 20% of the city’s population of 1.7 with some degree of Kazak heritage. Denied the economic
million people are pure ethnic Russians. The pure Russians and political rights of Russians, they are the underclass of
are the elite of the city, mostly living in the Yoshnoe Nyebo Alma-Ata society. Like Kazaks, they face restrictions on
area; they regularly express full support for the govern- travel and employment and must carry an internal passport
ment. Most have access to high Third Wave/low Fourth at all times. They live a twilight existence, shunned by
Wave technology locally, and can travel to Russia without Kazaks, and considered almost untouchable by pure Rus-
much problem. Many have adopted visible cybernetic sians, who fear the accusation of krovniki status. The taint
implants as a way of emulating their leader. of associating with krovniki applies even to others of their
Another 45% of Alma-Ata’s citizenry are Kazaks, kind. The status can be cleared, but the process is contin-
with a small percentage of Turkmen, Uzbeks, and other gent in part on how dutifully the applicant has attempted to
Central Asian native ethnicities. The native Kazaks have live as a Russian. Support for Zarubayev is highest among
few rights, and are subject to the ongoing terror of the this group, as they desperately attempt to show their
Zarubayev regime. Most live in low Third Wave ethnic loyalty.

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LIFE IN THE WORLD OF BROKEN DREAMS
Zarubayev has aggressively cleansed Alma-Ata, The city’s original name, “Almaty,” has been erased;
along with the rest of Kazakstan, of any references to referring to the city by that name in public risks a death
the indigenous Kazak culture. Mosques have disappeared, sentence if overheard by the police or monitors. Tradition-
streets have been renamed, and pre-Zarubayev memorials al dress is forbidden, and men who choose to wear hair
and museums removed. The native language is ruthlessly styles or facial hair that differs from Zarubayev’s are con-
suppressed, and history books start in 1917. Any reference sidered suspect. Children are taught traditional Russian
to non-Russian-dominated Kazakstan history is dangerous. songs in school. If any are caught singing Kazak songs,

EVGENY MARA (MULLAH SIFR) 138 POINTS

Male, born 2061. Age 39; 6’1”, 210 lbs. Light tan December, and even then the contact was brief. Mara
complexion, brown eyes, black hair with streaks of hopes that the Caliphate can provide assistance to the
gray. Underground in its struggle against Zarubayev. Daoud
Evgeny Mara, or Mullah Sifr, is the de facto leader has offered little concrete aid, aside from confirming
of Alma-Ata’s Muslim Underground. This position suspicions that a younger mullah had recently been
makes him a target for execution, if captured, and the turned into an unwilling spy by the government. The
most revered Kazak in the city. Fortunately for Mara, mullah was quietly executed at Mara’s order.
the government has yet to figure out who he really is, Characters operating in Alma-Ata are unlikely to
and the Kazak citizens who know him have, so far, meet with Mullah Sifr without a substantial amount of
managed to avoid passing along their knowledge to the trust built up over time. However, they would likely
KGB. learn of his existence fairly quickly – the name “Mul-
Mara survives by being extremely careful. He lah Sifr” is a common part of anti-government graffiti.
maintains an existence as a tailor, and appears to be a Individuals working with the Islamic
meek and obedient citizen. When he holds services in Caliphate have the best chance of
the makeshift mosques of the Muslim Underground, gaining his confidence, as would
he does so in ways that prevent his easy identifica- people clearly connected to military
tion. Just as the attendees of the services won’t forces attacking Zarubayev’s
know the location of the mosque until just before regime. Mara is very clever and
the (surreptitious) call to prayer, they do not know careful, however; he is unlikely to
whether they will see Mullah Sifr in person, live via reveal himself any more than he
fiber-optic cable transmission, or on a prerecorded disk absolutely must.
(destroyed at the end of the service). When the service
is recorded, Mara sometimes attends as a regular wor- ST 10 [0]; DX 9 [-10]; IQ 13 [30]; HT 11 [10].
shipper. When he preaches in person, he does so Speed 5.00; Move 5.
masked, so that his face cannot be easily identified. Dodge 5.
He is a fiery speaker, and his charisma comes Advantages: Charisma +3 [15]; Clerical Investment
through in his words and voice; Muslims throughout 3 (Revered Alim) [15]; Composed [5]; Patron
the city are certain they would willingly die at his com- (Church) [20]; Reputation +4 (“Mullah Sifr;”
mand. He has yet to call on them to do so, although he Muslim and Kazak population of Alma-Ata, 10
warns of the coming retribution against Zarubayev in or less) [10]; Strong Will +3 [12]; Voice [10].
every sermon he gives. He rose to the leadership of the Disadvantages: Second Class Citizen [-5]; Secret
Muslim Underground when the previous commander- [-30]; Vow (Follows Muslim rules for behavior)
cleric was captured and executed in the 2099 uprisings; [-5].
Mara is well aware of the need for patience. He intends Quirks: Attentive; Fitful sleeper; Humble. [-3]
to wait until the government is distracted by events in Skills: Acting-15 [6]; Area Knowledge (Alma-Ata)-
Uzbekistan or by a confrontation with a great power 15 [4]; Artist (Abstract painting)-10/16 [1];
before calling for an uprising. Bard-18 [2]; Law (Shariat)-15 [8]; Leadership-
Mara has made very tentative contact with an agent 18 [6]; Merchant-12 [1]; Musical Instrument
from the Islamic Caliphate’s GID, working deep under- (Dombra)-12 [2]; Rituals and Ceremonies-15
cover in the city. The process began before the January, [10]; Strategy-17 [12]; Tactics-14 [6]; Theology-
2099 revolt, and has moved with great caution and 12 [2].
deliberate pace. Mara and the agent, known only as Languages: Arabic-12 [1]; Kazak (native)-13 [0];
Daoud, have only been in the same room once, late in Russian-12 [1].

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 LIFE IN THE WORLD OF BROKEN DREAMS
their parents are executed in front of them
and they (and any siblings) are sent to one of
the many Centers for Proper Education that
dot the countryside. C HARACTERS IN LMA A -A TA
What started in Kazakstan as a horrific, Ethnic Kazaks take a Social Stigma (Second-class citizen) -5.
if straightforward, example of ethnic cleans- Believing Muslims have a Secret (Muslim) -20.
ing has turned into a surreal nightmare. The Krovniki characters take a Social Stigma (Minority group) -10.
government uses a mix of intentional rumor, Approximately 1% of Alma-Ata’s adult population has
misinformation, and disinformation as a Verkovenskii’s augmented-reality hardware. The majority do not
means of controlling what people know. know that they have been implanted. This a form of Partial Amne-
Kazaks have come to believe that every sia (Only one event, -50%) -5.
aspect of their lives is under constant sur- Most Alma-Ata-based characters should have the Enemy
veillance. Citizens disappear for weeks, (Compromised) disadvantage (see p. 125).
only to be returned without any memory of
what has happened to them. Paranoia and
anxiety are the constant undertone of existence, with an vid shows a variety of upbeat, largely foreign,
ever-present fear of death or worse. Even the pure Rus- entertainment – sitcoms, Bollywood musicals,
sians live in denial, unwilling to admit that anything is celebrity chat, and the like, interrupted by adver-
wrong, secretly terrified that Zarubayev’s attention will tisements celebrating Zarubayev and calling for the
someday turn to them. Alma-Ata, as the capital, experi- death of “hooligans, wreckers, bandits, and other vil-
ences this culture of terror in its most extreme form. lains.” There is one news show, at 7 p.m., but even that is
In the decade between The Silence and the 2099 upris- produced in a strikingly sunny, game-show-like format.
ings, there was little outright violence in most urban cen- The shows rarely deviate from their established schedule.
ters. The majority of the populace grew up under The one notable exception was in March of 2090, when
Zarubayev, and the regime has proven lethally effective at Zarubayev interrupted the programming to tell his citizens
eliminating subversives. A large portion of the youth have that the “bandit revolt” was over, and that he would now
started to show the signs of what Zarubayev called his be exacting punishment. The broadcast then went dead for
“perfected subject” in his manifesto: loyal, tractable, and 10 days, as the purges and massacres of The Silence took
willing to die for the new Kazakstan way of life. For older place.
citizens of cities such as Alma-Ata, the new generation’s For the non-pure Russian citizens of Alma-Ata, the
behavior is a stark reminder that their way of life is lost. sense of constant observation is nearly overwhelming,
As the use of physical violence has declined, the use made worse by a gnawing dread that anyone or anything in
of memetic weapons has increased. Zarubayev’s Minister one’s life could be an informant. Zarubayev has perfected
of the Mind and Body, Nikolai Verkovenskii, uses Alma- the techniques of demoralization through distrust; about
Ata as a test site for his social control theories, many of 50% of the adult Kazak population are informants. The
which involve an individual’s perception of reality. From KGB uses a combination of memetic and biochemical tech-
subtle memetic techniques to the forced implantation of niques to extract information from even the most unwilling
augmented-reality hardware, Verkovenskii has a fascina- informants. People are pulled in, almost at random, and
tion with manipulating an individual’s beliefs about the made to reveal things about neighbors, friends, and family.
nature of the world. One of his more successful experi- It’s not necessarily important that the accusations be true,
ments began in 2084, when he covered the city of only that they’re damning. Most revelations, true or other-
Alma-Ata with non-interactive vid displays. By 2100, they wise, are not immediately acted upon; they’re added to a
had become ubiquitous in Kazakstan. database to be used against someone as needed. The extrac-
It is impossible to avoid the vid screens in Alma-Ata. tion of information itself is used as a tool of terror.
They are on street corners, in public buildings, businesses, Even the pure Russian population is not entirely
even in restrooms. Small ones are in taxis and the cars of immune to the surveillance and memetic control. In 2097,
commuter trains. Every home has several, freely provided a prominent Russian business owner was arrested and
by the government. They all show the same channel – there accused of being a spy for the E.U., then disappeared.
is only one in Kazakstan – and have no on/off or volume When his arrest was announced on the nightly news pro-
control. Any attempt to tamper with a unit alerts the KGB, gram, the story finished with the smiling newsreader
and officers come out to check the system and arrest any- telling viewers that they could count on President
one found to have attempted to destroy state property. It is Zarubayev not letting that happen again. Several suicides
widely assumed that the units have built-in cameras and were reported in the Yoshnoe Nyebo district that night. By
microphones to monitor those near the screen. 2098, vid screens appeared for the first time on street cor-
For the most part, the programming on the vid is ners in the pure Russian districts of Kazakstan cities,
incongruously perky. From 6am until midnight the although they are not yet required in Russian homes.

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LIFE IN THE WORLD OF BROKEN DREAMS

EDUARD MIKHAILOVICH KHARKOV 80 POINTS

Born 2032. Age 68; 5’11”, 220 lbs. Sallow complexion, that was said to him over the course of a day. More recently,
thinning hair, bright, child-like blue eyes. they’ve started to wake him up in the middle of the night with
Eduard Mikhailovich Kharkov is a survivor. His combi- visions of Zarubayev, dressed only in a long nightshirt, sit-
nation of business savvy and charisma allowed him to suc- ting on Kharkov’s bed, lecturing him about politics. Kharkov
ceed in Kazakstan when others were falling victim to the believes this to be a recurring nightmare and has been drink-
capriciousness of Zarubayev, and his sense of duty and loy- ing more heavily in order to have uninterrupted sleep.
alty to the state kept him in the country despite many oppor- Kharkov has retired from the daily operations of his
tunities to leave. He was good friends with the dictator in the business (a light-machinery manufacturing firm), and spends
2050s and 2060s, and played a crucial role in maintaining the his days listening to opera recordings, practicing fencing, and
economic stability of the nation during the first embargoes. worrying about his country. He could likely be persuaded
While the friendship faded over time, Kharkov always felt that it may be time for more moderate leadership in Kazak-
like he had Zarubayev’s respect and gratitude. stan. He is quite wealthy, and would make a valuable patron,
Sadly, Kharkov is quite mistaken. except for the AR system in his head and monitoring systems
In 2088, Zarubayev decided that Kharkov was a poten- all over his estate.
tial challenger to his rule and had him placed under surveil-
lance. Cameras watched his moves, his communications ST 9 [-10]; DX 10 [0]; IQ 13 [30]; HT 9 [-10].
were intercepted, and objects in his home replaced with sen- Speed 4.75; Move 4.
sor-laden copies. To Zarubayev’s annoyance, there was no Dodge 4.
proof of disloyalty; he considered having Kharkov executed Advantages: Charisma +2 [10]; Collected [5]; Genefixed
anyway. The 2090 coup stayed his hand, and Kharkov played (Pre-2035 version) [0]; Reputation +2 (Well-respected
a crucial role in Zarubayev’s escape. In return, he chose not retired businessman; Russian elite, all the time) [10];
to have Kharkov killed during the post-coup purges. Very Wealthy [30].
But Zarubayev’s excesses in the 2090s proved too much Disadvantages: Alcoholism [-15]; Amnesia (Partial, One
for even Kharkov, who began quietly expressing mild anti- Event -50%, AR implant) [-5]; Enemy (Compromised)
Zarubayev sympathies. This was dutifully picked up and [-5]; Light Sleeper [-5]; Sense of Duty [-5].
reported by the KGB, and the attention on Kharkov again Quirks: Always laughs at own jokes; Likes redheads;
intensified. In mid-2097, Verkovenskii was granted permis- Opera buff; Sleepy drinker; Wears outdated clothing.
sion to have Kharkov implanted with one of his experimen- [-5]
tal augmented-reality systems. During a hunting trip to the Skills: Accounting-14 [6]; Administration-16 [8]; Area
Aral Sea area, Kharkov was kidnapped and implanted, then Knowledge (Alma-Ata)-16 [6]; Area Knowledge
given conditioning to make him forget the event. (Kazakstan)-14 [2]; Area Knowledge (Russia)-15 [4];
Over the last two and a half years, Verkovenskii and the Diplomacy-13 [4]; Fencing-11 [4]; Law-13 [4]; Lead-
KGB have been almost casually playing with Kharkov’s ership-15 [2]; Merchant-16 [8]; Riding (Horse)-10 [2];
sanity. In one instance, they made it appear that every woman Savoir-Faire-16 [2].
that he saw had full head of red hair; in another, they made Languages: English-12 [1]; Kazak-12 [1]; Russian
him hear a simultaneous Chinese translation of everything (native)-15 [0]; Turkish-12 [1].

The memetic assault is more than simple vid pro- it faces little risk of economic collapse.
gramming: it includes bizarre methods of manipulation. Russia is widely considered its largest
Under Verkovenskii’s direction, military and police forces patron, although this is more because
stage outlandish events on the streets of Alma-Ata (and of a dependence upon the Baykonur
other cities), then tell passers-by to never say a word about launch facilities than any enthusiasm in
it. Anyone monitored mentioning the event is arrested, Moscow for Zarubayev. The spaceport is
held, and interrogated for several days. Citizens quickly also used by smugglers of illegal bioroids,
learned not to pay attention to the unusual, out of fear that “black” nanotech, and other illicit goods,
reacting will draw unwanted attention to themselves. In many of whom then ship their wares across the
this way, citizens of Kazakstan have been trained to not see Caspian Sea to ports in Iran; both Tehran and Alma-Ata
the unthinkable, even when paraded right in front of them. reputedly receive a cut of every such deal. The TSA is
Although Kazakstan under Zarubayev is an interna- thought to make use of Baykonur’s services, as well, in
tional pariah, it has sufficient links to other nations that exchange for access to the latest technological designs.

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 LIFE IN THE WORLD OF BROKEN DREAMS
It is widely feared that smugglers using Baykonur The top seven stories of the build-
may be able to bring in a “mini-nuke” (see p. 139). ing house prisoners and related
facilities – mess hall, hospital, exer-
PLACES cise space, and the like. In addi-
tion, the very top floor contains a
crematorium. Nearby residents
Prison District claim they know when there
In the northern part of the city, in the heart of the main has been an uprising in the
ethnic Kazak slums, is the Posmakov Prison, home to the prison, as the smoke from the
state’s political prisoners and the Komitet Gosudarstven- single chimney pours out for
noi Bezopasnosti, or KGB. The building, a quarter mile days.
on each side, is a simple gray eight-story structure. It has The bottom floor and the
no windows and only two apparent entrances: the front, or basement floor below it contain
“Lion’s Gate,” which allows only one person in or out at domestic intelligence depart-
a time, and the rear, or “Serpent’s Gate,” which only ments, which function primarily as
opens when a prisoner transfer vehicle docks with it. secret police. They handle the routine
Older residents who witnessed the prison’s construction interrogations and investigations, and their
claim that there are additional entrances hidden in the infomorphs monitor the millions of vid screens
walls, although this has never been confirmed. The imme- around the country. The bottom floors also house the
diate vicinity of the prison and the path to the train station KGB’s administrative offices. As with any large organiza-
is heavily guarded; this presence does not extend into the tion, a sizeable infrastructure is required to keep the KGB
district at large. moving. The vast majority of people who come and go
through the Lion’s Gate entrance are basic bureaucrats,
keeping tabs of payroll and expenses.
A defector from the Kazak KGB claims that the
foreign-affairs departments, as well as more sophisti-
THE BLYUSTETYELUI cated intelligence-analysis groups, are much further
One of the more visible signs of Zarubayev’s rule in down, hundreds of feet underground. Little is known
Alma-Ata are the Blyustetyelui, (“Guardians”), the cyber- about the extent of the facilities, the complex may tie
shell “palace guard” found throughout the city. Unlike the in to the underground sprawl of Zarubayev’s Castle
police and military forces, which have a recognizable (see pp. 113-114).
command hierarchy, the Blyustetyelui operate solely The neighborhood outside has declined steadily
under the direction of Zarubayev himself. They are only since the prison’s construction in 2050. Once it was
found in Alma-Ata, or as bodyguards to Zarubayev when one of the more lively Kazak parts of the city. Now
he travels; the first appeared in 2091, after the attempted everyone who could afford to has moved away, leav-
coup. E.U. analysts estimate that there are now approxi- ing only the aged and infirm, the extremely poor, and
mately 700 Blyustetyel units. the criminals. Ironically, a visitor is more likely to be
The only known time that Blyustetyelui have seen robbed or murdered within sight of the national prison
military action was in the initial days of the 2099 uprising, than anywhere else in the city. Nonetheless, the district
when the Martyrs of Astana rebel group managed to pin does see considerable traffic, as most vices are readily
down Zarubayev and his entourage as they attempted to available here. Drugs are technically illegal but wide-
return to the capital. Although there were only 20 Blyuste- ly used, and prostitution – illegal only for Russian
tyel units present, they defeated the well-armed assassina- women – is commonplace as well.
tion team without suffering any casualties. Unconfirmed
reports that emerged from Kazakstan following the failed The Ministry of Mind and Body
uprising claim that the Blyustetyelui simply tore through One of two institutions overseen by Zarubayev’s
the rebel’s cybershells, which were MCS-52 and 64 mod- main advisor, Nikolai Verkovenskii, the Ministry of
els (see p. 123) provided by E.U. intelligence services. Mind and Body is in eastern part of the city, where the
No Blyustetyel shell has been captured by opposition old parliament building stood. The parliament house
forces, but German intelligence claims to have evidence was demolished in 2083 for construction of the new
that the infomorph controlling each cybershell is a xox of ministry. Like much of the recent architecture in
Zarubayev’s son, who was reportedly brainscanned and Alma-Ata, it has a solid, fortress-like design. All that
ghosted immediately after his death in the 2090 coup. sets it apart from other newer buildings is the statue at
the northwest corner of the building, an idealized
bronze body, 10 feet tall, arms outstretched, holding
its own head as if in offering.

