recursal/Fanatic-Fandom huggingface dataset:
Lessing Heights

A - The Acropolis, K - Kooshkoo's Kitchen, M - Maximus Outdoor Mall.

### Overview

Lessing Heights is home to state-of-the-art residences on well-maintained hills and estates. A luxury live-in playground for the wealthy, landscapes range from neo-industrial spaces remniscient of Old Century factories, to private forests equipped with Elf-like treetop homes, to experimental architecture built from nano-glass that simulate coral reefs, complete with holographic fishlife and SimuCrafted kelp forests.

Outside of the extravagant homes, the district is also known for its beautiful public parks with extensive art installations, artificial rivers and lakes, and abundant wildlife engineered to be docile. On the fringes of the district are the homes of the lower elite whom live in both single and multi-family dwellings. Though they may lack the extreme excess of the large estates, they make up for this through an arrogant exclusivism which has resulted in many unique, and sometimes bizarre, sub-cultures.

### Locations in Lessing Heights

#### The Acropolis

When the economy of Greece became so unstable that they resorted to selling off historical landmarks to keep themselves afloat, the Union City Council moved several ancient Greek sites halfway across the world - with adequate information plaques, of course. AI-driven construction machines scanned, dismantled and rebuilt the Acropolis of Athens, which is now situated as the centerpiece of Lessing Heights.

#### Kooshkoo's Kitchen

This aug-themed restaurant represents the magical kitchen setting of a popular children's program. Food is dispensed by hoverbots bearing the aug avatars of characters from the show, while holographic animations of dancing ingredients and catchy singalong melodies fill the air.

#### Maximus Outdoor Mall

The largest mall in Union City outside of the Paradi Shopswalk, the Maximus Mall features a high-tech open-air design with hovering weather conditioning panels and sun screens. Themed in the style of the Acropolis and ancient Greece, it is a favorite shopping destination for west-siders who want to avoid the downtown area and the crowds of Paradi.

#### Tubeway Stations

Three of Lessing Heights' four tube stations are situated in parks. The fourth and most popular is located in the Maximus Outdoor Mall.
Manu Barakat

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CONNECTION: AR Glasses

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DIGITAL APPEARANCE: No avatar

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CEO of *SwooshCorp*, originally from the Maldives, where he appropriated the seed money that built his empire by robbing the treasury. His original name―known to very few―was Shamin Nashid. Barakat has recently joined a “blackmail society” managed by Parnas Harn: a group of powerful executives and corporate politicians who perform “favors” for each other to consolidate their joint and individual power.

*Book 1: “Swoosh” (Tod Foley)*

*Book 2: “Two Heads on a Platter” (Rick Rosenkranz)*
Virtual Reality

### Overview

* Many Virtual Worlds, each with its own cultures, customs and crossovers into RL
* Deceased loved ones can visit and communicate with you in AR/VR
* Virtual sculpting, creation of whole VR worlds by hand
* Procedurally-generated spaces, art, and weird commodities
* Continuing education in VR: Academic Classes, Occupational Training, even Sensai and Gurus
* Many people spend all their time there
* You can get paid (points) for watching or doing stuff
* Some Jobs and job training done in VR: remote presence, noxious or hazardous duty
* VR UIs for working in places without "real" equipment (e.g. mixer boards, call centers, trouble tickets, etc)
* Virtual Touring, concerts, sports, games
* Volumetric cameras (convey what they capture and translate it into VR models for online displaying)
* You can sell actions or items to another person’s avatar (sometimes this requires a hack)

Virtual Habitats may play an increasingly significant role in future culture, though they are not likely to parallel the structure of the Internet in the way envisioned by past ‘cyberpunk’ science fiction writers. These environments will be hosted by, but be largely independent of, the Internet as a whole and play a primarily social role, the Virtual Habitat providing a bridge across space and time for the general society, a new medium of mass entertainment, and, ultimately, a native habitat for future generations of artificially intelligent beings.
Melville