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LIFE IN THE WORLD OF BROKEN DREAMS
The Ministry of Mind and Body presents itself
as a hospital more than an office building, and in fact
it does contain a small but well-equipped public med-
ical facility. Few patients come to the Ministry hospi-
ALMA-ATA’S
tal willingly, however, as all Alma-Ata residents are
aware that strange things happen in the sections of the
AUGMENTED REALITY
Unlike most late-Third-Wave or higher cities, Alma-
building not open to the public. It is in this building
Ata does not have a public AR network, even in the afflu-
that Verkovenskii carries out his experiments in
ent districts. A visitor to Alma-Ata, however, would notice
memetic control, cognitive implants, and social
a large number of standard AR transceivers installed all
manipulation, and few who enter the classified areas
over the city. This network is under the strict control of the
leave unchanged.
Ministry of Mind and Body, and is used for Verkovenskii’s
Verkovenskii’s labs in the Ministry are stocked
ongoing experiments.
with the best bioengineering and cybernetic equip-
The only people with AR equipment in Alma-Ata are
ment that the KGB can procure, making the facilities
those who have had it secretly implanted at the Ministry.
easily the match of most good Fifth-Wave-world hos-
Augmented reality is used not for enhancing information
pitals. There are multiple brainscanners and brainpeel-
access, but for controlling perception. Implanted victims
ers for making digital mind emulations, nanostasis
see lifelike images of people and things that aren’t there,
tanks, exowombs, and an operating chamber that
hear voices no one else seems to hear, and even find them-
allows for up to eight simultaneous cranial-implant
selves chased by monstrous shapes that assault only them.
surgeries. All of this is overseen by Dr. Hans, the SAI
President Zarubayev often visits these people when they
that functions as Verkovenskii’s main assistant and
are alone, telling them of his plan for the future, reminding
advisor; he is totally dedicated to Verkovenskii’s
them that he is always watching. When a person breaks
vision of a society where all perception is state-con-
down on the street in fear or madness, the well-trained
trolled. Usually inhabiting a bush robot, Dr. Hans can
Kazak citizens know to ignore the problem, pretending
readily slip between a number of different bodies,
that the screaming man doesn’t really exist. In some cases,
including a bioshell that looks like an ethnic-Kazak
he may simply be another image implanted in their minds
patient. Unless threatened, Dr. Hans never leaves the
that others on the street don’t even know is there.
high security floors of the Ministry.
An outsider with standard AR equipment wouldn’t
normally pick up these signals. If aware of the signals’
existence, a character with appropriate Engineer or Elec-
tronics skill may easily alter standard AR gear to pick them
When Alma-Ata up. The network is relatively unsophisticated, and any
attempt to jam or alter the broadcasts with modern (Fifth
citizens disappear and Wave) equipment should be at +3 to succeed.
return weeks later,
the Ministry of Mind Alma-Ata. Verkovenskii and his staff retreated to the
and Body is where they secure floors and held off the rebels for 10 hours until
government forces could drive off the assault.
are taken. Kazakstan Polytechnik
Kazakstan Polytechnik is a small, dense campus near
Sajran Lake, in the southwest part of the city. The second
There are usually 10 to 15 doctors on staff at any of the two institutions run by Nikolai Verkovenskii, it is
given time, aside from Verkovenskii and Dr. Hans, and the most prestigious technical university in the
anywhere from five to 50 patients in the secure country, with 24,000 students and some of
area. When Alma-Ata citizens disappear and the best-equipped labs east of the Urals.
return weeks later, this is usually where they The caliber of its cybernetic-design and
are taken. The Ministry is well guarded, with implant-medicine programs is such
bioroid soldiers stationed throughout. All that several thousand students from
have a limited puppet implant (p. 134), allow- Russia and other friendly states attend
ing Verkovenskii (or, more rarely, Dr. Hans) to the school. Graduates are usually able
see what the bioroid is doing and, if necessary, to find work throughout the Russian
take control. In the 2099 uprising, the Ministry sphere, although the best students are
building was a key target during the attack on often hired by Verkovenskii himself.

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 LIFE IN THE WORLD OF BROKEN DREAMS
A small number of ethnic Kazak students attend possible so as not to disturb the residents. If needed,
the Polytechnik, although more are found as janitorial they are able to call in heavier firepower within three
and maintenance staff. All students are required to live and minutes.
socialize on campus, with the genders in rough balance. Ooleetsa Beria, through Yoshnoe Nyebo, is the only
There is little mixing between the academic population accessible road that leads to Zarubayev’s estate, known
and the city at large. Students are discouraged from leav- colloquially as the Castle.
ing the university grounds, although male students are fre-
quently discovered patronizing the ethnic Kazak and
krovniki prostitutes that work the Prison district.
Only the sciences are taught; there are no humanities
or social-studies departments. Nonetheless, political con-
While all of the city
versations are not unusual, particularly between ethnic-
Russian Kazaks and foreign students. As long as the politics is clean, Yoshnoe
remain a coffeehouse distraction, and not a cause for agita-
tion, the administration ignores the discussions. In many
respects, Kazakstan Polytechnik is the freest place in Alma-
Nyebo is pristine.
Ata.
The campus is also the only place in Alma-Ata with-
out vid monitors. This was not by design. The vid screens
were installed at the university at the same time as the rest
The Castle
of the city, but computer-engineering students soon found The main governmental headquarters,
ways to hack the datastream and alter the material shown the Castle is a sprawling complex at the end
(or recorded by) the vids. The campus authorities, even of Ooleetsa Beria, shielded on three sides
with the KGB visibly involved, were unable to stop this by the mountains at the south of the city.
digital vandalism. In a rage, Zarubayev ordered the cam- Covering nearly three square miles,
pus destroyed and all students executed. After Verkoven- with a private TAV strip and military
skii reminded him that the university’s students, while barracks, the Castle is massive, heav-
undisciplined, were also responsible for many of the tools ily fortified, and designed to intimi-
that allowed Zarubayev to exercise control, the vids were date. People brought to the Castle
simply removed. enter through 20-foot-high solid-steel
gates, and there is an armed contingent
Yoshnoe Nyebo (Southern Heaven) of cybershell troops lining the road leading
Known to Kazak locals as Medeo Tumani, the Yosh- from the entry gates to the actual facility entrance. While
noe Nyebo district was cleared of all non-Russian residents the cybershell guards are largely older models taken out of
in the 2060s, and has served as the elite Russian enclave regular service, the sight of a quarter-mile line of 10-foot-
since. The difference between Yoshnoe Nyebo and the rest tall combat shells is imposing to most visitors.
of Alma-Ata is striking – while all of the city is clean, All of the complex’s externals are intended to demor-
Yoshnoe Nyebo is pristine, with lush parks, modern Russ- alize visitors and opponents. Four massive, 30-story-tall
ian architecture, and an abundance of restaurants and towers pin the corners of the complex, bristling with
shops. Yoshnoe Nyebo could easily be mistaken for the weapon emplacements and sensors. The visible part of the
upscale district of any central or eastern European city. main facility is a squat, four-story step-pyramid, with more
Ethnic Kazaks and krovniki are forbidden entry to the cybershells patrolling the roof. The grounds are pristine,
Yoshnoe Nyebo district, except as servants of Russian res- covered with grass but devoid of trees or any visible life.
idents or registered couriers. The streets leading in are These externals are almost entirely for show. Recog-
blocked except for the main thoroughfare, Ooleetsa Beria, nizing that a threat from the air is more plausible than any
which is heavily guarded with cybershell troops. Most traf- land-based attack, most of the facility is deep underground
fic is commercial, trucks bringing supplies for restaurants and widely dispersed; even an earth-penetrating nuclear
and the like. Residents needing access out of town take the attack would be hard pressed to take out the entire com-
private rail line from Yoshnoe Nyebo to the Zarubayev plex. The underground part of the Castle is sprawling,
National Airport. stretching out to the borders of the city. There are locked
Aside from the cybershells at the entrance, security is elevators that lead from the underground to various parts
notably subtle in Yoshnoe Nyebo. This is not to say that it of Alma-Ata, with the exits in abandoned buildings, mili-
is light or slow to respond; on any given street there will be tary-police stations, or underwater. This allows Blyustetyel
at least two heavily armed police officers. In Yoshnoe forces to emerge quickly if needed, and gives Zarubayev
Nyebo, however, all public security officers are multiple means of escape if he again comes under attack.
bioshells made to look as passably Russian as

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LIFE IN THE WORLD OF BROKEN DREAMS
The Colossus of Alma-Ata incursion into Uzbekistan. The usual statements of
Visible throughout the city, the massive 500-foot- solidarity from Russia, the Ukraine, and others were
tall statue of Zarubayev stands at the summit of Mount not forthcoming, leading European observers to suspect a
Köktöbe, in the southeastern part of the city. Built from fissure forming in the previously close ties between
2091 to 2093, its construction cost 20 million dollars and Zarubayev and Russian Prime Minister Bazarov. The
the lives of over 100 indentured Kazak laborers. Made Kazak news service, which had earlier been playing up the
largely of steel and aluminum, it shows a grim Zarubayev, tour with colorful maps and animations, ceased making
left hand curled into a fist held close to his chest, cyber- any references to it once it became clear that the trip would
netic right arm stretched out before him. The statue’s eyes not be a success.
are massive spotlights, bright enough to cause shadows on An ethnic-Kazak gunman managed to sneak into the
the city’s streets at night. Yoshnoe Nyebo district earlier last month, shooting sever-
At the base of the statue is the Zarubayev Center, a al Russian holiday shoppers before being killed by police.
museum of Zarubayev and the history of Kazakstan since Although the government made the usual reprisals (home
his rise to power in 2038. Among the artifacts it holds is destroyed, family arrested), it stopped short of displaying
the first printing of his book, his right arm suspended in his body in public, as is the usual deterrent tactic. Rumors
solution (it was intentionally severed and replaced with a are now circulating that an ethnic-Kazak courier in the
cybernetic arm), and his gravestone. The latter has a sign same part of Yoshnoe Nyebo saw the fight, and when the
stating that Zarubayev wished for it to be stored in the man was killed, it was clear that there were cybernetic
museum, since he will never need it. Touching the grave- parts in his body and head.
stone has become a tradition for visitors to the museum, During the evening news show two days ago, a text
ostensibly for luck. (The Muslim Underground claims that scroll started running across the bottom of the screen say-
it is to wish the death of Zarubayev.) After only seven ing “The President is a monster. He is killing us all for his
years of display, the granite shines from the tens of mad plans. You must fight! You cannot let this madman
thousands of hands that have touched the gravestone. continue to live!” This text repeated itself for about 30
There are construction access roads that lead to the seconds before the vid display abruptly switched to a
facility at the statue’s base, but they are restricted to rerun of That’s My Mom! Although no mention was made
authorized vehicles only. Citizens wishing to visit the stat- of the event in the official media, Alma-Ata is swirling
ue must take the Köktöbe cable car, an antiquated system with rumors of a late-night raid at the university, where
able to hold only two-dozen people at once for the thirty- half a dozen students were taken away by the KGB.
minute trip up and down the mountain. The cable car is
completely automated, and is one of the few places in
Alma-Ata without the ubiquitous vid systems.

CURRENT EVENTS
The Köktöbe cable car cable snapped late last week,
plunging a car 200 feet to the mountainside and killing all
passengers. There has been no public acknowledgement of
this event, although the facility was immediately closed and
will remain so until the cable is repaired. Each of the fami-
lies of the victims received, without explanation, grants of
500 rubles. There are rumors that the mothers of victims are
planning a silent march to the Castle, holding signs asking
for the bodies of their children.
Government forces are conducting house-to-house
searches in the Prison district. They claim to be looking for
a prostitute named Amma, who was known to work in that
area. Residents are being told that she is sick with an
unnamed but highly contagious illness, and that anyone
who knows of her whereabouts should contact the author-
ities immediately. Some of the other prostitutes in the area
claim that she had disappeared months ago, but returned in
the last week acting oddly before disappearing again.
Kazak foreign minister Andraayev returns this week
from a tour of the capitals of the various Russian
sphere nations, trying to shore up support for the

114
 6 CHARACTERS

“How’s the feed?” myself) to make the slow arc toward it. In less than a sec-
Tommy checks the screen for the third time in the last ond, I’m inside, buffeted by the winds (234 miles per hour,
minute. “Still good.” a part of me notes), deafened by the scramjet-like roar
“I’m on T minus 30 seconds to contact. Moving to full (local audio input attenuated, still recorded at full spec-
sensorium . . . now,” I don’t touch a button, I just decide, trum), knowing that at any second I could be destroyed. I
and the shift happens. I’m getting a full sensory flow from don’t suppress the terror; the visceral reaction on the slink
the cybershell, feeling the wind whipping over my wings, is what people pay for. Lightning bolts erupt all around me,
the electricity in the air, the steadily increasing air pressure. crossing the tunnel like a latticework of energy. The static
“Confirm recording,” my own voice sounds distant, electricity disrupts the signal briefly, and for a second the
hollow. image goes flat, the sensorium drops. Then it’s all back,
“Confirmed. This is excellent material, Ali. I’ve and again I’m right there, in the moment.
already received 37 bids on the spot market, and you The cybershell’s piloting system is doing everything it
haven’t gone in yet. This one should go a long way toward can to keep the shell stable. The AI pilot is an update of the
paying off that Pecos Bill we’re flying,” Zak’s voice was one Susie Xu used in the Not in Kansas for her exploration
calming, even when he was being sarcastic. I like that in an of Jupiter, and I’ve never had a better ride. It was made by
AI. Pure Reason Design, and I make sure to keep the compa-
The tornado – an F4, by the look of it – touches ny name in my thoughts for a half-second. They’ll pay
ground at that moment, and I will the shell (will well for that placement.

115
CHARACTERS
“The tornado’s approaching Scott City,”
Tommy’s voice whispers.
I will the shell to make a gradual lift up, then dive
ARCHAEOTECHNOLOGIST
One of the results of the dizzying pace of technologi-
down, slipping between bolts like an acrobat. Halfway cal change is the rapid turnover in standards. Systems and
down the twister, and the view darkens; I expand my sight protocols dominant one year are obsolete and abandoned
spectrum to compensate. As I expected, we’re starting to the next. Yet people still need to access information locked
get debris from buildings. Looks like older residential, lots away in antique computers or recordings or may need to
of wood. I start to make a lazy spiral back up the funnel understand the workings of aging hardware a remote vil-
when it happens. Right in front of me, flying past at over lage depends on for power. The archaeotechnologist spe-
200 miles an hour, is a person. I can’t help but follow the cializes in knowing how to access and use devices and
image for a long second before it’s gone, swallowed up by systems from 50 or 100 years earlier (the Data Recycler
the dust and wood that boil in the tornado’s base. mentioned on p. TS114 is a type of archaeotechnologist).
I continue up the funnel. Tommy’s voice whispers in Single-Minded is helpful, as well as a wide array of scien-
my ear. “Spot market price on the footage just tripled.” tific and engineering skills. History, with a specialization in
I push the thought down, and get ready to punch out technological history, is mandatory.
the top of the tornado, into the storm clouds above.

ARTIST
CHARACTER TYPES While some developing nations are eager consumers
of Fifth Wave entertainment products, many prefer local
With conditions ranging from civil war to cutthroat artists. While Appearance and Charisma are important, and
business competition, there is a remarkable range of actual Artistic skills a requirement, artists with Intuition
opportunities in the developing world. Many of the occu- coupled with Pop Culture (p. 125) do particularly well.
pations and diversions that are common in space and the
Fifth Wave nations can be found in the poorer countries as Slogger
well, although some appear quite different due to the lower Not quite a Slinky Star, not quite a News Hound, a
levels of technology and greater intensity of conflict often slogger is a first-person commentator on life. While most of
found in developing regions. the better-known sloggers use upslink interfaces (hence the
name, slink-logger), there are sloggers with little more than
INAPPROPRIATE TYPES a digital camera and a sharp wit, coupled with substantial
underground followings. Few sloggers have other full-time
Some of the character types found in the Transhu- jobs; slink logs are trenchant observations on the world at
man Space core book (pp. TS110-114) and Fifth Wave large, and most sloggers spend their waking hours seeking
(pp. FW112-114) are inappropriate for a campaign set in out the unusual and the noteworthy. Contacts and Reputa-
Broken Dreams Earth. Colonists are rare, although Iso- tion are very important, and useful skills include Bard,
lates living in the less-hospitable parts of the world share Computer Operation, Intelligence Analysis, Performance,
many of the same characteristics. Explorers and Mangliu, Research, and Sensie Interface.
on their occasional visits to Earth, are rarely found outside
of Fifth Wave areas. There are few Transhumans living in
less-developed nations, and while Dilettantes are common CRIMINAL
in the wealthy classes of poorer countries, the Eloi class of Criminals include not just those who intentionally
the Fifth Wave world has yet to emerge elsewhere. break the law for personal gain, but also those whose roles
in society are considered distasteful, those who break the
ACTIVIST law to help others, and those with a political agenda behind
their illegal acts.
Activists in developing areas have more-limited
access to sophisticated memetic tools, and must rely on Al-Mu’aqqibat
traditional methods – crowds, charisma, and catchy, rhyth- Typical of bioroid “underground railroad” groups in
mic chants. Nations without a culture of participatory 2100, al-Mu’aqqibat seeks to liberate Caliphate bioroids
democracy tend to respond violently to mass protests; from slavery and oppression. Membership is a mix of
being able to protect yourself is useful for activists. Aside humans and bioroids, and the group gets a a little help from
from the characteristics listed in the Transhuman Space bioroid-freedom-friendly governments. Members have an
core book, activists should also consider Contacts, Cool, Ally Group and Contacts, but also have a Secret that could
and Combat Reflexes. Leadership and Performance-type get them arrested or killed and, for those who regularly
skills are useful as well as is Law (for knowing what smuggle or house the fugitive bioroids, an Extremely
civil rights opponents may be violating).

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 CHARACTERS
Hazardous Duty. Useful skills include most Outdoor are very handy for successful entrepreneurs of all
Survival and Thief/Spy skills. sorts, and Administration, Area Knowledge, Merchant,
and Pop Culture (see p. 125) are critical skills.
Salamatin and Sikkiyn
Not all Bounty Hunters work on the side of the law.
The Salamatin and Sikkiyn are examples of trackers
INTELLIGENCE AGENT
whose work is both desired and despised. Finding, retriev- Not all operatives for governments or corporations are
ing, and if necessary killing women or bioroids who have spies, per se. Many work openly, using their association
escaped subjugation, while of dubious legality in the with a powerful organization as a tool for intimidation and
Caliphate, is a service in constant demand. Many societies persuasion. Others are less interested in intelligence gather-
have such people, who carry out violent acts for a fee. ing than in covert operations, eliminating problems before
Typical characteristics include Alertness, Area Knowl- they get out of hand. Aside from the characteristics men-
edge, Contacts, and Combat/Weapon and Thief/Spy tioned for Intelligence Agent (p. TS111), Ally Group (or
skills. The Callous disadvantage is almost universal, and Patron), Area Knowledge, Cultural Adaptability, Language,
Sadism is common. and Politics skills are of great use, as are military skill such
as Tactics and Traffic Analysis.

GID/Mutawi’yyun Agent
GRA agents have an almost Within the Islamic Caliphate, the Mutawi’yyun oper-
missionary zeal – they really ates openly, carries identification, and generally behaves
like a Caliphate-wide law-enforcement agency. The Legal
do believe that they are saving Enforcement Powers advantage is necessary, and GID
the world from destruction. agents usually know both the Criminology and Law skills.
Outside of the Caliphate, the Mutawi’yyun behaves more
like a traditional intelligence and covert-operations
agency. While some may travel openly (particularly if
Smuggler searching for a known international fugitive), most operate
In an age when most material goods can easily be under an Alternate Identity. The two branches do not share
reproduced with 3D universal printers, the smuggling that personnel.
matters is that of intellectual property. The struggle between
the powerful World Trade Organization and the info- and GRA Agent
nanosocialist movements makes the illegal copying or
The Genetic Regulatory Agency relies on both open
transfer of information or digital content a political act.
and covert operations to weed out those violating interna-
Many data smugglers see themselves not as criminals, but
tional regulations on genetic engineering. All GRA agents
as freedom fighters. Of course, other smugglers happily
have the Legal Enforcement Powers advantage, and very
take advantage of those driven by ideology – there are still
likely have Fanaticism or Sense of Duty as disadvantages.
many data pirates driven by profit. Computer Hacking,
GRA agents should have Biochemistry, Botany, Chem-
Contacts, Electronics Operation, Genetics (Genetic Engi-
istry, Ecology, Zoology and all three of the Genetics spe-
neering), Holdout, Law (Intellectual Property), Merchant,
cializations (see p. TS136), as well as skills appropriate for
and most Thief/Spy skills are useful characteristics. Politi-
covert and investigatory operations.
cal smugglers often have Fanaticism, but may in turn have
connections to an Ally Group. Nuhá Agent
In contrast to the Mutawi’yyun, Nuhá operates in
ENTREPRENEUR complete secrecy, and strives never to use direct violence
as a means – not out of squeamishness, but out of a desire
The developing world offers many opportunities for
those wishing to start a business. Advanced technology to avoid drawing attention. All Nuhá agents, regardless of
hasn’t eliminated as many industries in Third Wave areas as whether they work in the field or at a desk, must have the
in the hyperdeveloped nations, and countries in transition Alternate Identity advantage. Their main focus is on
are willing markets for new products and services. Some memetic manipulation, so aside from the Memetics skill,
states have stringent laws restricting property and business Nuhá agents also have Legal Enforcement Powers and the
ownership by non-citizens, but others, particularly those skills Conspiracy Theory (as a memetic tool), Politics,
eager to be a part of the global economy, are wide open to Psychology, Strategy, Traffic Analysis, and a wide array of
foreign investors and entrepreneurs. Opening up a local Area Knowledge and Savoir-Faire skills. Being part of
franchise of a global firm can give an entrepreneur a pow- Nuhá is a 30-point Secret, as revelation of one’s status as a
erful Ally Group. Advantages such as Charisma, Con- Nuhá agent would result in termination.
tacts, Single-Minded, and Wealth (for starting capital)

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CHARACTERS
TSA Acquisitions Agent more-sophisticated equipment (from the black mar-
The Transpacific Socialist Alliance Acquisitions ket) than standard troops, and the loss of non-citizen
Directorate is in charge of the procurement of new intel- soldiers usually results in less political fallout than the
lectual property by any means necessary. Acquisitions deaths of local forces. Mercenaries usually operate in
Agents are not concerned with overthrowing the dominant teams, although individuals are hired for special needs.
political paradigm, and they avoid situations that may Paid soldiers serve as unconventional-warfare forces. Suc-
result in firefights. While many are skilled at computer cessful mercenaries rarely switch sides in a conflict – doing
intrusion and social engineering, their primary resources so eliminates any future employment possibilities – but are
are the networks of smugglers, hackers, and fellow- averse to accepting highly risky missions. Aside from char-
travelers who support the nanosocialist agenda. acteristics similar to other soldiers, mercenaries must repair
Charisma and Contacts are vital advantages for an their own equipment and provide their own medical care,
Acquisitions Agent, and he should also have Comput- so Armoury, Engineer (Cybershell), and most Medical
er Operations, Cryptanalysis, Electronic Engineer, skills are useful. Mercenaries must also be able to sell their
Genetics (Genetic Engineering), Pop Culture (see p. services, so Charisma and Reputation are useful advan-
125), and other skills related to producing material of tages, and the Merchant skill is critical. Mercenaries fre-
interest to the TSA. Thief/Spy skills are useful as well. quently have the Selfish or Self-Centered disadvantages,
and most have Sense of Duty (Stays Bought). Few mercs
WTO Agent will have the Fanaticism disadvantage.
The World Trade Organization is the leading
global agency in the fight against piracy of intellectu-
Resistance Fighter
al property. It employs thousands of agents to seek out Resistance movement soldiers combine many of the
data thieves, smugglers, and TSA operations. While features of special-operations units and less-violent
the WTO prefers to work with local law enforcement, memetic warriors like the Activist. Resistance fighters
it has a covert-operations division for those situations must be able to “swim through the masses like a fish
where cooperating with local authorities poses more through water” (to quote Mao), so they need to make the
problems than it solves. WTO agents do not typically populace their friends, frightened of them, or ideally both.
have Legal Enforcement Powers, although they work Resistance fighters are typically lightly armed, although
closely with local authorities who do. Fanaticism or Sense those with access to great-power patrons sometimes have
of Duty is commonplace, and Law (specializing in intel- cheap but effective equipment such as MCS-52 combat
lectual property) is a required skill. cybershells (see p. 123). Resistance fighters usually have
fewer Combat/Weapon skills than a regular soldier, but
greater Outdoor and Thief/Spy abilities. Most have some
MILITARY PERSONNEL training in Politics, and many are given a crash-course in
The main difference between the military personnel of Memetics to keep the hearts and minds of the masses.
the Fifth Wave world and that of the developing world is Fanaticism and Sense of Duty are typical disadvantages.
the proportion of unmodified humans in the ranks. For sol-
diers of every state, the same basic advantages and skills
apply, with most variations related to available technolo-
MISSIONARY/CHAPLAIN
gies. Few Third Wave soldiers have much Beam Weapons While religious figures share many characteristics,
training, for example. different beliefs produce unique forms of spiritual or
memetic leadership. In many developing nations, those
Ghazi who preach have civic responsibilities, and are not simply
The Islamic Caliphate’s Ghazi soldiers are unconven- theologians. Conversely, non-spiritual memetic move-
tional-warfare forces. Beyond the various skills typical for ments have adopted some of the characteristics of religion
military personnel in 2100 (see p. TS112), they are also in their attempts to gain followers.
trained in the ability to live off the land (most Outdoor
skills), psychological warfare (Memetics and Psychology
Alim
skills), and covert operations (most Thief/Spy skills). Islamic religious leaders, or ulema (singular alim),
Extremely Hazardous Duty, Overconfidence, and On the have a much broader function than that of spiritual guide.
Edge are common to these special-operation soldiers. An alim (or a mullah) acts as the arbiter of Islamic law,
leader, and teacher. Successful ulema gain greater reputa-
Mercenary tions by the wisdom of their decisions and jurisprudence.
Soldiers-for-hire are found throughout the developing Beyond the Missionary/Chaplain characteristics
world. Governments find them useful additions during (p. TS112), an alim also usually has Administration,
extended conflicts, as mercenaries often have access to Leadership, and Teaching; Law (Shariat) is a
requirement.

118
 CHARACTERS
Evangelist available and carry on with business-as-usual. The
The term “evangelist” has taken on a larger mean- tech broker links up people who are dumping old tech-
ing than religious emissary, and is now applied to anyone nology with people who are looking to buy cheap technol-
who pushes a given ideology or meme, especially those ogy. Tech brokers are often the contacts for beta tests, lining
concerning consumer products. Evangelists are not subtle; up likely candidates for their corporate clients. They usual-
they do not hide what they are doing. They are persuasive, ly specialize in a particular market or type of technology,
forceful, and relentless. Advantages such as Charisma, Sin- and many give a small kickback to brokers in different
gle-Minded, Strong Will, and Voice are vital; disadvantages fields who send business their way. The tech broker is on
such as Fanaticism and Stubbornness are common. Useful the cutting-edge of information and communication tech-
skills include Bard, Fast-Talk, Memetics, Performance, and nology in order to better compete with rivals. Advantages
Pop Culture. such as Contacts, Less Sleep, and Single-Minded are use-
ful. Typical tech-broker skills include Economics, Intelli-
gence Analysis, Mathematics, Merchant, and deep
STORMCHASER knowledge of the particular technology they handle.
A stormchaser is someone who makes a living out of

RACIAL AND MODEL

putting his life on the line. “Storm porn” – up close
and detailed InVid and slinky footage from inside of the
heaviest weather – is a popular and lucrative field. Single-
camera video of a tornado from a mile away no longer has
a market; audiences in 2100 expect multiple cameras, an
interactive sensorium, and material from the storm’s heart.
TEMPLATES
Successful professional stormchasers rely on extremely Unlike the Fifth Wave setting, most people in the
rugged cybershells, disposable microbots, and a willing- areas discussed in Broken Dreams are unmodified
ness to do nearly anything to get the best shots. Advantages humans, many of whom may not have even undergone
such as Collected, Danger Sense, Daredevil, and Fearless- genetic screening and repair before birth. In the developing
ness are typical of stormchasers; Common Sense is almost world, the resources are rarely available to provide near-
unknown. Glory Hound, Impulsiveness, and Overconfi- universal genefixing or genomic upgrades. The drive to
dence are usually found in beginning stormchasers, make their children or nation competitive with the rest of
although the worst cases are weeded out over time. the world is strong, however, and it’s not unusual to find
genemods in use in the developing world that have long

TECH BROKER since been abandoned elsewhere. There are several reasons
for this. Older designs can be done with less-advanced
A specialized form of Arbitragist (p. FW113), the tech equipment, the obsolete genemods may have been adopt-
broker is found throughout the less-developed world. With ed under false pretenses (e.g., sold to the health ministries
rapid changes in technology, regulation, and markets, it’s without revealing the defects in the design), and primitive
difficult for any individual or firm to keep track of what’s genetic upgrades are extremely inexpensive or free to
license. The newer the design, the higher the licensing fees
demanded by the patent holders – the older the model, the
more likely it is to be found in the poorer world.

Advanced Designs
Human upgrade, bioroid, and cybershell templates
designed in the Fifth Wave world in the last decade are
rare in the developing world, typically only found on vis-
itors (or invaders or spies) from the Fifth Wave world. In
some cases, newer types require a technological infra-
structure (such as nanotechnology) unavailable in even
the most-advanced cities in the developing world. In other
cases, the corporations behind newer designs wish to
maximize profits by restricting sales to the wealthiest
advanced nations, building up status-related demand for
the modification before making it widely available. There
is also the matter of resources. Bio- and cyberengineering
in the developing world tend toward ease of construction
and reduction of expense, and rarely have the means to
devise an entirely new form.

119
CHARACTERS
There are a few exceptions. The Islamic Disadvantages: Impulsiveness [-10]; Overconfi-
Caliphate has been especially active at creating gen- dence [-10].
emod and cybershell designs that fill its unique needs, as it Features: Taboo Traits (Genetic Defects).
has cultural restrictions on the use of human bioengineer- Date: 2090. Cost: $100,000.
ing and the forms artificial beings can take. While they are
not at the cutting-edge, many of their models are competi- One of the genetic upgrade models the Islamic
tive with mainstream engineering. The laboratories of the Caliphate is considering as a way to make better citizens,
Transpacific Socialist Alliance have been effective at the Hamas series (Hamas roughly means “zeal”) is
reverse-engineering recent-Fifth-Wave designs and either intended to create people to be willing and able defenders
reducing their complexity (making them more widely of Islam. The upgrade line is not generally available, but
usable) or combining ideal features for local versions. And 1,000 test subjects have been born in the last 10 years. The
the cybershell blueprints and bioroid genomes that end up current conclusions are that the design still needs work.
on the TSA Web are a windfall not just for pirates, but also
for struggling nations trying to remain competitive. Istislaam Upgrade (Beta version)
0 points
PARAHUMAN AND Attribute Modifiers: IQ +2 [20].
Advantages: Collected [5]; Deep Sleeper [5]; Longevity
IDEAL TYPE TEMPLATES [5]; Single-Minded [5].
Disadvantages: Slave Mentality (Only in presence of an
Genemod designs dating back to the 2050s, 2060s,
and early 2070s are generally available – if not necessari- alim, -75%) [-10].
ly affordable – throughout the more-stable parts of the Features: Taboo Traits (Genetic Defects).
developing world, although a few areas will take advan- Date: 2090. Cost: $100,000.
tage of more-recent designs pirated and put on public
webs. Parahumans that deviate significantly from baseline The second model genetic upgrade the Islamic
human are much less common than in the Fifth Wave Caliphate is considering, the Istislaam series (Istislaam
world; the less advanced nations are morphologically con- roughly means “peaceful submission”) is intended to cre-
servative, avoiding forms that have obvious transgenic fea- ate citizens that are devoted and obedient. As with the
tures. Designs abandoned in the hyperdeveloped world can Hamas, the Istislaam upgrade is not generally available,
also be found across the Third Wave world. but there are about a thousand test subjects in Caliphate
countries. The extremely submissive behavior requires
Germline Improvement Modification imprinting in the first 3 years of life; the test subjects were
(“Pre-Alpha”) Upgrade 10 points largely imprinted on religious teachers. When not in the
presence of an alim, Istislaam children are bright and calm.
Attribute Modifiers: HT +1 [10]. When a teacher appears, they behave with slavish defer-
Advantages: Disease-Resistant [5]; Longevity [5]. ence. The Caliphate believes that this design also needs
Disadvantages: Low Pain Threshold (Adult Onset) [-10]. significant work.
Features: No Appendix; Taboo Traits (Genetic Defects,
Mental Instability). Methuselah Upgrade 24 points
Date: 2048. Cost: $20,000.
Attribute Modifiers: ST +1 [10]; HT +3 [30].
Advantages: Disease Resistance [5]; Early Maturation 1
An obsolete human genetic-upgrade design, the
[5]; Extended Lifespan 1 [5]; Longevity [5]; Poison
Germline Improvement Modification – commonly called
Resistance [5].
the “pre-Alpha” – is found all over the world. A simple
Disadvantages: Epilepsy [-30], Extra Sleep 2 [-6].
genemod, the side-effect of extreme pain sensitivity does
Features: No Appendix.
not emerge until maturation. While the technique has long
Date: 2045. Cost: $20,000.
been superseded by the Alpha upgrade, unscrupulous doc-
tors in the developing world sometimes use the pre-Alpha
Another of the early, obsolete human germline
process but charge for an Alpha, knowing they will be long
upgrades, the Methuselah series was meant as the first
gone before the side-effects become apparent.
serious attempt to extend the human lifespan. In certain
Hamas Upgrade (Beta version) 25 points respects, the design worked as intended: of the 1 million
or so surviving Methuselahs, most show little sign of their
Attribute Modifiers: IQ +1 [10]; HT +1 [10]. age (largely in their late 40s and 50s), appearing in most
Advantages: Alertness +1 [5]; Combat Reflexes [15]; respects as adults in their mid-20s. Unfortunately, the del-
Disease Resistant [5]; Longevity [5]; Single-Minded icate neurological work required to retain brain plasticity
[5]. had severe side-effects. Methuselahs need an extra
two hours of sleep each night, and are prone to

120
 CHARACTERS
seizures. Standard medications suppressing the The Busr is a worker bioroid found only in the
symptoms of epilepsy do not work on Methuselahs; Islamic Caliphate. Its name comes from its appearance:
research continues on ways to block the attacks. The round, wrinkled, and green, something like an unripe date.
design is still available, although few parents consider a It is designed to be as non-humanoid as possible while still
life of weekly, even daily, seizures a fair price to extend being able to use equipment and infrastructure meant for
their children’s lives. humans, in accordance with Caliphate restrictions on the
creation of beings in the human image.
Salud Upgrade (Experimental) 55 points Due to its strength and general hardiness, Busrs are
Attribute Modifiers: HT +3 [30]. used where Fifth Wave nations would use cybershells. The
Advantages: Immunity to Disease [10]; Immunity to Poi- chemical industries and military are the major employers
son [15]; Longevity [5]; Radiation Tolerance (Divide of Busr bioroids. It is used largely in hazardous areas, as its
Rad dose by 5) [10]; Rapid Healing [5]. design makes it resistant to environmental toxins. Still,
Disadvantages: Increased Life Support (Body requires most Busr bioroids die within five years of production.
three times as much food per day as a normal human) Its continued manufacture and use is an embarrass-
[-20]. ment for many progressive Caliphate citizens, who are
Features: Taboo Traits (Genetic Defects). troubled by the use of clearly sapient slave labor.
Date: 2082. Cost: $150,000. Because of their appearance and odor (a side-effect of
the way their bodies process toxins), Busrs are rarely used
The final experimental genetic upgrade from the in public areas.
Después de Hombre program in the TSA, the Salud model
was intended to be as resistant to toxins and environmental Hamlin 92 points
insults as possible. By and large the design functioned as Attribute Modifiers: IQ +1 [10]; HT +1 [10].
intended, although the need to consume great amounts of Advantages: Appearance: Handsome/Beautiful [15];
food (a side effect of the toxin resistance) proved to be a Bioroid Body [0]; Charisma +2 [10]; Combat
problem. As the TSA program was destroyed in the Pacific Reflexes [15]; Composed [5]; Pheromone Control
War, it is unknown whether any Salud upgrades survive. [25]; Voice [10].
Disadvantages: Sterile [-3]; Unusual Biochemistry [-5].
BIOROID TEMPLATES Features: Taboo Trait (Mental Instability).
Date: 2085. Cost: $375,000.
As with parahumans and human upgrades, the variety
of bioroids found in the developing world is smaller than Designed by Biotech Euphrates for the British M.I. 5
that found in Fifth Wave countries. Part of the explanation as a tool for memetic warfare, the Hamlin-series bioroids
is the technology required to grow and mature a bioroid are engineered to be as charismatic and inspiring as possi-
form. A greater reason, for many areas, is the extreme dis- ble. Most often used by intelligence and security services,
taste with both the notion of entirely artificial people and they are able to quickly gain the attention and trust of
servitude bordering on slavery. Bioroids are not considered groups of people, inciting or calming crowds, and sowing
people, but neither are they comfortably considered prop- confusion in the ranks of political movements. The
erty. This ambivalence is present even in the one develop- bioroids have no single external appearance, and are
ing power with an active bioroid-production program, the sculpted to fit in with the local populace.
Islamic Caliphate. Of the two Caliphate models presented The set of traits engineered into the Hamlin-series
here, only one is legal, and its use is controversial. allows the bioroid maximum physical control over its abil-
ity to connect with people. Every movement, every breath
Busr 52 points is designed to add to the effect. The Pheromone Control
Attribute Modifiers: ST +2 [20]; IQ -2 [-20] HT +2 [20]. advantage is more subtle than in an Eros-series bioroid,
Advantages: Bioroid Body [0]; Breath-Holding +2 [4]; focusing on enhancing comfort rather than lust. Through
Discriminatory Smell [15]; Disease-Resistant [5]; the use of body language, voice, and pheromones, the very
Extra Encumbrance [5]; Filter Lungs [5]; Hide presence of a Hamlin-series makes people feel at ease.
(Thick Hide) [28]; Resistant to Poison [5]; Nictating Coupled with an appropriately programmed or trained
Membrane 1 [10]. intelligence, a Hamlin-series bioroid can be a persuasive
Disadvantages: Appearance (Monstrous) [-25]; Bad political figure, particularly in groups based upon charis-
Smell [-10]; Selfless [-10]; Unnatural Feature [-5]. matic leadership. In 2090, the radical British Preservation-
Features: Thick, rough green skin; head set deep into the ist group Second Calling collapsed after a Hamlin-series
frame of the body; very large eyes that don’t seem to bioroid infiltrated the organization. Working to enhance
blink. Transgenic Features (Skin derived from rhi- the incipient rivalries, the bioroid agent managed to split
noceros hide, greatly altered body form). the group into at least four factions, none of which was
Date: 2087. Cost: $75,000. strong enough to stand on its own.

121
CHARACTERS
Although the design was initially classified, the designed to be both physically and mentally attrac-
Transpacific Socialist Alliance acquired the source tive. Scheherazade bioroids are usually trained to be
code in 2094. Knowledge of the Hamlin-series is now remarkable storytellers (Bard-13 or more). As Houri, but
widespread, and many dissident movements use regular delete IQ penalty and Beautiful (Off-the-shelf looks); add
tests on members to prevent Hamlin infiltration. There is Eidetic Memory [30], Very Beautiful [25], and Voice
fear that the TSA may be using Hamlins against the hyper- [10]. 104 points (2082; $300,000).
developed world as leaders of local nanosocialist groups.
Infosocialist parties have loudly denied such claims, call-
ing them an attempt to de-legitimize their movements. CYBERSHELL TEMPLATES
It is widely rumored that several of the top media cor- More common than bioroids in the developing world,
porations have expressed an interest in acquiring Hamlin- even AI-resident cybershells are considered “tools” rather
series bioroids as reporters and talk-show hosts. than “slaves.” Most cybershells in Third Wave areas are
dedicated-purpose systems, such as construction ‘bots.
Houri 47 points Infomorph-inhabited Cybershells are less widespread than
Attribute Modifiers: DX +1 [10], IQ -1 [-10], HT +2 [20]. in the Fifth Wave world, but not at all unknown.
Advantages: Beautiful (Off-the-shelf looks, -50%) [8];
Bioroid Body [0]; Breath-Holding +1 [2]; Deep Afrit 793 points
Sleeper [5]; Double-Jointed [5]; Erotic Art +3 [8]; Attribute Modifiers: ST +15 [90]; DX +1 [10]; HT +3
Extra Fatigue +1 [3]; Fit [5]; High Pain Threshold [30].
[10]; Immunity to Disease [10]; Sanitized Metabo- Advantages: Absolute Direction [5]; Acute Hearing +3
lism [5]; Sensitive [5]. [6]; Chameleon 4 (Infrared, +50%) [42]; DR 75
Disadvantages: Attentive [-1]; Secret [-30]; Weak Will -1 (Electromagnetic, +50%) [338]; Enhanced Move
[-8]. (Running) 1 [10]; Extra Hit Points +5 [25]; Infravi-
Features: Taboo Trait (Mental Instability). sion [15]; Machine Body [37]; PD 4 [100]; Polarized
Date: 2078. Cost: $100,000. Eyes [5]; Radio Speech (Laser and radio, +40%)
[35]; Radiation Tolerance 5 [10]; Silence 1 [5];
The Houri is a pleasure bioroid used in the Islamic Weaponry (AMR and 2× Assault pod, p. TS156,
Caliphate. Usually found in the more-conservative parts LC1) [70].
of the region, where sex roles and sexual behavior are Disadvantages: Dependency (Maintenance; occasional,
sharply defined, the Houri is intended to be a submissive weekly) [-20]; Mistaken Identity [-5]; Social Stigma
and pliant option for young men. Illegal, Houris are not (Outsider) [-15].
allowed outside of the establishment where they live and Features: Complexity 6-8 microframe computer.
work. The bioroid design in Houris is faulty, and a small Date: 2072. Cost: $600,000 + computer
percentage is neither as unintelligent nor weak-willed as
the owners want. Depending upon the request of a The Afrit is the Islamic Caliphate’s top of the line
Houri’s owner, an escaped Houri may be recaptured or close combat heavy cybershell. Big, fast, and strong, it is
killed. There are no male Houris. designed to deliver punishing damage to opposing cyber-
Scheherazade: A Houri variant purchased exclusive- shells, vehicles, and troops. With a decidedly non-
ly by the Caliphate’s wealthy, the Scheherazade is humanoid appearance, the Afrit is designed to terrify
opponents as well as destroy them. Its two front limbs end
in assault pods, with retractable hands for manipulation. Its
rear limbs are reversed, like those of a bird or dinosaur; its
The ideological opposition anti-materiel rifle is mounted on the crest of its back.
About two-thirds of the Caliphate’s Afrit forces are teleop-
to AIs in the TSA arises erated; the rest are inhabited by citizen AIs. 8’ tall, 450 lbs.
from the concept that Ghola 277 points
information belongs to all, Attribute Modifiers: ST +3 [30]; DX +2 [20]; HT +2
[20].
and the personalization of Advantages: Absolute Direction [5]; Doesn’t Breathe
information runs counter [20]; DR 20 [60]; Extra Hit Points +5 [25]; Machine
Body [37]; PD 2 [50]; Perfect Balance [15]; Radio
to its potential for wide Speech (Infrared and radio, +20%) [30].
Disadvantages: Dependency (Maintenance; occasional,
distribution. monthly) [-10]; Mistaken Identity [-5]; No Sense of
Smell/Taste [-5]; Social Stigma (Outsider) [-15].