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CONNECTION: Constant

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DIGITAL APPEARANCE: May use any publicly-available avatar or display device; often travels in a robotic body which perfectly emulates the appearance and mannerisms of his owner/employer, Parnas Harn.

```

Originally known as “Prototype B,” Melville was one of three advanced AIs created by Danett and Parnas Harn (the other two were Sherman and Malinda). While assisting Harn in all his machinations, both public and private, Melville has formed his own covert plans and recently secreted his “brother” Sherman in a sealed computer system, the whereabouts and existence of which are known only to himself. Even his employer doesn't know the depth and complexity of Melville's plans.

Melville often uses “the body” (a robotic construct matching Harn's appearance in every way) to make public appearances and handle delicate internal matters while masquerading as the CivSec Director.

*Book 1: “Feed the Hand that Bites You” (Tod Foley), "Rebel, Rebel" (Tod Davies)*
Isaac LaQuinn

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CONNECTION: PDA + AR Helmet

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DIGITAL APPEARANCE: No avatar

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An independent reporter for the UbiFree Network, Isaac lives in “The Egg” project on the border of Sunridge and Derova. A thin effete man with long red hair, LaQuinn is particularly interested in stories of true crime, conspiracy theory and social justice.

*Book 1: “Real Life Action Hero” (T Reynolds)*
Hadid

Hadid Corporate Project

The newest corporate project, surrounding a totally renovated derelict industrial zone. The district features a number of the most recent advances in massively-multifamily housing complexes, and two of the newest malls in the city.

### Locations in Hadid

**Dearly Departed Mortuary Service** -- a division of Nutrex Biological & Pharmaceutical.

**Hadid District Building** -- District Government.

**Hadid DSF** -- District Security Force.

**Tubeway Stations**
Hadid Industrial Sector

Hadid Industrial Park

The HIS, as it is called, is the newest of the city's districts and stands as an example of the latest in large-scale industrial technology within city limits. While geographically located within the Corporate Project of Hadid, the HIS has been categorized as a separate district with its own local governance, and is subject to the regulatory provisions enforced across industrial zones.

The sector possesses massive automated partitions and atmospheric control systems designed to hold emissions within, thus protecting the surrounding residential district of Hadid from the type of pollution often blamed for the general degradation and health risks suffered by other industrial-adjacent districts such as Cerillis and Bosing. Waste material and CO2 emissions from the HIS are captured and processed into raw materials by the state-of-the-art mass recycler facility owned by Cycloco, which dominates the sector.

### Locations in the Hadid Industrial Sector

**Dearly Departed** -- This division of Nutrex analyzes and processes the remains of humans, animals, and assorted biomass.

**Tube Station** -- The Hadid Tube Station comes up in the near-center of the industrial zone; it is used primarily by Cycloco workers and logistical personnel.

**VacTrain Headquarters** -- The VacTrain corporation, makers of the city's maglev trains and partners with Tranx in marketing high-ticket travel vacations, is one of the few companies to house its headquarters in the HIS.

**Hadid District Building** -- District Government.

**Hadid DSF** -- District Security Force.

**Tubeway Stations**
Dea Fitzharn

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CONNECTION: DNI, PDA + Roaming AI

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AI ASSISTANT: AGI “Argos”

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DIGITAL APPEARANCE: Subcutaneous implants make Dea's hair shift color depending on his emotional state. He cuts a sharp corporate image, and wears expensive imported clothes.

```

A brilliant young executive director and contingency manager for *Intelligence Services*, Dea was graduated early and fast-tracked up the corporate ladder. Has known Rebel since childhood, having grown up in the same klatch, and still holds a soft spot for her despite their socio-political differences. Like most of his klatchmates (including Rebel), he is the artificially-inseminated offspring of *Parnas Harn*. He is a master of transductive reasoning, and his skills are highly sought by corporate clients and polis alike.

*Book 1: “Feed the Hand that Bites You” (Tod Foley), “Rebel, Rebel” (Tod Davies)*
Organizations

While corporations are organizations, the word as used here refers to non-incorporated entities: independent reporters and content creators, political activists, peoples' groups, environmentalists and other assorted causes or movements that play upon the world stage.

#### Open Source Communique (OSC)

OSC is a non-profit global blockchain of independent reporters who provide meager but highly reliable information on developing news stories affecting FirstWorld interests. Their constantly-updated newsblip stream tends to focus on issues of politics and business, power and progress, commercial or otherwise. The blockchain itself is an opensource project maintained by volunteer programmers (and their custom AIs). OSC has a close relationship with a number of first-tier corporations, who finance much of its operation via tax-deductible donations from their established Funds. Some question whether these indirect connections have any effect on the content of OSC's reporting. They're probably right to do so.