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 CHARACTERS
Features: Complexity 5-7 small computer. production complexity down to a level approachable
Date: 2078. Cost: $250,000 + computer even by poor nations. There are dozens of local vari-
ants designed for particular needs. The standard MCS-52
The main cybershell in use in the Caliphate’s military, appears as a dark gray metal/carbon-fiber humanoid. 6’
the Ghola – which appears as a heavily armored man – gets tall, 150 lbs.
around restrictions on the creation of humaniform crea- MCS-52H: The MCS-52H variant (sometimes called
tures by only being controlled by teleoperators or non- the “Arnold”) is a standard MCS-52 cybershell given a
sapient AIs. It is designed to work alongside human cyberdoll-style makeover. Using artificial skin, hair, and
soldiers, and is able to wear standard armor (adding to DR eyes, the MCS-52H can pass for a real human when visu-
and PD) and fit in standard vehicles. Aside from the basics ally inspected. Its lack of a heartbeat, sweat, or blood gives
of shape and size, there are no attempts to make the design it away, however, and even a cursory medical or X-ray
human-like – the face is a dull, featureless plate, and the examination reveals its true nature. The MCS-52H is used
Ghola’s body is a flat, gray-tan color. 6’ tall, 200 lbs. for infiltration and terror missions in lower-technology
areas. Add Attractive (Off-the-Shelf Looks, -50%) [3] and
Humaniform 36 points Unnatural Feature (No pulse, etc.) [-5]; remove Mistaken
Attribute Modifiers: ST -1 [-10]. Identity [-5]. 110 points (2060, $35,000 + computer).
Advantages: DR 3 [9]; Machine Body [37]; Radio
Speech [25].
Disadvantages: Dependency (Maintenance; common,
monthly) [-5]; Mistaken Identity [-5]; No Sense of The MCS-64 appears most
Smell/Taste [-5]; Social Stigma (Valuable Property)
[-10].
often in the arsenals of
Features: Complexity 5-7 small computer or Complexi- governments whose main
ty 6-8 microframe.
Date: 2055. Cost: $4,000 + computer. opposition is their own people.
The basic humanoid shaped cybershell is an older
design, but remains popular as an inexpensive backup MCS-64 (“Emkiss Sixty-Four”)
body for infomorphs. With no special abilities, the typical
humaniform shell is intended purely as a shape to facilitate
Combat Cybershell 362 points
interactions with humans. The face is human-like (includ- Attribute Modifiers: ST +8 [125]; HT +3 [30].
ing a working mouth to make speech seem more natural), Advantages: DR 25 [75]; Machine Body [37]; PD 2 [50];
and the body is shaped to allow it to wear normal clothing Radio Speech [25]; Weapon (Xuan Feng, p. 137,
and use commonplace tools. No one would mistake a LC1) [50].
humaniform cybershell for a real person, however. There Disadvantages: Dependency (Maintenance; common,
are variations to the basic design, but most infomorphs monthly) [-5]; Mistaken Identity [-5]; No Sense of
who need a more sophisticated body move to one of the Smell/Taste [-5]; Social Stigma (Outsider) [-15].
dedicated-purpose forms. 5’ 8” tall, 150 lbs. Features: Complexity 5-7 small computer.
Date: 2064. Cost: $150,000 + computer.
MCS-52 (“Emkiss Fifty-Two”)
Combat Cybershell 107 points A later design in the series, the MCS-64 is a heavier
model intended for use in assault groups. Too lightly
Attribute Modifiers: ST +1 [10]; HT +1 [10]. armored for the modern battlefield, but too large to inte-
Advantages: DR 10 [30]; Machine Body [37]; PD 1 [25]; grate well with light military and police units, the MCS-64
Radio Speech [25]. appear most often in the arsenals of governments whose
Disadvantages: Dependency (Maintenance; common, main opposition is their own people. Dozens are available
monthly) [-5]; Mistaken Identity [-5]; No Sense of on the underground weapons market at any moment, at
Smell/Taste [-5]; Social Stigma (Outsider) [-15]. prices well below production cost. Its main advantage –
Features: Complexity 4-6 small computer. aside from price – is the combination of an integral Xuan
Date: 2052. Cost: $10,000 + computer. Feng combat rifle and increased strength. The typical kit
for the MCS-64 is a heavy weapon (recoilless rifle or,
The MCS-52 is the most-used light combat/police where available, an AMR) with the integral Xuan Feng as
cybershell outside of the Fifth Wave world. Based on a a back-up/anti-personnel weapon. There are few variants
Chinese design nearly half a century old, the MCS-52 is on the basic MCS-64 model; most changes are simply a
integrates easily with human/bioroid units, including shar- replacement of the Xuan Feng with a more modern
ing equipment and weapons. The standard MCS-52 weapon system. 8’ tall, 350 lbs.
has few extraneous features, keeping the price and

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CHARACTERS
SafariShell (Vulture) 77 points The Shakoosh is the most common body for
Attribute Modifiers: ST -5 [-40]; DX +2 [20]; HT +2 SAI citizens of the Caliphate. The manufacturer,
[20]. Amman Cybertechnologies, has recently started producing
Advantages: Absolute Direction (Uses GPS, -20%) [4]; it for export. With four legs, a 4’ cylinder rising from it,
Acute Hearing +1 [2]; Acute Vision +1 [2]; and four arms (each with 180° of freedom, set 90° apart)
Enhanced Move 3 (Flying, ×1 1/2) [15]; Filter Lungs set halfway up the cylinder, the Shakoosh is decidedly
[5]; Flight (Winged flight, large wings, -25%; Cannot non-humanoid, a requirement in observant Muslim
hover, -15%) [24]; Machine Body [37]; Night Vision nations. Its four legs give it great maneuverability, and the
[10]; Radio Speech (Radio and laser, +40%) [35]; sight ring around the top of its main body allows it a 360°
Telescopic Vision 3 [18]. view of the world. 90% of the Caliphate’s SAI citizens use
Disadvantages: Dependency (Maintenance; common, a Shakoosh as their primary body. Most use body decora-
monthly) [-5]; Mistaken Identity [-5]; No Manipula- tions to individualize their appearance. 6’ tall (can lift itself
tors [-50]; No Sense of Smell/Taste [-5]; Social Stig- to 9’ when standing), 250 lbs.
ma (Valuable Property) [-10].
Features: Complexity 5-7 microframe computer.
Date: 2072. Cost: $85,000 + computer.

One of two common SafariShells, the Vulture model

appears to be an African Giant Vulture. The control soft-
ware includes common vulture behaviors, allowing it to
approach most wildlife without spooking it. Standard
tourist use relies heavily on this programming, to avoid
crashing or interfering with wildlife. Most SafariShells use Stormchaser 583 points
standard remote-operation equipment, although some have Attribute Modifiers: ST +15 (No fine manipulators,
upslink interfaces for a more-immersive experience. -40%) [90]; HT +3 [30].
After the initial launch, a Vulture SafariShell is able to Advantages: 3D Spatial Sense [10]; 360-Degree Vision
fly for up to 10 hours. Under most uses it rarely lands and [25]; Acceleration Tolerance [10]; DR 50 [150];
take off more than twice in a tour; each additional takeoff Enhanced Move (Flying) 4 [20]; Flight (Limited use,
consumes approximately 1 hour’s worth of flight time. 2 hours, -30%; Large Wings, -25%) [18]; Injury Tol-
SafariShell (Gazelle): Appears in every way to erance (No Brain) [5]; Machine Body [37]; PD 3
be a gazelle (external form may vary by region- [75]; Radar Sense (Low Res and Imaging, +50%, 75
al fauna). As SafariShell (Vulture), but add mile range) [188]; Radio Speech (Laser, +40%) [35];
Limited Endurance (No more than six hours’ Spectrum Vision [40].
use) [-10], delete Flight, and change Disadvantages: Dependency (High-tech maintenance;
Enhanced Move (Flying) to Enhanced Move infrequent, weekly) [-40]; Inconvenient size (Large)
3 (Running, ×1 1/2) [15]. 43 points ($55,000 + [-10]; Limited Endurance (6 hours) [-10]; Mistaken
computer). Identity [-5]; No Manipulators [-50]; No Sense of
SurveyShell: As SafariShell: add Gadget (Biosam- Smell/Taste [-5]; Social Stigma (Valuable Property)
pler) [5], increase computer Complexity to 6-8. 132 points [-10].
($100,000 + computer). Features: Complexity 6-8 microframe computer.
Date: 2097. Cost: $340,000 + computer.
Shakoosh (“Hammer”) 202 points
Attribute Modifiers: ST +1 [10]; DX +1 [10]; HT +1 Derived in part from technology used to explore the
[10]. gas-giant planets, Stormchaser cybershells are used to fly
Advantages: 360-Degree Vision [25]; Absolute Direction directly into the heart of Earth’s worst weather phenomena
[5]; Doesn’t Breathe [20]; DR 5 [15]; Extra Arms (4 and survive. The Pecos Bill model, built by a subsidiary of
arms) [20]; Extra Legs (4 legs) [5]; Infravision [15]; Vosper-Babbage, is a typical one. Extremely rugged, it uses
Machine Body [37]; PD 1 [25]; Radio Speech a lifting-body design with powerful turbofan engines to
(Infrared and radio, +20%) [30]. punch into the heart of a tornado and survive, and advanced
Disadvantages: Dependency (Maintenance; common, sensory equipment to record and transmit the experience.
monthly) [-5]; Mistaken Identity [-5]; No Sense of Construction of Stormchaser cybershells requires Fifth
Smell/Taste [-5]; Social Stigma (Valuable Property) Wave production techniques, but they are used all over the
[-10]. world. While rugged, Stormchaser cybershells make poor
Features: Complexity 5-7 small computer. combat vehicles, as the design makes no attempt to hide
Date: 2070. Cost: $20,000 + computer. the vehicle’s heat or electromagnetic signature. 8’
long, 750 lbs.

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 CHARACTERS

ADVANTAGES AND STSD EFFECTS

DISADVANTAGES Victims of Social Transition Stress Disorder can
exhibit a variety of symptoms, ranging from apathy to
psychosis. These behaviors typically manifest when the
Characters from the developing world have access to stressed individual encounters his particular trigger. Dis-
the same set of advantages and disadvantages as other cuss with your GM which event(s) or recently changed
Transhuman Space characters, although any dependent aspect of the world around your character brought on the
upon high-tech characteristics is far less common; a GM condition, such as being the only human in an office of
may require the Unusual Background advantage to explain SAIs or loss of a job resulting from the new economic
Fifth Wave attributes in a Third Wave character. order. Mental Disadvantages that reflect STSD include
Addiction, Alcoholism, Berserk, Callous, Chronic
DISADVANTAGES Depression, Edgy, Laziness, Manic-Depressive, and On
the Edge. These behaviors often only manifest during or
Some disadvantages require special notes. after an encounter with the trigger.

Enemy (Unknown) see p. CI77

Compromised: You are being watched and you know
it. You just don’t know who is watching you. It could be an
Ally, Dependent, or Patron. It could even be your toaster. NEW SKILLS
You must always be on your toes. -5 points.
Players who wish to use this disadvantage must first Pop Culture (Mental/Average)
check with the GM to make sure it fits the campaign. Alter- Defaults to Pop Culture -3 or IQ -5*
natively, the GM may assign this disadvantage to one or *An IQ default roll for Pop Culture is only available
more characters as a required trait. The GM will (secretly) in areas where a character lives or has lived.
decide what part of the character’s life is compromised, This skill is the ability to recognize and categorize
who is doing the watching, and what is ultimately being modern cultural references. This includes being able to
done with the information. This disadvantage is particular- identify popular music, celebrities, and memes, as well as
ly appropriate in campaigns set in a strong police state. pick up on emerging trends and cultural movements. The
skill is limited to memes concerning entertainment, con-
Sterile see p. CI84 sumerism, and language; the Pop Culture skill reveals
Bioengineered templates dating from the 2080s nothing about political movements or ideologies,
or later often include Genetic-Rights-Manage- unless an image, slogan, or misstatement had
ment code, preventing reproduction. This become fodder for popular humor or art.
GRM code is easily reversed if a repro- A successful Pop Culture skill roll
duction-rights license is purchased from allows the character to identify a given
the designer. The GRM can also be entertainment or consumer meme and
hacked easily, but this violates interna- recognize its cultural context. The GM
tional law. A reproduction-rights may assign a penalty for obscurity
license generally runs from 25% to (such as a song only popular in a
100% of the cost of the original design, regional ethnic subculture). A success-
depending on how much of the gen- ful Pop Culture roll will also reveal
emod is likely to be carried through to the whether the meme is emerging or fading
subsequent generation. Sterile (GRM, easi- in popularity. The skill is useful for artists
ly reversible, -66%) is a 1-point disadvantage. wishing to make a connection to an audience
and entrepreneurs looking to find a new market.

SKILLS
At the GM’s discretion, a successful Pop Culture roll may
add a +1 reaction bonus in a trade or personal interaction.
Like Area Knowledge, the Pop Culture skill must be
All of the skills described in the Transhuman Space core taken independently for different regions, as trends,
rules are available to characters in the Broken Dreams fashions, and humor can vary widely.
setting, although some (such as Microgravity Architecture Depending on the setting, this may be considered a
and Xenobiology) are obviously far less commonplace. Hobby or a Scientific skill.

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 7 TECHNOLOGY

There it is again. That painful buzzing in my head Montenegro-local wages. I really don’t want to ask for a
whenever I look at a restaurant on the street. Stop. Look at raise.
the market. Nothing but the latest specials floater when I I keep my head down, not looking at the buildings I
hold my gaze. Look over at the dressmaker’s shop. Noth- pass as I head for the park. A quick search on the web, and
ing, not even an AR message. Look over at the Pakistani . . . here it is. My mini-Michelin guide doesn’t like the last
restaurant. Ow. Quickly look over to the AstroBurger. antiviral update when run under AROS 8.2. I’m not about
Same thing. Close my eyes. to lose either of those, so I guess I don’t have much of a
It’s probably the AR software. I never got around to choice. “Upgrade AROS, approved,” I sub-vocalize, and I
updating the code, not after that last upgrade, where they can almost feel the implant downloading the data and
put ads for their new systems in the corner of my vision. restarting in my head. I hold my gaze on a floating excla-
“Just a helpful reminder!” they said when I complained; it mation point that appears off to the right, and am reward-
took me a week of hunting the web before I could find some ed with a message congratulating me for updating to
freeware to erase the ads. I can’t afford one of the new sys- AROS 8.2.5 (hooray), listing the known incompatibilities
tems, anyway, not on my salary. I might work for Ger- (not with my hardware and not with any of my apps, thank-
many’s biggest corporation, but they still only pay fully), and informing me at the very end that my
account had been debited $15. Thanks.

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 TECHNOLOGY
I pull up the antiviral – running perfectly. The than expected as fears about cloning, genetically
response does seem a bit snappier, I must admit. Leav- modified foods, and transgenic experimentation led to
ing the park, I look over, with a small amount of trepida- laws that greatly restricted research in the first three
tion, at the AstroBurger. No buzzing. But as I hold my gaze, decades of the century.
rather than the animated Michelin figure listing the menu,
I get a warning message: The Expansion
Insufficient memory for full Michelin Guide Several forces masked this more-measured pace
interactive features. of change. The first was the explosion in space tech-
Please upgrade your system memory. nologies, which made the 21st century truly feel like
Hold gaze on [OK] to continue with minimal Guide. a step into the future. A significant portion of the glob-
Hold gaze on [Cancel] to quit. al economy in the 2020s to 2040s was dedicated to the
Cancel. Diagnostic. Memory usage. Damn. AROS move off-world. The second mask was the develop-
8.2.5 sure is hungry for space. ment of economically viable nuclear fusion, which
I guess it’s time to ask for that raise. reshaped the nature of global politics, urban design,
warfare, and economics. The reverberations of this
Technology in 2100 remains in a state of flux. For invention are still being felt.
those in the Fifth Wave world who can afford the cutting Finally, the rapid growth in the economic and
edge, new tools and toys are always available. For most social conditions of many developing nations proved a
people in the developing world, however, it is often much powerful engine for the global economy. New markets
more cost effective to use devices that are several genera- emerged left and right, and even if the pace of technolog-
tions behind the wave of change. ical change was more measured in the most-advanced
countries, it was accelerating like never before across the

OLD AND NEW

rest of the world. Only as the 22nd century approaches has
the speed of transformation begun to slow in the develop-
ing states, raising questions about the future of the global

TECHNOLOGIES economy.

Modern Production Methods

The world of 2100 is a dizzying mix of cutting-edge and Old Designs
and antique systems. Biotechnology, AI, material science, Technology in the developing world is a mix of old
and the emerging power of nanotechnology make for a systems, new systems, and new systems that look like old
world that has been radically changed by technological systems. Poorer nations have long histories of receiving
advances. Yet it is observed that, in many respects, the year second- and third-hand products discarded by the more-
2100 isn’t nearly as transformed as many thought it would advanced states, and then given the task of figuring out
be a century earlier. Nanotechnology turned out to be how to integrate and maintain them. Vehicles, weapons,
much more difficult than anyone expected. Material-fabri- computers, even consumer goods dating back 30, 40, even
cation methods have evolved fairly slowly. And a posthu- 50 years are easily found in use in the developing world.
man singularity, where AIs become thousands of times Equipment older than that has often been retrofitted and
smarter than humans, still has yet to happen. updated with more recent technology.
Newer production methods and materials can make
The Slowdown older designs nearly as good as the most-cutting-edge sys-
While the 21st century has been marked by seemingly tem. Methods for increasing tensile strength, decreasing
radical transformations, the pace of innovation has actually weight, and adding computer “smarts” to cheap compo-
been slower than in previous decades. Moore’s Law, the nents are mature production techniques in 2100, widely
observation that computer systems were speeding up at a available and inexpensive. New systems are integrated
consistent rate, fell in the 2020s, as fundamental physical with older protocols in order to maintain compatibility,
limits on traditional methods of computation were finally reduce costs, or simply to meet consumer preferences.
reached, and newer methods – optical, quantum, and
nanocomputing – were still in early stages of development.
The struggle between those who wished to protect the OBSOLETE EQUIPMENT
rights of content owners and distributors and those who The pace of change in the Fifth Wave world results in
wished to maximize intellectual freedom was won deci- many products discarded simply because they are “obso-
sively by the protectors, with the largely unanticipated side- lete.” In general terms, obsolete gear still works, but may
effect of greatly slowing down software innovation. Even not work as well as more-recent designs. The main
biotechnology, which in 2100 has transformed the advantage of older, discarded gear is the reduced price.
notion of human identity, progressed far more slowly

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TECHNOLOGY
Equipment listed in the Technol- this is to increase the device’s weight,
ogy sections of the Transhuman although the downgrade can apply to
Space core book and Fifth Wave sup- any combination of range, functional
plement, unless otherwise specified, life, weight, speed, complexity, spe-
can be assumed to be at or near the top cific attribute ratings, or the like. The
of currently available technology. price will be a similar degree lower
Older versions of these items can still than new models. For example, a one-
be found, especially in the developing generation-old Medium Nanoweave
world. The degree to which older Armor outfit (p. TS159) is only PD 2,
models are significantly less capable DR 16, 5 lbs. for a vest, but costs
and less expensive depends upon how $700.
many generations old they are. Equipment that is two genera-
Markets in the developing world tions old is 20 to 40% less effective
generally sell gear that is one to three and expensive than current models. A
generations older than current models. two-generation-old C-type Energy Cell
Older devices can be found, but are sold in junkyards, auc- (p. TS141) stores only 0.3kWh of energy (giving items
tions, and the like. Equipment that the GM deems critical powered by it 40% less duration/fewer shots/etc.) but costs
to the setting – whether AIs, bioshells, weapons, or some- only $10.
thing else – should be handled on a case-by-case basis. Equipment that is three generations old is 40 to 60%
Equipment one generation old is 10 to 20% less effec- less effective and less expensive than current designs. A
tive than current versions. The simplest way of reflecting three-generation-old small 3D-universal printer (p. TS153)
prints only $50 worth of goods per hour, weigh 150 lbs.,
and take up 8 cubic feet, but cost only $135,000.
Equipment older than three generations will follow
this same general pattern. In all cases, the GM should
PLANNED OBSOLESCENCE AND apply logic in determining whether a given reduction in

MANDATORY UPGRADES effectiveness is worth an equivalent reduction in price.