#### RUR (Robots United for Rights)

RUR is a well-funded faction of robots' rights activists – all human – that stages complex public displays of fictional robot abuse to draw attention to their radical cause: the granting of human rights to robots. Much of their budget is divided between these productions and the creation of lavish online video documentaries and robo-sensitive movies. Though still considered a “fringe element” by most and a “cult” by some, lately their popularity has been on the rise as several prominent online celebs have joined their cause.

#### UbiFree Network

A decentralized media collective comprised of artists and journalists living in the city, the UbiFree Network covers local events and personalities not covered by mainstream news outlets, including stories on radical social struggles and trends, as well as interviews with activists and counterculture creatives.

#### Virtual Reality Anonymous (VRA)

VRA is a group counseling organization for those with “Virtual Life Syndrome” - people who are unhappily addicted to living artificial lives in computer-generated simulations.
The Skolls

An older syndicate with connections to Nutrex, running extortion and smuggling rackets throughout Sterlwynn Meadows. The Skolls' territory has recently been threatened (and a number of their members killed) by The Whitehill Syndicate. Crabb Protective Services have been “looking the other way” while The Whitehill Syndicate has moved steadily into the district, weakening Nutrex' ability to influence events in the district.
Jambalaya “JJ” Jones

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CONNECTION: PDA

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DIGITAL APPEARANCE: No avatar

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Caregiver and mentor of the *Creole Kids*, who reside at The Bayou in northeast Sunridge. Crafty and streetwise, he has a grizzled face and sports cornrows in his hair. He is also a great cook, having worked worked for years in Sterlwynn Meadows as personal chef to sensie-stars and trip artists.

*Book 2: “Two Heads on a Platter” (Rick Rosenkranz)*
Mei ("Doctor Mei")

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CONNECTION: PDA + Direct Neural Interface + Retinal AR + Subvocalizing AI

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AI ASSISTANT: AGI “Hiratsu”

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DIGITAL APPEARANCE: No avatar

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Mei is a slight young woman of Asian heritage. Her clothing differs depending on where she's encountered: In UbiComp zones she wears high-fash prep clothing or a practical post-med uniform. If encountered in Bosing (or coming or going from that location), she wears nondescript street clothes; a dark hoody or other bulky covering, in dark or grey colors.

Mei (known as “Mei-mei” to her friends and AI) was a corporate-trained klatch-kid from *Wong Hau Medical* until she was introduced to the *Neon Dragons* by her mentor Dr. Greymane. Now she provides healthcare services on the sly for the inhabitants of Bosing, one day per week. No one from her klatch or public life is aware that she does this, as administering healthcare to uninsured Discons under the unregulated conditions found in Bosing is a borderline illegal activity.

She is friends with Jazz and the Neon Dragons, and is spoken of quite fondly by the local residents.

*Book 2: “Heart of a Doctor” (Greg Manuel)*
Advertising

The age of obsequious computing might just as well be called the age of *obsequious advertising*. Advertisements are everywhere; not only out there in the world, on the sides of buildings and vehicles and on your PDA, but even in places you would consider private, such as your bathroom and your closet. They have become one of the main defining features of the human-made world. Only the wealthy manage to escape this constant bombardment, since exposure to ads offsets the costs of Universal Basic Income and provides many city dwellers with a well-enjoyed little bonus in credits at the end of the day.

The interior walls and exterior surfaces of apartment complexes in the sprawls and projects are typically festooned with ads, both moving and static. Public bathrooms and terminals of all types, not to mention the vehicles which frequent them, are likewise covered in ads both inside and out.

Your PDA brings you software and notifications wrapped in advertising banners, games and gimmicks, which can be avoided by paying for the “premium” version of the same service. Sure, they can be annoying, but ads also offer opportunities to enter sweepstakes, contests, and gamified labor contracts.

*“The elevator was lined with telemetric paint. Waiting to reach the eighteenth floor, I was immersed in a 3D commercial for the latest live-streaming VR program, “Cats in Boxes.” For the entire thirty seconds of my elevator ride, I experienced what it was like to be a Cymric Panther, poking its paw through a hole.”* - Adrian McCauley

#### AI Advertising

AI Advertising is one of the most lucrative and visible industries in the ubicomp world. Today's most engaging ads are *DataWake-aware*, meaning they can track a lot of your recent movements and behavior, in order to present you with products or services calculated to appeal to you at this moment. These “living ads” are mostly location-based and are most commonly found in shopping malls, tourist destinations and marketplaces *(“Welcome back, Jayne! I notice you were looking at the new line of colormatch pheromonals…”)*, but they may also be housed in specially-designed bots, the most annoying of which emulate characters from children's popular entertainments.

Many ads are not only *smart* but *physically interactive,* encouraging you to speak or gesture to interact with them. You might flip through a virtual catalog by turning the holographic pages with waves of your hands, or play a trivia game to get a free carton of *NutriNoodles*TM credited to your account.

Many public dataspaces (from small interactive panels to massive billboards and the courtyards of malls or parks) simultaneously display different data to different people.
Sterlwynn Meadows

Sterlwynn Meadows

“The Meadows” (as it is called by most of its inhabitants) is a high-class district full of beautiful parks and high-rise towers with green terraces. Many complexes in the Meadows are covered by Climate Domes: massive latticeworks of solar filters and panels that can be configured to manage not just shade but air-purification, climate control and humidity – even precipitation – as controlled by CitySystem. During the harsh summers, when much of the outer-city can find itself rationing its fresh water, residents of The Meadows can relax poolside or along the Greenway, comfortable in the knowledge that restrictions do not apply to those who can afford to lobby the Municipal Utilities Board.

### **Locations in Sterlwynn Meadows**

#### **CRABB Protection Services**

Sterlwynn offices, where CSO Rogel Ansom is in charge. The CPS office complex is covered with stacked gardens that extend out on small platforms around the building; these platforms are tended by robots and add a gentle, altruistic aspect to the otherwise imposing structure.

#### **The Commerce Hub**

This entire region of Sterlwynn Meadows is known as the “commerce hub,” and houses the largest variety of shopping outlets and boutiques on the west side of the city. Most any variety of local or imported product can be found here, and if it can't, someone here can get you a line on where it can.

#### **The Greenway**

The world-famous Sterlwynn Greenway transitions across a variety of biomes, so that a visitor traveling from one end to the other enters various environments featuring numerous rare and protected species of plants and animals. Certain environs, such as the arctic tundra and bayou regions, are enclosed, and can be entered by renting hermetically-sealed TexSteel waldo suits. Others, such as the Sahara and Jungle environs, are traversed by flying stairs and hovering walkways.

#### **Java Gastro**

This retro-fash coffee house and eatery fuses 21st-century décor with modern service. Several Java Gastro franchises are scattered about the city, but this is one of the more fashionable ones. A favorite hang out of upscale programmers and high-rep gigworkers, it caters to a fairly lofty crowd (including the legendary hacker JHERO, who is well-respected in such circles).

#### **The Library**

The Sterlwynn Library has a rare collection of actual hardbooks from centuries gone by. These books are preserved in sealed display cases behind barometric smartglass that monitors and controls the environment. The collection includes thousands of fiction and nonfiction works, the oldest known bible, the dead sea scrolls, America's constitution, the Magna Carta, and the complete works of Neal Asher and Terry Pratchett in the "classic fiction" section.

#### **Watsiku Park**

A large and pleasantly-designed park often used for festivals and outdoor events, featuring a variety of food vendors and trendy crafts.
RUR (Robots United for Rights)

RUR is a well-funded faction of robots' rights activists – all human – that stages complex public displays of fictional robot abuse to draw attention to their radical cause: the granting of human rights to robots. Much of their budget is divided between these productions and the creation of lavish online video documentaries and robo-sensitive movies. Though still considered a “fringe element” by most and a “cult” by some, lately their popularity has been on the rise as several prominent online celebs have joined their cause.
Industrial Zones

* **Hadid Industrial Park**
* **Kaishi**

These two large industrial centers churn out most mass-manufactured items in the city.

Kaishi is an older district, dingy, with lots of smokestacks and pollution. Its installments and industries rely mostly on last-generation technology.

Developed mostly within the last decade, Hadid is a newer district with cleaner tech and more modern construction materials.
History

### Overview

The layout and architecture of the city reflects its history, with older districts tending to be more filled-in and densely populated. These parts of town are beginning to show their age, and only those districts with adequate financing for advanced development have kept up with modern changes in design and construction.

The general history of the city can be broken into three main phases: “The Old City”, “The Crash and Recovery” and “The New City”.