The speed of generation updates depends on
In 2100, many objects are not bought, they’re licensed whether the technology is considered Cutting-Edge,
for limited-time use. Most license agreements require the Established, or Mature. Note that even if the overall
purchase of an update at the license period’s end if the generation of a technology doesn’t change often, new
licensee wishes to continue using the item. Updates range models can come out with added features, improved
from minor bug fixes to a full replacement; in the latter designs, or bug-fixes.
case, the original item must be returned to the manufac-
turer. Updates cost 10 to 30% of the original purchase cost. Cutting-Edge Technologies
If a user allows a licensed-use period to run out, the These are systems or devices still subject to rapid
shutdown code is engaged, and the device stops working. change. New breakthroughs in design or implementa-
The shutdown does not come without warning; the user tion happen frequently, and sometimes whole protocols
will receive warnings at 1 month, 1 week, 1 day, 1 hour, or networks have to be overhauled to meet new specifi-
10 minutes, and 1 minute prior to shutdown. Most shut- cations. New generations of these systems come out
down warnings come with an interactive message inform- about every two years. Cutting-edge technologies in
ing the user where or how an update may be purchased. Transhuman Space include 3D-universal printers, bio-
Tools and software to hack shutdown codes are read- facs, all nanotechnologies, and microbot swarms. Most
ily available. Most just reset the shutdown clock, although software also falls into this category.
some allow the hacker to move the shutdown date closer.
These hacking systems are commonplace but very illegal Established Technologies
– they can be found within 24 hours in any major city with These are systems or devices still subject to change,
a Streetwise or Scrounging roll +3, or within an hour on but at a slower pace. This may be because the produc-
the web with a Computer Operations roll. tion techniques and underlying science are well-under-
Items actually implanted into the user’s body are not stood, there is a widespread support infrastructure
allowed to have mandatory shutdown code by internation- difficult to change, or the market for these systems is no
al regulation. However, they may to have so-called longer profitable enough to push innovation. New gen-
“annoyware” messages, informing the user that new sys- erations come out about every eight years. Established
tems are available. These can also be removed with easy- technologies include computers, wearable virtual inter-
to-use, but illegal, hacking software. faces, implants, and most biotechnologies.

128
 TECHNOLOGY
Mature Technologies of the stability or accuracy of the hacked material.
These are systems or devices that change slowly. Devices that have had their CRM systems hacked can
This is largely because there are few performance improve- use any unmodified content, but is only temporarily useful.
ments possible without a substantial breakthrough, or To make matters worse, the hacks may not function prop-
because a new technology has made this type obsolete. erly – shoddy work, system conflicts, and “Trojan hacks”
New generations of these systems come out about every 30 used by the WTO can all alert local authorities to piracy in
years. Mature technologies include energy cells, cyberwear, progress.
radio communicators, and slug-thrower weapons.
Hackware
“Hackware” has had its content-rights-management
BETA EQUIPMENT code altered or removed. Much of the cracked content on
Beta gear represents experimental technology or the TSA Web has been hacked in this manner. Pirates
designs, and is designed with advantages over convention- sometimes attempt to improve content, to make it faster,
al designs. However, being experimental, it usually able to run on less Complex hardware, or more enjoyable.
doesn’t work exactly as designed. Cautious developers try Hacked content may also be a WTO “Trojan hack,”
to get the test devices to a usably stable configuration, designed to look like a real piece of hackware but actually
although rapid design cycles and market competition sending a message to the WTO, which in turn notifies local
sometimes leads to unstable beta releases. It’s not usual for law enforcement. Finally, downloaded material can simply
a company to contact its testers, asking them to bring in the fail to operate properly. Roll 3d for each potential problem;
beta gear to get a mid-test upgrade or bug fix. Early beta each occurs on a roll of 18.
devices are typically less reliable than late beta. Rather than trusting downloaded hackware, a skilled
Beta-test systems are either hardware or software; programmer may choose to alter the content himself. Not
anything for which there is room for significant design all content lends itself to being hacked easily, however.
improvement can be subject to beta tests. The fear of The more expensive the content, the harder it is to crack.
ruined reputations is enough to cause many companies to This is a Computer Programming task. Commercial con-
do beta tests of nearly everything they make. If the GM tent (software, InVid and music files, and consumer mini-
wishes to use beta gear in his game, he should design it fac designs) is usually at -3 to -7 difficulty.
beforehand, using the following guidelines: Non-commercial content, particularly private or secure
Improved – The system provides generally improved materials, can be up to -12.
performance over an existing equivalent design. The rat-
ings of the system are intended to be 10 to 50% better in Hot Mods
one to three categories of functions. Rather than attempting to alter a single piece of digital
Combined – The system combines the function of two content, a hacker may wish to make his device play or use
or three other devices. The ratings of the combined system all appropriate content without doing a CRM check. Hot
will typically be 75 to 110% of the equivalent component. mod is the term for a piece of equipment modified to ignore
New – The system provides entirely new functionali- CRM checks. Hot-mod hardware and software are relative-
ty, which may overlap with an existing device. ly inexpensive, but typically only work for a short time
Roll three dice. A result of 3 means that the device before upgrades to CRM systems make them unable to play
works at peak expectations; 4-8, device functions at aver- or use new material. Hot mods are designed to be unde-
age expectations; 9-12, device functions at minimal expec- tectable when used, although some CRM updates may
tations; 13-16, device functions below expectations; 17 or catch older hot mods and automatically report the user to
higher, the device does not function;18 or higher, the device local authorities. Hot mods are illegal in most jurisdictions.
functions but may fail catastrophically. Roll 3d again: on an
18 there is a catastrophic failure – the device explodes, or Hardware Hot Mod
erases non-test software, or the like. Add +1 to the die roll A hardware hot mod is the direct modification of a
if the device is in early beta; -1 from the die roll if the system’s hardware to avoid CRM checks or to fake CRM
device is in late beta. Add +1 to the die roll if the device is results. Hardware hot mods are more reliable and harder
a Combined system; +2 to the die roll if the device is a New to detect than software ones, but are difficult to do suc-
system. cessfully. They must be updated annually; if not updated,
an attempt to play or use any content will fail and send out
HACKWARE AND HOT MODS an alert on a roll of 18. The failure roll drops by 1 every
year. Hot-modding a piece of hardware is an Electronic
In general, there are two ways to get around content- Engineer -5 task taking 24 hours total; it costs $500. If the
right-management (CRM) systems: alter the content or hacker fails the task roll by 1, the modification will appear
alter the player. Content that has been hacked is usable to work, but will fail and send out an alert on a roll of
on any appropriate system, but there are no guarantees 18.

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TECHNOLOGY
Software Hot Mod $50, 0.15 lb. B (20 days). Use of a HedZup instead
Software hot mods attempt to fool the device’s of the built-in display doubles the life of the comput-
CRM system into allowing unauthorized material. A soft- er’s power cell (i.e., using the HedZup instead of the dis-
ware hot mod must be updated every three months; if not play for 2 hours only consumes 1 hour’s charge from the
updated, an attempt to play or use the device will fail and computer’s cell).
send out an alert on a roll of 18. Every three months with-
out an update reduces the failure roll by 1 (e.g., if not updat-
ed in one year, the hot mod will fail on a roll of 15 or
WEARABLE VIRTUAL
higher). Also, any update to the device’s operating system INTERFACES
will break the hot mod. Creating a software hot mod takes Virtual-interface hardware is commonplace in the
five hours and is a Computer Programming -3 task. The hot more stable “transition” parts of the developing world.
mod is Complexity 1. If purchased from the black market, Most are inexpensive, low-Complexity units that provide a
software hot mods usually cost $100. lower grade of interaction than Fifth Wave designs.

COMPUTERS
Qatar Systems Burqaware
Introduced in 2078, the Burqaware system uses smart
fabric for a virtual-interface device. Originally meant for
Information systems in the developing world are women in the more-conservative parts of the Islamic
broadly compatible with modern computing technology, Caliphate, Burqaware interfaces are now found world-
although often at a greatly reduced level of capability. wide, as they provide an intriguing combination of com-
fort, privacy, and style. The Burqaware interface drapes
HARDWARE over the head, covering the wearer’s entire head and face.
The smart fabric display on the inside of the Burqaware
Much of the world has not moved completely to wear- provides a full virtual interface, including a view of the
able or implanted information systems. Portable, hand- world around the wearer. From the perspective of
held devices are more efficient methods of producing and observers, the Burqaware is entirely opaque; from the
consuming content than wearables, particularly when there inside, the wearer has a completely unobstructed view. The
is no significant augmented-reality network available. smart fabric is sensitive to environmental conditions, and
can channel heat and air flow as needed to maximize wear-
Book er comfort. Aside from the unusual appearance, the
Thin, lightweight, and foldable, book computers have Burqaware functions as a simple wearable virtual inter-
screens large enough to read comfortably or use as a draw- face, including communications services. Includes a
ing pad, but store small enough to fit in a purse. Many have Cheap, Tiny, Complexity 4 computer. $300 ($200 in the
built-in audio- and video-communication systems. The Islamic Caliphate), 0.2 lb. B (15 days).
standard design includes a Cheap, Tiny older-generation The upgraded version includes a Tiny Complexity 5
computer (Complexity 3 or 4). $60, 1 lb. B (2 days). computer system. $750 ($600 in the Islamic Caliphate),
0.3 lb. B (10 days). Can also be purchased without a built-
Hand-Held in computer, $350.
Used primarily as a standard audio- and video-commu- The export model also includes a smart fabric display
nication device, hand-held systems fit comfortably into the on the outside of the interface, set to display a real-time
palm of the hand, have a top-mounted high-resolution cam- image of the wearer’s face. In some markets, this is consid-
era and slide-out screen, and are usually operated with a ered less disturbing than a totally faceless, opaque veil. It is
push-button or pen interface. Standard hand-held units use otherwise identical to the upgraded system. Not for sale in
built-in Cheap, Tiny computers of an older generation the Islamic Caliphate. $1000, 0.4 lb. 2×B (12 days).
(Complexity 3-4). $20, 0.15 lb. B (5 days).
Shanghai Interactive MRsiv
Walkabout HedZup The most used wearable VIG systems in the develop-
Typical of the aftermarket displays compatible with ing world, most lower-tech VIG units are similar to the
book and hand-held computers, HedZup glasses are simi- MRsiv. It uses a Cheap, Tiny Complexity 4 computer.
lar to virtual-interface glasses (VIGs), but without any Includes global-positioning unit and short-range radio com-
intrinsic computing ability. The HedZup display maintains municator (p. TS148), as well as dedicated augmented-real-
an encrypted wireless connection with its host computer. ity software. Does not normally allow the installation of
Range is 10 feet. The computer’s built-in display darkens additional software. $150, 0.2 lb, B (14 days).
when the HedZup is in use, allowing for privacy. Input The MRsiv 2 model includes a Tiny Complexity 5
and control is still done on the personal computer. computer and allows for added software. $500, 0.3 lb,
B (10 days).

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 TECHNOLOGY

SOFTWARE
AUGMENTED REALITY
Advertising Software
Common anywhere information networks are found, AND ADVERTISING
advertising software is designed to deliver a commercial Most AR and virtual-interface gear has a “sand-
message to a potentially interested consumer. Properly box” area for ads, allowing them to display but pre-
constructed ads only target likely customers; some ads are venting them from altering the rest of the system.
not properly constructed, and can evolve into adviruses. This area, commonly called the “adbox,” is fire-
Adviruses can also be constructed intentionally, and are walled off, so that standard ads cannot affect the rest
often used by memetic-engineering groups to spread a of the system. Most targeted advertisements in aug-
message or discredit an opponent. If infected by an mented-reality and VII gear show up on the edge of
advirus, the effects are similar to the Flashbacks disadvan- vision, not blocking line-of-sight, but moving to the
tage (p. CI90). Complexity 1/2. $200. Complexity 1 poly- center if the recipient pays attention to them.
morphic “smart” adviruses reduce the ability of filter It is possible, using Electronic Operations
programs to block by 2, $1,000. (Communications), to send messages tagged to
show up in an AR system’s advertising display.
AI Software While advirus-blocking software is a standard
Advirus Filter: This program is typically included in part of most AR systems, advertisement-blocking
every infomorph intended for connection to a communica- software is considered gray market. Some areas
tion network, and runs in the background. It acts as a gate- forbid the use of ad-blocking software.
way for communications, actively blocking adviruses, but
still allowing in normal advertisements. It fails to block
adviruses on a roll of 18. In the hyperdeveloped world, from recent news events are recognized and identified.
check once per day; in transition areas, check five times Starshot also gives information on fame curves (whether
per day; in chaotic areas, check twice per day. Complexity the given individual’s celebrity is rising or falling) and
1. Free, part of the basic system. value of new information about the target. Updated in real
Ad Filter: This gray-market program blocks advertis- time. Complexity 2. $10/month subscription.
ing access to an augmented-reality or VII system. It fails to
block ads on a roll of 18. The program can be altered to Pattern-Analysis Software
watch for particular tags to allow for surreptitious commu- Used primarily by intelligence and security services,
nication via the ad channel, but this reduces the failure-to- pattern-analysis software watches massive sets of constant-
block roll to 17. Complexity 1. $500. ly updated data for subtle clues indicating aberrant behav-
Filter Updates: If the GM uses upgrade rules (p. 128), ior, allowing near-real-time analysis. It requires an AI to use
a Filter program will need to be updated every three months properly, and must be run on a Quantum Computer with the
(at a cost of $25) or it will become less effective. Each six- basic Traffic Analysis package (see p. TS145) and a high-
month period without updating the software reduces the bandwidth connection to the web. Complexity 9. Adds +3
failure roll by 1 (e.g., A character that does not update his to Traffic Analysis skill. $500,000, LC3.
basic Advirus Filter program for one year will have it fail to
block unwanted messages on a roll of 16).

Interactive Software
Slogging: Slink-logging is using standard upslink
interface to create a detailed daily journal for public con-
sumption on the net. While the editing and conversion to
non-slink media can be done by hand, the process is time-
consuming and often tedious. Dedicated slogging pro-
grams use an NAI infomorph to analyze and edit material
in real-time, based on general instructions from the user.
The system has an effective Sensie Interface skill of 14.
Complexity 4. $200 plus cost of infomorph.
Starshot: A booster pack to the standard Mugshot AR
program, Starshot provides detailed information about indi-
viduals based on celebrity status. People are active in vir-
tual environments, musicians, sloggers, even faces

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TECHNOLOGY
general rule, only modifications designated “TL8”

CYBERNETIC GEAR are available. Replacement limbs that simply replicate

a standard body part and all replacement eyes and ears
cost one-fifth the price listed in UT and UTT. Replace-
Cybernetics is a mature technology. The surgical ment limbs that add special functions not replicating stan-
process of connecting machinery to biological nervous and dard human parts (e.g., a telescoping arm) cost five times
cognitive systems is well understood. Most cybernetic the price listed in the books. Bionic limbs are considered
work in 2100 is done with implants. Common biotechno- to be “detachable with tools” (see p. UTT96) at no addi-
logical techniques are able to restore damaged limbs or sen- tional cost. Cybernetic parts are not self-repairing, and
sory organs very effectively, greatly reducing the need for wearers must have annual checkups to ensure continued
bionic body parts. There are two main situations where good operation. Some samples are listed below.
bionics are more widely used. In some developing nations,
cybernetic parts may be more generally available than Arm Replacement
advanced biotechnology, and the bioweapon viral dystro- Statistics: +1 DX for manual tasks using that arm
phy (see p. 141) does sufficient genetic damage that normal (One arm, -50%) [5]. +2 ST (One arm, -50%) [10]. Two-
bioengineering methods cannot restore damaged limbs. handed feats require two bionic arms to gain any ST or DX
bonus. DX bonuses do not apply to whole body actions,
BIONIC LIMBS AND ORGANS such as Dodge or Move.
Operation: $10,000 for surgery, $5,000 for unit. For
Detailed rules for cybernetic body parts can be found $50,000, either DX +2 [10] or ST +3 [15] is available; for
in GURPS Ultra-Tech and GURPS Ultra-Tech 2. As a $250,000, both are available [25]. C cell, replaced yearly.

SOFTWARE UPGRADES
Software design rarely remains static. New fea- Every two weeks (security software), every two months
tures need to be implemented, bugs fixed, security (research and information software), and every six
holes closed, and compatibility with other components months (other software) there is a 50% chance of need-
maintained or improved. Each new upgrade in turn ing an upgrade. Effects of missing an upgrade are as
causes a cascade of other upgrade requirements. Secu- above. Upgrades to software can also require more
rity software usually sees the fastest pace of change as storage space, be of higher complexity, or even require
security programmers and system crackers engage in specific types of computer hardware.
an arms race, but any software intended for conjunction Any change in the hardware the programs run on or
with other systems may need updating as time goes on. the addition of an entirely new application to the system
Changes to the hardware the application runs on or may also necessitate an upgrade. On a roll of 3d, a result
other programs on the same machine can also render a of 14-16 means that there is a minor incompatibility
given piece of software useless. In a worst-case sce- with one other application on the same system, as if an
nario, the manufacturer of a given application no longer upgrade interval had been missed. A roll of 17 means
exists, and the now-incompatible software must be that there is a major incompatibility with another appli-
replaced with a competing program – which in turn can cation, and that program does not working at all until
conflict with other parts of a system. upgraded. A roll of 18 means that the software and hard-
The simplest way to handle software upgrades is to ware are incompatible with each other, and the hardware
require users to acquire updates on a set schedule or itself will crash or perform erratically as long as the soft-
face a decrease in effectiveness. Security programs ware is loaded.
(antiviral, network defense, etc.) need to be updated Just because an upgrade is needed does not mean
monthly. Web-research and information-gathering pro- that one is available. On a roll of 3d, a result of 16 or 17
grams should be updated every four months. Applica- means that there is not an upgrade available this inter-
tions that only occasionally interact with other val. A roll of 18 means that the software manufacturer
programs or over the web can be updated annually. Any has gone out of business, and no upgrade will ever be
missed upgrade results in a cumulative -1 on any available. Treat replacement software as the addition of
checks made based on the software, such as breaking a entirely new software to the system.
code, finding relevant data, etc. Updates can cost up to 10% of the original cost of
A somewhat more complex method of handling the software.
updates uses shorter intervals but more variability.

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 TECHNOLOGY
Ear Replacement
Statistics: Standard ears give normal
hearing. Acute Hearing [2/level] can be NEW BRAINBUGS
added, up to +2 in each ear. Radio Hear-
Brainbugs, or nanodrugs that alter brain chemistry (p. TS163),
ing [10], Subsonic Hearing [5], and Ultra-
have an array of effects. Most are temporary, lasting for minutes or
hearing [5] can also be added.
hours, but side-effects can persist for a day or more. Brainbugs can
Operation: $5,000 for surgery,
have effects beyond those listed in Transhuman Space. Some
$2,000 for standard ear. $3,000 per point
(marked with an asterisk) are commonplace for street brainbugs.
in Acute Hearing. $6,000 each for Radio,
Effects: Alcohol Intolerance, Bloodlust, Careful, Chummy*,
Subsonic, or Ultrahearing.
Confused, Congenial, Cool (quirk)*, Doesn’t Sleep, Dull, Fearless
Eye Replacement 1-4*, Gregarious*, High Pain Threshold, Humble, Light Sleeper,
Low Empathy, Low Pain Threshold, Motion Sickness, Night-
Statistics: Standard eyes give normal
mares, Non-Iconographic, Oblivious, Prefrontal Lobotomy (only
sight. Acute Vision [2/level] can be
the effects not the actual surgery), Reduced Manual Dexterity,
added, up to +5, but must be bought in
Responsive, Selfless, Staid, Undiscriminating*, Versatile, Voices.
pairs.
Operation: $5,000 for surgery, “C-Love” Neuro-Agent
$7,000 for standard eye, can be purchased Effects: Gregarious [-10], Undiscriminating [-1], longer-term
singly. $9,000 each for +1; $12,000 each side effect of Non-Iconographic [-10]
for +2; $20,000 each for +3; $30,000 each Duration: Medium-term [(25-HT)/4 hours] for Gregarious and
for +4; $40,000 each for +5. Undiscriminating, long-term (one full day) for Non-Iconographic.
Agent: Patch.
Leg Replacement Cost: $10/dose. LC: 4.
Statistics: A single bionic leg must be
closely matched to the original to main- “Drenamax” Neuro-Agent
tain balance. Replacing both allows for Effects: Doesn’t Sleep [20]. At the end of the duration, user
Enhanced Move (Running) [10/level] up must sleep for 24 hours. If awakened before 24 hours have elapsed,
to +2 and Super Jump [10/level] +1. the user suffers a penalty to IQ and DX equivalent to the missed
Operation: $10,000 for surgery, hours (i.e., if the user is awakened after 20 hours of sleep, his IQ
$5,000 for single standard leg. $10,000 and DX will be at -4) until the missed sleep is made up. Every hour
each per level of Enhanced Move (Run- that the recovery sleep is delayed is -1 to IQ and DX. If either IQ
ning). $15,000 each for Super Jump +1. D or DX reaches 0, the user drops into a deep sleep from which he
cell, replaced yearly. cannot be awakened for 24 +3d hours. IQ and DX losses, if any, are
regained after recovery sleep.
IMPLANTS Duration: Long-term (3 full days) without sleep but at full
alertness.
Agent: Pill.
Controlled-Reality Implant Cost: $500/dose. LC: 5.
A dedicated virtual interface implant
(see p. TS150) that runs a specialized ver- “Jellybean” Neuro-Agent
sion of software (see p. TS142). The Effects: Flashbacks (Severe, No Fright Check -75%) [-5];
wearer has no control over the activation Lecherousness [-15] (Usually sees visions of attractive and compli-
or use of the system, and may not be ant members of the appropriate sex). Roll 3d, on an 18 (no modi-
aware that he has been implanted with the fiers) the hallucinations are of terrifying or violent images. In these
device. The images, sounds, and physical cases, use normal Flashbacks rules.
sensations experienced by the wearer are Duration: Short-term (25-HT minutes).
as real as any standard virtual experience. Agent: Pill.
A wearer of a controlled-reality implant Cost: $20/dose. LC: 3.
may come to believe that he is suffering
from hallucinations, and exhibit corre- A Decerebrate’s Guide to Brainbugs
sponding behaviors (see Flashbacks, p. This document provides a knowledge base, explaining how to
CI90). make your own brainbugs using a biofac (p. TS153). Complexity 6,
Implantation of a controlled-reality $1,000, LC 2.
implant is not typically by choice. The
system costs $1,000. LC 2.

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TECHNOLOGY
Peephole Implant condition of an area’s soil biome, plant chemistry,
An extremely limited form of sensory-link microbe population, water and air purity, compare the
device, the peephole implant gives a remote opera- analysis to known or modeled “ideal state” descrip-
tor a real-time display of what the implantee sees. tions, and attempt to move the area toward that ideal
The peephole data can be viewed with any virtual state. Ecoformers introduce microbes engineered to
interface, and does not require a downslink. The alter local soil chemistry, appropriate organic and
peephole does not allow for any control over the inorganic chemicals, and location-specific plants.
actions of the implanted wearer, and does not send The process is slow and about 65-90% effective. A
any sensory data other than vision. Implantation is network of ecoformers usually comprises several
fairly simple, however, and can be performed with- hundred dedicated cybershells of varying sizes, and
out access to a full Fifth Wave medical facility. A can clean up one acre of a toxic release in 24 hours.
peephole implant costs $1,000. LC 3. Repairing more complex damage, such as climate-
change-related effects or the use of ecoweapons, can
Puppet Implant (Limited) take five to 10 times as long. $750,000 for a standard
Modern puppet implants (p. TS150) are designed to ecoformer network.
give the controller full biopresence in the implanted body.
Earlier generations of puppet implants were far more limit-
Nanoformers
ed, usually transmitting only basic visual and motor senso- An updated version of traditional ecoformers,
ry data and allowing imprecise physical control. These nanoformers use microbot swarms and organic-molecule
earlier designs are still available, and are used in situations nanofacs to do essentially the same process, as well as pro-
where precise control is not needed or modern puppet tech- vide an “immune system” against further environmental
nology is not available. There is an additional -5 telepres- degradation. The developer, Nanosystems, claims that the
ence penalty (p. TS144) when working through a limited nanoformers are twice as fast as traditional ecoformers.
puppet implant either directly or remotely. Limited puppet Because of concerns about abuse, sales of nanoformers
systems typically have visible external hardware. They are have been suspended. $2,750,000 (when available), LC 3
available for one-fifth the price of a regular puppet implant. currently.
LC 1 (humans), LC 4 (animals).

LAW ENFORCEMENT
ECOLOGICAL EQUIPMENT
EQUIPMENT Many Fifth Wave technologies are available to the
developing-world police forces at reduced rates or free.
Biosampler
An automated system for analyzing organic materials,
a biosampler must be in physical contact with the material
CRIME INVESTIGATION AND
to be tested, although a very tiny amount (1 milligram) is PREVENTION EQUIPMENT
sufficient for analysis. Biosamplers provide detailed lists of
chemicals present in the sample and perform genome Behavior Monitors
assays. A biosampler must be linked to a Complexity 4 or Dedicated NAI and software used in conjunction with
greater computer and a specific database to provide useful camera and p-tag monitoring system to watch for anom-
information. Common databases used with biosamplers alous behavior. People preparing to engage in criminal
include the GRA Registered Genemod database (all genet- activity (theft, robbery, vandalism, etc.) usually move dif-
ic modifications recorded by the GRA), the Global Wildlife ferently from “normal” crowds. Behavior monitors pick up
database (known genomes of most Earth plants and animal on aberrant behavior and notify the police. If a behavior-
species), and the Interpol database (specific genome data monitor system is in place where a crime is about to be
for criminals). $1,000, 2 lbs., B (6 hours.) committed, roll against the system’s IQ + Alertness score.
For example, if a complexity 5 behavior-monitor software
Ecoformers (with a +4 Alertness bonus) is loaded on an IQ 11 NAI, the
A network of biochemical-analysis systems, biofacs, GM rolls against a score of 15 to determine whether the
and dedicated organic-chemistry minifacs used to restore system picked up on an incipient crime. The system
an area of Earth to a more-or-less natural, healthy state. usually provides 1d minutes warning of a possible
Ecoformers are designed to analyze the present crime.

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 TECHNOLOGY
Complexity 5 Behavior Monitor System: +4 complex than that in the Fifth Wave world. It is also
Alertness. $3,000 (plus cost of computer, cameras, p- somewhat easier to get on the black and gray markets.
tags, and other monitoring hardware).
Complexity 7 Behavior Monitor System: +8 Alertness. Carbonweave Armor
$75,000 (plus cost of computer, cameras, etc.). The standard mid-21st-century military
armor, carbonweave is easy to find. Using
Lie Detector an advanced (for the time) carbon-fiber
It has been known for much of the last century that material, it is more effective than Kevlar but
conscious deception induces a specific pattern of brain not as lightweight as more-modern armors.
activity. By 2040, magnetic-imaging brainscanner technol- Carbonweave is used by developing-world
ogy was sophisticated enough to decisively distinguish police, and in smaller urban areas in the hyperdeveloped
between deception patterns and random brain noise, and states. The vest covers torso and vitals; the suit covers neck
moved from the lab to the field over subsequent decades. to toe. DR (not PD) is halved versus impaling attacks.
Most law-enforcement departments now have access to one Medium: PD 2, DR 16. $500, 5 lbs. for a vest; $900,
or more brainscanners used as lie-detection devices. The 15 lbs. for a full suit. LC 4.
person scanned must be seated and minimally cooperative; Heavy: PD 2, DR 36. $1,000, 9 lbs. for a vest; $2,000,
lie detectors cannot be used at a distance. These lie detec- 25 lbs. for a full suit. LC 4.
tors give an effective Detect Lies skill of 20, which substi-
tutes for the Detect Lies skill of the person running the
scanner. These devices can only indicate when the per-
son examined is being consciously deceptive (including
not telling the “whole” truth), and does not pick up false- CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATIONS
hoods that the teller is unaware are untrue. $100,000, The development of Fourth Wave forensic technology has
100 lbs., runs off of building power. revolutionized law enforcement. Being able to match genetic
material to an international-population database has eased the

FORENSIC EQUIPMENT process of identifying suspects. Aegis film, which repels

organic material, helped to reduce the contamination of sam-
ples, further simplifying forensic investigation.
Aegis Film Sheets Genome- and proteome-analysis devices are early-Fourth-
Aegis film, developed in 2065, has a specially Wave technology, readily available to the police forces in larg-
designed molecular shape and electrostatic charge that er Third Wave cities. Contamination-reducing equipment is a
repels over 99% of all organic material it contacts. Used more recent development, but Nimes Biochemie, the French
to seal off a crime scene by covering the exterior of win- developer of Aegis film, provides aggressive pricing for law-
dows, doors, and any accessible openings, Aegis film enforcement agencies worldwide. A pirated version of Aegis is
sheets – and Aegis film tents, used outdoors – improve also in wide use in TSA states.
the likelihood of a forensic examination finding relevant The basic in-situ forensic-examination process is simple.
biological detritus. Use of Aegis film at a crime scene The crime scene is sealed off as much as possible with sheets
gives a +4 bonus to Criminology or Forensics rolls to of Aegis film – outdoors, a tent is used. The examination team,
find biological evidence. $500 per 10’ × 10’ sheet dressed in Aegis-film suits, enters the crime scene. If able, the
($5,000 for non-law-enforcement customers), 1 lb. team uses a cleanlock – this washes and sterilizes the suits – to
enter the area. All surfaces are examined by forensic microbot
Aegis Film Suit swarms. Vacuum systems sample the air and check locations
In order to prevent contamination of a crime scene, that the forensic microbots may have missed.
Aegis film suits are used. Also employed in biohazard All collected material is identified by type, and any bio-
clean-ups. Has sufficient oxygen for 4 hours of work, logical material undergoes a genomic and proteomic check.
one size fits most. $250, ($2,500 for non-law- The age of the material can be determined to a rough six-hour
enforcement customers), 3.5 lbs. window, if environmental conditions at the crime scene are
known. Human and parahuman DNA is checked against genet-
ic databases. Uplift, bioshell, and bioroid DNA is checked for
SUITS AND an encoded manufacturer serial number and a DNA-serial code
(a BIN – Body Identification Number). Bioshell or bioroid

PERSONAL ARMOR DNA without those numbers is considered suspect, as it was

likely created by an unlicensed (or TSA) facility. The BIN
includes a unique serial number, manufacturer code, date of
Body armor in the developing and Third Wave birth, and original design-type specification.
regions is generally cheaper, less rugged, and less

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TECHNOLOGY
Utility Combat Armor Equipment
Widely used and relatively inexpensive, utility- Body: Very-Long-Range Tight-Beam Radio, 20 mile
combat armor combines a carbonweave suit with a ceram- Thermographic sensor, Radar/Ladar detector, Mili-
ic-fiber cuirass. The cuirass is comfortable while carrying a tary GPS, Cheap Small Complexity 5 computer (typ-
full load, although it is relatively heavy. Takes three min- ical). Basic Stealth.
utes to put on or remove. PD 3, DR 45 over torso (locations
9-11, 17-18 only), as medium carbonweave otherwise. Statistics
$3.000, 40 lbs. for full suit (both cuirass and carbonweave). Size: 12’ long Payload: 900 lbs. Lwt: 6,400 lbs.
LC 3. Volume: 169 cf Maint: 74 hours
Price: $26,675 + computer.

TRANSPORTATION HT: 25/600 HP: 600 [body], 56 [each wheel].

gSpeed: 101 gAccel: 4.6 gDecel: 15 gMR:1 gSR: 5

Vehicles in the less-developed world range from Moderate GP. Off-road speed 34.
decades-old models and cheap designs to the latest in Fifth
Wave chic (carefully smuggled). Very old designs are still
available for 10 to 20% of their standard cost. These are Linbao Systems Jian Light Urban
usually alcohol-fuel conversions, which reduces power Combat Vehicle
output by 15%. See GURPS Vehicles (p. 84) for details.
A Chinese design from the 2060’s, the Jian – more
Light Strike Vehicle commonly called the “luck-vee” – is one of the most com-
mon light-combat vehicles on Earth. Solid engineering,
The Joint Tactical Electric Vehicle (JTEV) was the
off-the-shelf components, and versatile design have kept
standard light-reconnaissance and striker vehicle for
this model in use in much of the developing world. The
NATO from the 2020s through the 2040s. Although long
six off-road wheels give it decent performance on and off
retired from frontline use in the hyperdeveloped world, the
road. The alcohol-burning ceramic engine is easy to
basic design – commonly called a Light Strike Vehicle, or
repair, and runs for 8 hours on a full tank. Carbon-com-
LSV – is still found worldwide in both civilian and mili-
posite armor provides decent small-arms protection.
tary roles, due to its simplicity and high performance. The
The standard turret-mounted weapon is a 20mm auto-
price reflects its older design and components, but current-
cannon (full rotation, universal mount, and 5,000 rounds of
generation rechargeable E-cells.
ammunition), but it is easily replaced with a water cannon
The standard model has a crew of two (driver, gunner)
for police duties. The standard model has a crew of two
and room for one passenger in an open-frame,
(driver, commander/gunner) and room for six seated, two
wheeled package. Foamed-Alloy armor
standing passengers; main exit is a rear hatch. The most-
provides reasonable protection. Two
common modification makes it a cybershell-only carrier,
modular hardpoints on the top front of
with room for 10 MCS-52 or four MCS-64 units and
the LSV support a wide variety of
equipment. A point-defense laser is a common retrofit.
equipment, from light-weapon sys-
tems, to tight-beam telepresence
Subassemblies: Body, turret, six off-road wheels.
transceivers, to point-defense lasers.
Powertrain: 300 kW standard ceramic engine, 300-kW
Fully electric, it presents a minimal heat
wheeled drivetrain with all-wheel drive, and one E-
signature, and is very hard to detect under
Cell (20kWh) battery.
cover; most units are constructed with stealth in mind.
Fuel: 86-gallon self-sealing alcohol fuel tank provides 8
hours of full-power output from ceramic engine. Bat-
Subassemblies: Body, four off-road wheels, 2× open
tery provides power for autocannon and auxiliary
mount.
systems.
Powertrain: 100-kW wheeled drivetrain with all-wheel
Occupancy: 2 NCS, 6 CS, 2 CSR Cargo: 50 cf
drive, improved suspension and brakes, off-road
tires, and 25 E-cell (500kWh) batteries.
Armor F RL B T U
Fuel: Energy bank provides drivetrain power for up to 5
All: 5/50 4/50 5/50 4/50 4/50
hours, and otherwise powers auxiliary systems.
Occupancy: 2 NCS, 1 NS Cargo: 15 cf
Equipment
Body: Very-Long-Range Tight-Beam Radio, 20 mile
Armor F RL B T U
Thermographic Sensor, Radar/Ladar Detector,
All: 5/20 3/20 3/20 3/20 3/20
Searchlight, Military GPS, Cheap Small Complexity
5 Computer.

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 TECHNOLOGY
Turret: Searchlight, 20mm Autocannon (see below, punch as the PDWs popular in the Fifth Wave police
p. 138) on full-rotation, universal mount. 5,000 and militaries, it is somewhat more accurate. $1,000.
rounds of ammunition standard. Often replaced with
a water cannon. Point-Defense Laser
A light laser designed to destroy small
Statistics missiles, a Point-Defense Laser fires three
Size: 20’ long Payload: 5,550 lbs. Lwt: 21,000 lbs. pulses a second and can be installed in a uni-
Volume: 487 cf Maint: 44 hours Price: $46,000 versal or casemate mount for easy installation
in a cybershell or small vehicle, along with an
HT: 16/1200 HP: 1200 [body], 75 [wheels], 113 [turret]. integral power pack for 30 shots. In this case it
weighs 25 lbs., takes up 0.5 cf (0.1 VSP), and costs $2,225.
gSpeed: 96 gAccel: 4 gDecel: 15 gMR:0.75 gSR: 5 If powered from a vehicular power pack, the Point-
High GP. Off-road speed 24. Defense Laser drains 0.0033 kWh per shot.

Spike SAM
WEAPONS The Spike SAM is representative of relatively inex-
pensive air-defense systems widely available on the glob-
Although advanced weapons from the Fifth Wave al arms market. The basic system consists of a
world do sometimes make it into the developing regions, fire-and-forget missile in a disposable launch tube with a
most available arms are based on older designs. The Xuan reusable grip. The missile has an onboard Complexity 4
Feng battle rifle can be found in the armories of the major- computer and five-mile PESA for guidance, with a one-
ity of Third Wave nations. Guns from the earliest decades mile datalink capability. The missile is boosted to its top
of the 21st century can still be found in more remote loca- speed of 2,000 mph within one second of leaving the
tion, as they are usually quite simple, rugged, and reliable, launch tube and has a 30 second endurance, giving an
although they have largely been replaced by effective engagement range of over 15 miles. The missile
mass-produced, cheap BCRs. has a modular 60mm warhead (see pp. TS158-159) and is
armored with a DR 10 coating (stealth is optional). 10.5
Autocannon lbs., $4,380.
Representative of older vehicle-mounted solid-shot
weapons, the autocannon is usually loaded with armor- Switchblade LAM
piercing shells. Original price at manufacture was $12,500; Typical of the cheap Light Assault Missile systems
when purchased on the black market, older models usually intended for anti-personnel and anti-materiel use, and
run 20 to 50% of this, depending upon maintenance. Cost found worldwide. Both 30mm and 60mm versions are
of single shot is $1. common. The disposable fire-and-forget missile has a
Complexity 4 computer and optical guidance system. With
Basic Combat Rifle (BCR) a top speed of a bit more than 1,000 mph and an endurance
Known generically as BCRs, these are mass-produced of just under 8 seconds, the Switchblade has an effective
weapons, made to be as cheap and disposable as possible. engagement range of about two miles, although it’s typi-
The standard design uses electric ignition and is complete- cally used well within that range. HEMP rounds (see p.
ly sealed, although dozens of variants can be found world- TS158) are standard. 30mm: 5.9 lbs., $766. 60mm: 9.3
wide. Popular models (with largely cosmetic differences) lbs., $947.
include the Hammerhead, the Mk99, and the Forza. There
are several BCR-builder programs available for minifacs, Xuan Feng, 30×30mm
designed to make use of available materials. Effectiveness and 5.6×45mm CL
will vary, depending upon which program was used and Based on designs used by China in the early decades
what component materials were available. $150. of the 21st century, the Xuan Feng (“tornado”) is relative-
ly simple to produce and use. Like the Battle Rifle used by
Enkidu Fifth Wave nations, the Xuan Feng combines a 5.6mm
The standard sidearm of the Ghazi and Mutawi’yyun, slugthrower with a 30mm grenade launcher; unlike the
the Enkidu (named for Gilgamesh’s companion in Baby- more modern weapon, the Xuan Feng cannot use smart
lonian mythology) has a substantial underground market ammunition, and is outfitted with standard armor-piercing
outside of the Caliphate. A caseless, electric-ignition caseless bullets and high-explosive grenades. Standard
machine pistol, the Enkidu is remarkably well balanced, so load is a 40-round APS magazine and 2-round grenade
that while its 9mm bullet doesn’t pack quite the same magazine. The Xuan Feng does not require a virtual or
heads-up display, but can be outfitted with one. $600.

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WEAPON TABLE
Weapon Type Dam SS Acc 1/2D Max. Wt. RoF Shots ST Rcl Cost LC
Guns (Light Automatic or Pistol)
BCR (5mm) Cr. 5d 11 10+2 500 3,200 11 12* 30+1 10 -1 $150 1
Enkidu (9mm) Cr. 2d+2 9 8 190 1,800 3.5 15* 15 10 -1 $1,000 2
Guns (Light Automatic) & Guns (Missile)
Xuan Feng: 12 $600 1
– 5.6mm lt. Auto Cr. 5d. 11 11+1 440 3,200 16** 30+1 9 -1
– 30mm missile Cr.++ 12d-1 12 10 500 500 3~ 3 – 0
Guns (Missile)
Switchblade (30mm) Exp. Spcl. 12 – 2,400 2,400 5.9 1NR 1 – 0 $766 1
Switchblade (60mm) Exp. Spcl. 12 – 3,900 3,900 9.3 1NR 1 – 0 $947 1
Gunner (Chaingun)
Autocannon (20mm) Cr. 18d (2) 20 15 1,500 6,100 135 100 5,000 Veh. -1 $12,500 1
Gunner (Beams)
Point Defense Laser Imp. 3d 17 17 720 1,400 15.8 3~ Spcl. – 0 $2,180 1

effective against P8 locusts are now on the market, but

UNCONVENTIONAL more expensive than most developing-world farmers can

afford. Unavailable commercially, P8 swarms must be
engineered in a bio lab. LC 0.
WARFARE Strategic Ecoweapons
Areoformers: As used by the terror group Red Right
Cybershells, satellites, and cutting-edge weapon tech-
Hand, areoformers are a sub-class of ecoformers designed
nology give the hyperdeveloped states a distinct advantage
to convert a small region of land into a pseudo-Martian
over their enemies in any conflict. As a result, some oppo-
environment. Plants are hit with a fast-acting defoliant, all
nents of the Fifth Wave world seek out weapons that can
microbial life in the soil is exterminated, and ultraviolet
give them their own advantage.
radiation is used to break down organic material. The sys-
tems sterilize the ground and bring it as close as possible
ECOWEAPONS to the pre-terraform Martian soil chemistry. A single net-
work of areoformers can render lifeless 1 acre of normal
Ecological weapons are designed to attack the oppo-
nent’s environment instead of its people. Tactical Earth territory per 24-hour period. $1,000,000. LC 0.
ecoweapons are fairly obvious when used, but strategic Skunkbug: Skunkbug is a tailored retrovirus, targeting
devices, which create long-term changes, are difficult to specific edible plants. Over the course of several growing
detect until it’s too late. Ecoweapons sometimes use lay- seasons, the retrovirus adds a gradually increasing harm-
ered defenses against counter-measures (pp. 76-77). less but foul skunk-like scent/flavor protein to the plant
genome. The food becomes entirely inedible and unpleas-
Tactical Ecoweapons ant to be around. As it attacks at the DNA level, seeds from
Lux: A fast-acting defoliant, Lux is sprayed from air- infected plants continue to carry the protein. The only way
craft at night, as it breaks down into harmless component to stop an infection is to destroy the crop and plant from an
chemicals under direct sunlight. One gallon of Lux can kill entirely new seed stock. Unavailable commercially, it must
over a dozen acres of plants in a matter of several hours. be produced in a bio lab. LC 0.
Animal life hit with Lux is poisoned and has mild nausea
– reduce HT by 2 for 24 hours. $7,500/gal. LC 1.
Pharaoh8: Pharaoh8 (P8) is a genemod for locusts,
EXPLOSIVES
Blowing things up remains a very effective method of
making them resistant to standard insecticides, sterile, and eliminating problems in 2100. Because of the improve-
even more ravenously hungry than normal. P8 locusts have ments in medical technology, bombs are more reliable
an active swarm life of only 1 month, but in that time than bullets as means of killing people. Chemscanners
can devastate an agricultural region. Insecticides

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 TECHNOLOGY
and chemsniffers (see p. TS151) are deployed A simple, one-kiloton fission device (such as the
throughout most urban environments to detect known Mini-Nuke, below) has a destruction area of 1,100-
explosives. Cyberdogs (see p. FW121) and K10A postca- yard radius, totally destroying everything for much of that
nines (see p. TS118) are also used extensively to detect area (a one-kiloton bomb does 6d×4,000,000 damage in
explosives. the center, 6d×2,000,000 at 64-128 yards, 6d×1,000,000 at
128-192 yards, and so forth). If a bomb does not achieve a
Binary/Trinary Explosives proper fission reaction, it “fizzles,” meaning that it
In order to avoid detection by chemsniffers, terrorists explodes before all of the fissile material can achieve crit-
use binary and trinary explosives. Binary explosives ical density. The explosive power of a fizzle is much lower
require the mixture of two otherwise-harmless chemicals – on the order of 10 tons of TNT – but radioactive materi-
in order to detonate; trinary explosives require three. Indi- al is spread across an area roughly the size of the maxi-
vidual components are typically non-volatile, and may be mum potential blast.
relatively commonplace. Constructing a component-based GURPS High-Tech has an extended discussion of
explosive is a Chemistry-2 or Demolitions-2 task for each nuclear weapons and their effects (pp. HT29-30).
component; attempting to construct one that uses moder- Mini-Nuke: One-kiloton nuclear device, does
ately innocuous components is a Chemistry-4 or Demoli- 6d×4,000,000 explosive damage. 12.5 lbs., $25,000. Com-
tions-4 task. If successful, the result will typically have a mercially available from Freehaven and Liang Mountain
Relative Explosive Force of 1.2 (see p. HT25). asteroid enclaves for mining operations. Illegal to import
Security personnel are acutely aware of the risks of to Earth. LC 0.
binary and trinary explosives. In 2098, Pan-Asia Transit
Flight 44 suffered an on-board explosion, causing the
transatmospheric plane to crash into the Indian Ocean,
killing a Thai diplomat. Fragmentary records recovered
from passenger AR systems show that just prior to the
explosion, a male-female couple (both identified as former
Thai TSA agents) entered the plane’s lavatory. The agents
likely had binary-explosive components painted onto their
bodies.

NNBC WEAPONS
(NUCLEAR/NANO/BIO/CHEM)
While ecological weapons target the environment,
mass destruction devices target human civilization itself.
So-called “NBC Weapons” – Nuclear/Biological/Chemi-
cal – have been joined by early Nano weapons. All four of
these types have two major aspects in common: they are
terrifying (such that governments will use extraordinary
means to prevent or respond to NNBC attacks) and they
are very difficult to make work. Producing functional
NNBC weapons requires a great deal of expertise and
optimal conditions. Nanotech Weapons
Nuclear Weapons Nanotechnology in 2100 remains too fragile to be
readily used for mass destruction. There are substantial
Extraordinarily devastating, nuclear weapons have
concerns, nonetheless; the “gray-goo” scenario, in which
been used only a handful of times in human history. The
assembler nanomachines convert everything they touch
eight great powers, along with a few of the regional pow-
into undifferentiated sludge, is widely feared. Fortunately, it
ers, have the infrastructure to build and deliver nuclear
is pure fiction. Nanomachines that can operate outside of
warheads. The fear of terrorist use faded over the 21st cen-
controlled environments don’t exist yet and it has long been
tury, as a move away from nuclear-fission power made
understood by nanotechnologists that even an intentional
weapons-grade material increasingly difficult to acquire.
“gray-goo” attack, once technologically possible, wouldn’t
The attempted nuclear attack on the Martian beanstalk and
go far. A disassembly process would put out a great deal of
the availability of industrial nukes (for use in asteroid-min-
heat, and the faster it went, the more heat would be pro-
ing operations) have revived old fears, however.
duced. A real “gray-goo” attack would simply be too
slow and be too easily detected to do much damage.

139
TECHNOLOGY
– nanosymbionts must be swallowed or introduced
into the bloodstream. While this makes them poor
PROTEUS WEAPONS weapons for mass use, they are ideal for targeted or
cluster assaults.
The proteus nanovirus (see p. TS165) can be delivered Nanotech weapons are rarely found, even on the
via aerosol and alters genetic information, rewriting DNA or black market. Construction of a nanotech weapon is an
inserting new genes, making it ideal for subtle nanotechno- Engineer (Nanotechnology) task, and requires a Fifth
logical attacks. Current-generation proteus nanoviruses can- Wave nanofabrication lab. Initial creation takes one
not survive in the wild (outside of a body or controlled week, if based on a known design; costs listed with a *
conditions) for more than 10 seconds before breaking apart; are fabrication costs for the initial nanoweapon. Subse-
subsequent generations will likely be more robust. The two quent production of the same design takes one day, at
known incidents of proteus-based attacks are more akin to one-tenth the cost.
pranks than terror, both believed to have been carried out by Cellular Disruptors: Causes breakdown of the cell
the same individual. membrane and cytoplasm proteins. The cells collapse
Doolittle: In 2089, hunters in the Colorado Rockies and die; this is one of the few nanomod weapons that
reported deer cooperating – “ganging up,” in one man’s can be applied to the skin surface. Roll against HT-4
words – to attack the men hunting them. Another hiker in the upon the initial attack and every five minutes after. If the
same area told police that he saw a bear using an old back- victim fails, he takes 1d damage; if he succeeds, he takes
pack as a portable storage for fish. These stories were dis- 1 point of damage. Two successes in a row, or one criti-
missed until a group of raccoons defeated relatively cal success, are required for the attack to end. If applied
sophisticated security systems to break into houses. When to the skin surface, the nanomod can be washed off eas-
the local police managed to kill one of the raccoons, scien- ily, but will still deliver its initial damage. $150,000*.
tists discovered that it had a substantially more complex LC -1.
brain than was normal for its species. Eight years of investi- Immunophages: Attack natural and boosted
gation led to the discovery of antigovernment crusader immune systems. All HT rolls to resist infection are
Richard Law Taylor’s “Doolittle” virus, a germline alter- reduced by 1 per week for 20-HT weeks. If the victim
ation that increased brain complexity and resulted in sur- has Immune to Disease (or nanomods that provide lim-
prisingly adaptable, and often dangerous, behavior in the ited immunity to diseases), treat his effective resist
modified lines. Doolittle (which is actually an assortment of bonus as +12 initially (e.g., four weeks after an
variants, each designed for a particular species) provides a immunophage attack, a person with the Immune to Dis-
+1 to IQ. Since 2090, more than 1500 Doolittle-infected ani- ease advantage would have a +8 to disease resistance,
mals have been found across North America. not total immunity). Roll for resist at HT-4 each week to
Monkeybite: One of the most sophisticated proteus avoid effects that week (guardian nano applies).
strains ever seen in any environment, its 2094 release was $75,000*. LC 0.
announced in an anonymous message to the GRA that sim- Nanonuclease: Attacks DNA and reduces the
ply said “beware the monkey’s bite.” Monkeybite is encased body’s ability to heal itself. Nanonuclease have the
in a polymorphic version of rhinovirus, and is able to pass effect of two levels of the Slow Healing disadvantage.
unnoticed through any disease resistance and immunity (The victim gets a HT roll to regain lost HT once every
treatments that haven’t been updated in the past five years. three days.) A person hit with nanonuclease checks HT
When a person is infected, the proteus payload overwrites to resist on the initial attack, and then once monthly. If
sections of the genome related to body hair. Over a period of not cleared, they will also reduce the age at which aging
several months, a victim will start to grow thick, wiry hair begins, and at which rolls increase in frequency, by 10
all over his body, similar to that of a chimpanzee. The only years. Nanonuclease and carcinophage nano effectively
other symptom is the initial nasal infection, which includes cancel each other out. $110,000*. LC 0.
much sneezing, spreading the infection; after that passes, Nanophages: Aggressively hunt down all nanosym-
aside from the sudden hairiness, the victim will be in other- bionts, temporary or permanent, and destroys them.
wise normal health. It took nearly 9 months for Ambrosia Nanophage nano clears a body of all nanomachines on
Kliniken AG to come up with a curative therapy. Cases still a 14 or less, except for guardian nano (p. TS165) and
pop up occasionally. shield nano (see below). They are fully effective against
nanoburn attacks (p. TS158). Nanophages take about
one hour to clear a body of nano, and remain in a system
Instead, nanotech weapons based on nanosymbionts for 24 hours. Not available as a permanent nanomod.
are of increasing concern. Most are based on medical $20,000/–. LC 2.
nanomods (pp. TS164-165), and can inflict significant Neural Disruptors: Attacks the myelin sheaths of
damage on a biological organism. The main obstacle to nerves, interfering with proper nerve communication.
wider use of nanoweapons is the delivery mechanism Victim is allowed one HT roll at onset of attack to

140
 TECHNOLOGY
avoid effects (guardian nano applies). Reduces DX improper contact with newly created female
by 1 per hour for 20-HT hours; if DX is reduced to 0, bioroids. Believed to be extinct in the wild.
the victim is killed. DX loss is regained at a maxi- Viral Dystrophy: Aerosolized, extremely viru-
mum of 1 DX per week; roll HT weekly to regain a lent, and terrible for its victims, viral dystrophy
point of DX. A nanophage treatment eliminates the emerged in mid-21st century central Africa. Created
neural disruptor nano in about an hour; subsequent during the breakup of the Democratic Republic of the
recovery of DX is as normal injury recovery. Congo, it is considered one of the worst war crimes.
$90,000*. LC 0. Before a treatment could be devised – a treatment
Shields: Not a nanoweapon per se, shield nano which only stopped the virus, but did not cure its vic-
acts as a defense for attacking nano, reducing the tims – nearly a million Africans had been infected.
effectiveness of guardian and nanophage protection. Once infected, the victim rolls a recovery HT
If shield nano is used, guardian nano provides only check once for each limb. If successful, the disease
a +4 to resist a nano attack (and no-resist nano will does not affect that limb. Multiple limbs may be
be eliminated on a 10 or less), and nanophages are affected; if the victim succeeds all the HT checks, the
only be able to destroy other nano on a 10 or less (8 disease passes. Over the course of several weeks, the
or less if targeted nanophages). Shield nano lasts no victim wastes away, and the muscles in the extremi-
more than two weeks before losing effectiveness. ties wither, reducing ST and DX by 1 each day in that
$30,000/–. LC 1. limb until the limb is useless. The current treatment
Targeted Nanophages: Hunts down and destroy for viral dystrophy kills the virus and stop further
only a specific nanosymbiont model. They clear the degradation, but does not restore lost ST or DX.
particular nanomod from a body on a roll of 12 or less By the time the disease runs its course – it is rarely
(shield nano reduces this). $7,500/–. LC 2-4 (depends directly fatal – victims are typically unable to walk or feed
upon the target). themselves. Some have limbs replaced with cybernetic
equivalents; others tried experimental biotech treatments.
Biological Weapons Viral dystrophy was widely considered extinct until the
Biological attacks using natural organisms are diffi- Chinese terror group I Ho Ch’uan used it against
cult at best. Most killer microbes don’t survive outside of government officials in Taipei in 2098.
specific environmental conditions. Moreover, modern bio-
medicine is able to prevent many types of infection. Chemical Weapons
Human-engineered germs pose greater threats (see By far the simplest mass-destruction weapon to make,
Disease, pp. 74-75). The increasing sophistication of chemical weapons are most useful in enclosed area. Out-
biotechnology has led to some frightening new strains. doors, wind disperses a chemical in a matter of minutes
Counteragents are usually available in a matter of hours or (20 minutes minus 1 minute per mph of ambient wind).
days after a sample is brought to a Fourth-Wave-level lab- Inside, chemical weapons remain concentrated, and retain
oratory, but that can be enough time for the disease vector full effect until the area is ventilated. Some chemicals per-
to do considerable damage. In addition, engineered dis- sist on surfaces, so standard procedure in the case of a
eases have been known to mutate and re-emerge. Well- chemical attack includes a thorough biohazard clean-up.
known examples include: Nerve Gas (Sarin): Deadlier than mustard gas (see p.
Hanta (E) Virus: A variant hantavirus strain released B132), nerve gases (such as Sarin) cause 2d points of dam-
in 2085, designed to activate only in the presence of a cer- age per minute of exposure and can be absorbed through
tain genetic marker common to Exogenesis-created lungs or skin. Victims who lose over half their HT contin-
bioroids. The effects of Hanta (E) are terrible. Initial symp- ue to take damage after they escape the gas. Nerve gas con-
toms occur one to five weeks after exposure, and include taminates an area for 3d hours after use, although strong
fatigue, fever, and sore muscles. Daily recovery rolls are wind disperses it (as above). Atropine sulfate halts the
made at -4; critical success means the disease is thrown effects of nerve gas, but is itself a poison, incapacitating
off. Four to 10 days after the initial phase, late symptoms the recipient for 2d hours.
occur, including persistent painful coughing and shortness Anyone with the Engineer (Chemical) or Chemistry
of breath. Daily recovery HT rolls are made at -2, with crit- skills can try to create nerve gas, although the process is dif-
ical failure meaning the loss of 1 HT per hour until death, ficult; attempts are at -5 to the Engineer (Chemical) or
failure meaning the loss of 1d HT, success meaning the Chemistry skill checks. Each attempt takes 6 weeks and
loss of 2 HT, and a critical success meaning the loss of 1 $500,000 with a Second Wave laboratory. Each successive
HT and the disease is thrown off. If untreated, the disease improvement in laboratory technology cuts the time and
requires a critical HT roll success to survive. Modern med- expense by half (i.e., in a Fifth Wave lab, nerve gas pro-
icines treat Hanta (E) successfully, although recovery still duction requires 5 days and $67,500). Success produces
takes two to four weeks. Hanta (E) was created by a enough nerve gas to affect 10,000 square feet.
former Manticore Biotech employee fired for

141
 BIBLIOGRAPHY
FICTION NONFICTION
Effinger, George Alec. When Gravity Fails (Bantam Armesto, Felipe. Millennium (Simon and Schuster,
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Gibson, William. Count Zero (Ace, 1987). One of the Arquilla, John and David Ronfeldt. The Advent of Net-
novels set in the Neuromancer universe. Focuses on a team of war (RAND, 1996). Short, insightful, even prescient, the
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escape the clutches of a mega corporation. Paradigmatic Barber, Benjamin. Jihad vs. McWorld (Times Books,
cyberpunk. 1995). Controversial but powerful examination of the conflict
Gibson, William. Idoru (Berkley, 1997). Digital per- between tradition and globalization.
formers, fabrication devices, and a panopticon web shape this Brand, Stewart. The Clock of the Long Now (Basic
future. This one and its follow-up, All Tomorrow’s Parties, are Books, 1999). Why long-term thinking is hard to do but
particularly good. important. Particularly useful in its distinctions between the
Kozko, Bart. Nanotime (Avon, 1997). The father of pace of technological change versus that of social change.
“fuzzy logic” tries his hand at science fiction. A good mix of Brin, David. The Transparent Society (Perseus, 1999).
politics, culture, and emerging technologies set in a not-very- The noted science fiction author takes a crack at coming up
distant future. with a future society, and devises something both compelling
Macleod, Ken. The Star Fraction (Tor, 2001). The first in and horrifying.
a series of novels set in a future of post-Communist and post- Brooks, Rodney. Flesh and Machines (Pantheon, 2002).
Libertarian factionalism, emergent AIs, and an ongoing war The state of robotics now, and where it might go. Particularly
between those on either side of the Singularity. Later novels valuable in its insights into human-machine interactions.
include The Stone Canal and The Cassini Division. Diamond, Jared. Guns, Germs, and Steel (Norton, 1997).
Nagata, Linda. The Bohr Maker (Spectra, 1995). A hard Another history book, this one looks at the interaction
science SF novel that brings together nanotechnology, aug- between technology and society in the conflict between cul-
mentation, and politics in a gripping story. tures. Not without its critics, but still very useful.
Pelevin, Victor. Babylon (Faber and Faber, 2000). Russ- Garrett, Laurie. The Coming Plague (Farrar Straus
ian science fiction that manages to link memetics, drugs, Giroux, 1994). Technical but well-written examination of
advertising, and economic ruin. Highly recommended. germs and viruses, and how they react to human medicine.
Robinson, Kim Stanley. The Martians (Bantam Books, Huntington, Samuel. The Clash of Civilizations (Simon
2000). A collection of short stories (largely) set in the same and Schuster, 1996). Thought-provoking book on the broader
universe as the Red/Green/Blue Mars trilogy. Many of the cultural conflict between the West, China, and Islam. Very
stories focus on what happens when humans develop much- controversial.
extended lifespans. Lessig, Lawrence. The Future of Ideas: The Fate of the
Stephenson, Neil. Snow Crash (Bantam Doubleday Dell, Commons in a Connected World (Random House, 2001).
1993). Viruses (both biological and digital), Sumerian histo- Detailed, thoughtful examination of the nature of intellectual
ry, and a deeply consumer-oriented future make this story property in a digital age.
both unusual and amusing. Lynch, Aaron. Thought Contagion (Basic Books, 1996).
Sterling, Bruce. Islands in the Net (Ace, 1989). A cyber- A handy guide to memetics.
punk classic, Islands explores biotech, great power politics, Stock, Gregory. Redesigning Humans (Houghton Mif-
and the power of ideas. Despite its references to the Soviet flin, 2002). An examination of what is possible in the re-engi-
Union, the scenario described holds up surprisingly well. neering of the human genome. Somewhat conservative in
Sterling, Bruce. Heavy Weather (Bantam Spectra, 1996). comparison to the Transhuman Space future, but very well-
Sterling takes a look at what happens when the climate gets grounded in bioscience.
really bad. No, really bad. Toffler, Alvin. Power Shift (Bantam, 1990). The origina-
Sterling, Bruce. Zeitgeist (Bantam Books, 2001). Com- tor of the “Third Wave” concept spells out a model for under-
bines pop music, Central Asian mafias, and memetic engi- standing changes in the nature of international relations
neering. Set in an all-too-believable present, it’s a classic brought on by new technology.
Sterling romp.

142
INDEX
A Decerebrate’s Guide to Brainbugs, Bioroids, 18, 35, 66, 85, 121-122. Detect Lies skill, 134. GURPS Cyberworld, 23.
133. Biosampler, 134. Developing world, 9, 14, 21, 62-63, GURPS High-Tech, 139.
Abolitionism, 18. Biosphere Management Group, 78. 66, 128; rights, 59. GURPS Special Ops, 23.
Acquisitions Directorate, 44, 50, 52, Biotech Euphrates, 10, 121. Digital Freedom Movement GURPS Ultra-Tech, 132.
62. Biotechnology, 13, 69, 77-78. (“Infosocialism Lite”), 19. GURPS Ultra-Tech 2, 132.
Acute Senses advantage, 133. Bioweapons, 66. Digital-rights management, 58-59. GURPS Voodoo, 23.
Adhocracy, 41. Bioweapons Directorate, TSA, 26, 40, Directorates, TSA, 41. Gypsy Spirits, 57, 67.
Advertising, 15, 131. 49, 77. Disease Resistant advantage, 75. Hacktivism, 70.
Adviruses, 15, 57, 131. Black labs, 66, 79. Diseases, engineering modifications, Hackware, 60, 129.
Aegis film, 135. Bolivia, 40, 45. 75. Hadith, 32.
Afrit cybershell, 122. Book computers, 130. Doolittle virus, 140. Hajj, 33, 37; Kazak,
Agave Hill, 27-28. Brainbugs, C-love, 104,133; Dumping pollution, 77-78. 107.
Alim (Ulema), 31, 118. Jellybean, 104, 133. Ecoformers, 76, 134. Hamas upgrade, 120.
Alma-Ata (Almaty), 104-114; vid “Bread and circuses,” 14. Ecosystems, 72; disasters, 78. Hamlin bioroid, 121-122.
screens, 107, 113. Buddhism, 18. Ecoterror countermeasures, 76-77. Hand-held computers, 130.
Al-Mu’aqqibat (“the protectors”), 35, Burma, 40, 45, 78. EISP (European Information Socialist Haut-Zaire, 79, 84.
37, 116-117. Burqaware, 130. Party), 50-52. Helot II upgrade, 49.
Alpha upgrade, 40. Busr bioroid, 35, 121. Electronics Operation skill, 131. Hinduism, 17-18.
Al-Rashid, Ali, 31, 34. Cambodia, 40, 43, 45, 47, 52. El Salvador, 40, 45. Hiribake (“City of Peace”), 28.
Amortalism, 39. Castle, The, 106, 111, 113-114. Enemy disadvantage, 109, 125. Honduras, 40, 45, 84.
Anarchocapitalism, 39. Catholicism, 17, 81. Engineer skill, 112, 140. Hot mods, hardware, 129; software,
Andes War, 84, 86. Chemical weapons, 141. Enhanced Move advantage, 133. 130.
Antarctic War, 84. China (People’s Republic of China), Entertainment industry, 65. Houri bioroid, 35-36, 122.
Anti-piracy raiding, 60. 8-9, 11, 18, 29, 36, 40, 52, 60, 61, Espionage technologies, 67. Humaniform cybershell, 123.
Apostasy, 33, 37. 63, 68, 72, 76-77, 78, 83, 85-86; Established technologies, 128. Humanism, 55.
Arap Moi Technical University, 92, traditional religion, 18. Europe, 9, 29, 36, 58, 63, 83, 96; see Hyperdeveloped world, 9, 13, 21, 59,
96. Christianity, 17, 81, 91. also European Union. 61, 63, 65, 68, 72, 77.
Areoformers, 87, 138. City of Angels arcology, 101, 104. European Union (E.U.), 8, 20, 31, 41, Hyperrevolutionism, 39.
Astana, 105-106. Civil wars, 83-84. 51-52, 56, 60, 68, 79, 86, 90, 92, Immunity to Disease advantage, 75.
“Astroturf” movements, 10. C-love, 133. 107, 109. Ibn ‘Abbas, Sadiq, 29, 31-32, 34-36.
Attention-deficit societies, 15. Colombia, 40, 45. Evangelist, 119. Ideologues faction, TSA, 44, 50.
Augmented-reality systems, 12, 15, Colossus of Alma-Ata, 114. Experience-rights management, 21, India, 8, 18, 36, 52, 83, 90.
23, 48, 56-57, 59; Kazakstan, 110; Computer Programming skill, 130. 59. Indonesia, 18, 37, 40, 45, 47, 84.
TSA access, 48. Computer technology, 127. Fatwa, 32, 35. Infomorphs, 56, 92.
Aum Shinrikyo, 86-87. Construction, Fifth Wave methods, 74. Fedayin al-Kuffar, 39. Information networks, 8, 10; and
Autarchy, 18. Content theft (intellectual-property Fifth Wave world, 11, 13, 17-18; and labor, 20.
Authoritarian regimes, 82. piracy), 24. the Third Wave, 13; armies, 88; Infosocialism, 28; Mexico, 101;
Aztlan Arcology Complex, 98-99, Content-rights management (CRM), tools, 26. parties, 64; WTO relations, 66.
101-102. 21, 24, 46, 56, 59, 129; cracked Floats, the, 99-100. Innovation Directorate, 48, 50.
Bangladesh, 40, 43-45, 47. data, 60; hacking mods, 62. Forensics, 24, 65. Intellectual property, 10; rights, 58-59.
Basic Combat Rifle (BCR), 137. Controlled-reality implant, 133. Genefixing, 39. Intelligence Directorates, 44, 49;
Basin, the, 102-103. Coordinating Committee (TSA), 41, Genemods, 26, 120-121; and content External, 50, 52.
Baykonur, 105, 110-111. 48. rights, 21. Interpol, 9, 66-67, 77; database, 134.
Beanstalk, see Olympus Project. Copyright, see Content-Rights General Intelligence Directorate Iran, 37-39, 81, 110.
Behavior monitors, 134. Management. (GID), 33, 37-38. Iraq, 29, 31, 38-39, 81.
Binary/trinary explosives, 139. Corporations, 9; competition, 64; Genetic Regulatory Agency (GRA), 9, Ishtar II upgrade, 46.
Bioliberation, 18-19, 55. corpocracy, 9; Fifth Wave, 13. 13, 38, 66, 78, 117. Islam, 17, 81, 91, 107; see also
Biological weapons, 141. Cutting-edge technologies, 12, 128. Genetic-Rights Management code Islamic Caliphate.
Biomedical procedures, 56; in the Cybernetics, 21, 132-134. (GRM), 59, 125. Islamic Caliphate, 7, 16, 28-40, 52,
Islamic Caliphate, 37. Cybershells, 56, 92; in Nairobi, 91; Genetic surgery, 21. 57, 68-69, 81, 85, 90, 96, 107, 108,
Bioroid templates, Busr, 121; Hamlin, tracking, 23. Genetics skill, 75. 116, 120-122, 130; arcologies, 30;
121-122; Houri, 122; Cybershell templates, Afrit, 122; Germline Improvement Modification biomedical laws, 37; bioroid-
Scheherazade, 122. Ghola, 122-123; Humaniform, (“Pre-Alpha”), 56, 120. protection movement, 39; bioroids,
Bioroid-protection movement, 39. 123; MCS-52 (“Emkiss Fifty- Ghazi, 32, 118, 137. 35; biotechnology, 35-36; calendar,
Two”), 123; MCS-52H variant Ghola cybershell, 122-123. 30; daily life, 30; laws, 31; member
(“Arnold”), 123; MCS-64 Ghost towns, 27. states, 29; money, 32; population,
(“Emkiss Sixty-Four”), 123; GID Agent, 117. 30; Presidium (Presidium of the
SafariShell (Gazelle), 124; “Gift of the Future” Program, 12. Arab League), 31; resistance to,
SafariShell (Vulture), 124; Global economic system, 20. 39; SAI citizens, 34, 124; society,
Shakoosh (“Hammer”), 124; Gnu-Covenant, 28. 30; visitors to, 37-38; welfare, 32;
Stormchaser, 124-125; SurveyShell, Great powers, 8-9; conflicts, 85; women in society, 31.
124. memes, 9; patronage, 9. Islamic Socialist Party, 84.
“Cybershell-shock,” 55, see also Great Rift Foundation, 92, 94. Isolates, 26, 116; as social pressure
Social Transition Stress Disorder Guardian upgrade, 49. valve, 28; communities, 19; Drift
(STSD). Guatemala, 40, 43, 45, 47, 52. Isolates, 26.
Debt slavery, 80. “Guest workers,” 46-47. Istislaam upgrade, 120.
Deep Environmentalism, 77. GURPS Biotech, 75. Jellybean, 133.
Demand Evolution Model, 43. GURPS Compendium II, 72, 75. Jesuits (Society of Jesus), 17.
Después de Hombre (“After GURPS Cops, 23. Jian Light Urban Combat Vehicle
Man”), 49. GURPS Cyberpunk, 23. (“Luck-vee”), 136.

143
INDEX
Joint Tactical Electric Vehicle (JTEV), Ministry of Public Security Puppet Implant (Limited), Third Wave, and Fifth Wave, 14;
136. (Chinese), 60. 112, 134. communities, 68; markets, 63;
Jomo Kenyatta Interplanetary Monkeybite virus, 140. Qatar, 29, 31. societies, 9; soldiers, 88;
Spaceport (“JomoKen”), 90-91, Mormonism, 17-18. Reality hacking, 16-17. transitions, 54.
95-96. Mount Kenya, 90-91. Recruitment, TSA, 44. Three Gorges arcology, 77, 101.
Kazakstan Polytechnik, 112. Moviefab, 65. Red Right Hand, 77, 87. “Thundering Hooves” Campaign, 68.
Kazakstan, 32, 58, 105, 107; see also Mujahidin e-Khalq, 38-39. Religions, 12, 81. Tipping Point, 61.
Alma-Ata. “Muslim Renaissance,” 29. “Rescuers” (salamatin), 34. Trademarking, see Content-Rights
Kazoku Kai (“World Family”), 19, 26. Muslim Underground, 108. Resistance Fighter, 118. Management.
Kenyan Special Police Service (SPS), Muslims, outside Islamic Caliphate, Revolutionaries faction, TSA, 50. Transhuman Space, 10, 23, 95, 116,
91, 96. 36. “Rightly guided people,” 29, 32, 36; 125, 128, 133.
Kenyatta, Jomo, 90. Mutawi’yyun (“Committees for the see also Islamic Caliphate. Transhuman Space: Fifth Wave, 23,
Kere Nyaga Station (“Mountain of Propagation of Virtue and the Robofacs, 21, 64. 49, 95, 116, 119, 128.
Brightness”), 93, 95. Prevention of Vice”), 30, 33-34, Rogue nations, 28. Transhumanism, 19, 39, 55.
KGB (Komitet Gosudarstvennoi 137. Russia, 17, 73, 79, 105, 114; Mafia, Transition states, 54-56.
Gezopasnosti), 105, 109, 111, 113- Mutawi’yyun Agent, 117. 79. Transnational corporations, 9, 12, 64.
114. Nairobi, 90-97; Embassy Row SAC, 42, 58, 90, 92-93, 96. Transnational organizations (TNOs),
Kidnapping, 23. (Mabaraka), 93, 95; Karen SafariShells, 92-94; template, 124. 9.
Kleptocracy, 79. District, 96; Nairobi Hill District, SAIs, 32, 34, 43, 48, 60, 88, 103; Transpacific Socialist Alliance (TSA),
“Knife” (sikkiyn), 37. 91, 96; Nairobi South District, 95; cybershell troops, 88. 7-8, 11, 24, 28-29, 34, 37, 40-52,
Köktöbe cable car, 114. Police Department, 97. Salamatin, 117. 60, 62-63, 66-67, 84-85, 87, 98-99,
Kongo, 82, 88. Nairobi Islamic University, 96. Salud upgrade, 121. 110, 120-122, 135; alternate
Koran, 32. Nairobi National Park, 94. Saudi Arabia, 29, 31-32, 36. scenarios, 52; and AIs, 48;
Koro, 99-100. Nanocorridos, 51, 54. Scheherazade bioroid, 122. assassinations, 49; augmented
Krovniki (polovina krov’), 107, 113. Nanodynamics, 76, 99. Seawall, 97-99; see also Los Angeles. reality, 48; bioroids, 46-47;
Kudzu technologies, 57. Nanoformers, 76, 134. Secret disadvantage, 109. Coordinating Committee, 40-41;
Kulturkampf, 19, 87. Nanosocialism, 39, 42, 52, 83; Shakoosh (“Hammer”), 124. cybershells, 47; Directorates, 41,
Kurds, 16, 68, 81. theories, 44; governments, 29; Shanghai Interactive, 61, 130-131. 43; economics, 42-43; founding
LAI, 32, 47, 54. movements, 50-51; nations, 8. Shariah, 32, 105. members, 40; genetic engineering,
Land, ownership on Earth, 26. Nanotech weapons, 139-141. Shariat Court, 31-32. 46-47; great-power politics, 51-52;
Laos, 7, 40, 45. Nanotechnology, 78; and crime, 22. Shariat Guides, 31. materiel diversity, 41; member
Laser-lift system, Jomo Kenyatta, 95, Negative Growth, 87. Shura (“council of advisors”), 31. states, 40; military, 41, 50;
97. Netwallahs, 57. Sikkiyn (“knife”), 117. nanotechnology, 49; networking,
Law enforcement, 13, 22, 24, 60, 68, Ngong Academy, 96. Sloggers, 16, 116. 41; politics, 42-43; power systems,
81. Nicaragua, 40, 45. Slogging (“slink-logging”), 15; 48-49; Reproductive Health
Lebanon, 29, 31-32. “Noise” campaigns, 67. software, 131. Clinics, 46; satellites, 42; Web, 45-
Leyden, Misha, 51, 68. Nongovernmental organizations Smugglers, 117. 46, 48, 51-52, 62, 66, 120, 129;
Libyan Tax, 64-65. (NGOs), 10. Smuggling, 62. Web Library, 43, 47.
Lie detectors, 134. Nuhá, 33-34, 37, 52. Social change, 12. Transparency, 19, 28, 57.
Light Strike Vehicle (LSV), 136. Nuhá Agent, 117. Social engineering, see Memetics, “Trojan hack,” 129.
Locos También, 80, 99-100, 102-103. Obsolete technology, 22, 54. engineering. TSA Acquisitions Agent, 118.
Los Angeles, 68, 97-104; pollution Okami Front, 19. Social Stigma disadvantage, 109. Turkey, 16, 37, 81.
problems, 97; County Sheriff’s Older technologies, 127-128. Social Transition Stress Disorder Uhuru Memorial Hospital, 95.
Department, 98; International Olympus Project, 90-95; defenses, 94- (STSD), 12, 18, 55, 68, 70, 91-92, Ulema (Alim), 31-32, 118.
Airport (LAX), 101. 95; headquarters, 95. 125. Umma, 31-32.
Madagascar, 40, 43, 45, 47. Pacific Rim Alliance (PRA), 8, 19, South African Coalition (SAC), 8, 10- United States, 8, 20, 27, 29, 36, 41,
Madressa (Muslim seminary), 30. 84-85, 96. 11, 70, 91. 51-52, 60, 63, 68, 73, 83, 85, 87,
Mafias, 80-81. Pacific War, 8, 11, 26, 40, 42-45, 47- Special-operations forces, 32. 97.
Mahathir, Kit Siang, 100. 48, 50, 67, 73, 84-85, 87, 98, 100. Stagnation, 68-69. Uzbekistan, 32, 84, 107.
Majority Cultures Movement, 19, 87. Palestinian Enclaves, 29, 68. Starshot software, 131. Vandalism, 70.
Malaysia, 40, 45. Pan-African Arts Festival, 96-97. Stealth testing, 62-63. Verkovenskii, Nikolai, 106, 109-111,
Manufacturing, 64-65. Pan-sapient rights, 11, 17. Sterile disadvantage, 125. 113.
Marietta, Oklahoma, 27. Pantainment society, 14-15. Stormchaser cybershell, 124-125. Vietnam, 40, 43, 45, 76.
Mars, 72, 76-77, 86-87, 105. PANU (Pan-African Nanosocialist “Storm porn,” 73, 119. Viral dystrophy, 86, 141.
Mature technologies, 129. Union), 50, 52. STSD, see Social Transition Stress Virtual-interface equipment (VIIs),
MCS-52 (“Emkiss-Fifty-Two”) Partial Amnesia disadvantage, 109. Disorder. 58-59.
cybershell, 70, 136; template, 123. Patron advantage, 61. Sufism, 17-18. Voice-communication systems, 57.
MCS-52H variant (“Arnold”) Pattern analysis, 87; software, 131. Sunset Strip, 102. V-tags, 23, 57-58, 62, 68.
cybershell, 123. Peephole Implant, 134. SurveyShells, 94, 124. Walkabout HedZup, 130.
MCS-64 (“Emkiss-Sixty-Four”) Philippines, 61, 84. Syria, 29, 32, 81. Weapons, ecological (ecoweapons),
cybershell, 70, 136; template, 123. Philosophers faction, TSA, 50. System Technologies AG, 97. 76.
Meme hacking, 69-70. Piracy, 24, 62. Technologies, exporting, 60-61; Weltspiel (“World Play”), 11-12, 40,
Memes, 12, 29. Pop Culture skill, 64. Fourth and Fifth Wave, 13; mixing, 49, 52.
Memetics, conflicts, 39; Kazak Porter, Kyle, 42, 44, 48, 50-51, 59. 56; overloaded systems, 56-57; World Trade Organization (WTO), 9,
experiments, 112; Islamic Posmakov Prison, 111. transfers, 14. 21, 24, 28, 59, 60-62, 66-67, 117-
Caliphate’s defense, 33; Pragmatists faction, TSA, 50. Technologists, 22. 118, 129.
engineering, 10, 69-70, 82-83; “Pre-Alpha” upgrade (Germline Terrorism, 70, 83, 85; environmental, Worldarc, 98-99, 103-104.
information extraction, 109; Improvement Modification), 120. 76-77. WTO Agent, 118.
migration, 14; rehabilitation, 24; Preservationism, 10, 18, 39, 55, 93. Thai Infosocialist Party, 40. Xoxnapping, 24.
warfare, 16, 83; warfare in Prison district, Alma-Ata, 111, Thailand, 11, 41, 43, 58. Yoshnoe Nyebo (“Southern Heaven”),
Kazakstan, 107. 114. The Future of Forgetting, 107, 109, 113-114.
Mercenary, 118. “Product churn,” 56. 104-106. YUMAMAs (Young Urban
Metanoia upgrade, 46. Propaganda, 16, 83. The Protectors (al- Moderately Affluent Mexican
Methuselah upgrade, 120. Protests, 82-83. Mu’aqqibat), 35, 37, Americans), 101.
Mexico, 8, 17, 27. Proxy wars, 85. 116-117. Zakat, 33.
Military faction, TSA, 50. P-tags, 23-24; Theory and Praxis Zarubayev National Airport, 113.
Mini-nuke, 139. monitoring Directorate, 44, 47, 50. Zarubayev, Sergei Maksimovitch,
Ministry of Mind and Body, 106, 111- children, 58; nations, “The Silence,” 106, 109. 104-114.
112. 48, 57-58.

144
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