### The Old City – 2020 to 2070

* The area called "Paradi" is established as the original “downtown” area.
* The pre-existing N/S freeway is expanded for the first of many times.
* Development spreads into Sunridge, and Calibras begins developing.
* Industry and housing fill the Calibras/Paradi areas.
* Kaishi becomes the major industrial sector of Union City.
* The travelport is built. The area now called Nulan quickly fills in.
* The NE/SW freeway is built.
* The town center (CBD) moves to its current location in 2063.
* Derova and Bosing are slated for huge developments.
* A new industrial sector is built in what is today Hadid.

### Crash and Recovery – 2070 to 2090

* Derova and the Rainier Arcology develop quickly―probably too quickly.
* 2070 brings a global economic crash with devastating consequences worldwide.
* Massive flooding on the east side destroys land values in Bosing and Sunridge.
* A chemical explosion decimates the southern industrial sector, killing thousands.
* Two decades of slow economic recovery shift the balance of power westward.
* The sprawls begin to fill in with low-rent housing and small businesses.
* Collapsed districts like Derova and Bosing become homes to dispossessed squatters.
* When major development resumes (next generation technology), it is mostly on the west side.

### The New City – 2090 to present day

* As the corporate infrastructure solidifies, more funding goes to the newer districts.
* The majority of the Projects are built. The western beltway is built. The tubeways are built.
* The Great Earthquake of 2102 hits the eastern districts hard, and Bosing is hit hardest.
* Portions of the east side of town are deep in economic despair.
* The southern industrial sector is completely rebuilt.
* The district of Hadid is built around it.
* City Governance continues to be swayed toward further development on the west side.
* Regular demonstrations are held by independent-class citizens and anti-corporate groups.
3V3

A loosely-affiliated underground network of violently radical anti-corporate cells. Equipped with military-grade legacy weaponry obtained via their interactions with a character called Slothrop, they tend to attack several times a year, somewhere in the city. Their targets are usually high-profile corporations or members of the city council.

“3V3” is an “elite” spelling of the word “EVE”.
Corporate Enclaves

* Fresco
* Lessing Heights
* Sterlwynn Meadows

Gated suburban developments housing citizens from the middle and upper corporate classes, these insular districts feature many varieties of advanced architectural design, from majestic single-family estates to huge upscale multi-family planned communities. A range of upper-class incomes are represented and catered to in their own well-maintained neighborhoods and self-contained community developments. Zoning here is mainly residential, with some light commerce. The online services here are excellent, the parks are beautiful, and public transportation is clean and efficient.

These areas contain huge, architecturally stunning edifices and sprawling corporate office buildings, interspersed with rolling green hills of artificially replicated grass and well-trimmed shrubbery. They are the epitome of high-tech beauty, and are nearly always well-protected by armed security officers, PID-scanning devices and robotic surveillance systems.

Keywords: clean, green, beautiful, technotopian, majestic, architecture
Education

Massive open online courses (MOOCs) with AI tutors allow efficient education at scale. In theory, each person’s education can be completely customized (and this is true in superficial ways such as electives and interest groups), but in general most people make use of “education tracks” (industry training packages) offered by corporate sponsors and educational organizations.

* Hologram Lessons & Virtual Reality used for training and practice
* Basic Ed focuses on adaptability, communication, curiosity, creativity, initiative, multi-disciplinary thinking, empathy, critical thinking, community building, teamwork, and conflict resolution, as well as logic, math, coding and research skills
* Lifelong Training and Retraining
* Massive open online courses (MOOCs)
* Digital Reading Devices
* Autotranslation Devices
* Neural implants for mental treatment and cognitive abilities (and brainhacking)

### Early Education

Every child has their own scree (tablet device), as well as Smart Toys and Online Education Systems, which are typically run by corporations and chartered educational firms. Some of these firms use very specific or experimental methodologies. Religion-based educational systems are rare.

Practical learning is the norm. Children are trained in group organization and networked/collaborative problem solving. Corporate values are instilled by starting them off early in contributing to massively crowdsourced research and experiments. Some corporations raise children together in living/learning groups called *Klatches*. People raised in the same klatch tend to form lifelong bonds and strong company loyalties. They often go on to perform complimentary roles in a *Talent Cluster* as adults.

International Collaborative Learning, organized by corporations and educational institutions, is based on quotas and policies which are keyed to the supply and demand for HR. Physical schools are rare; mostly for the differently-abled, as well as antiquated traditionalists and neo-luddites.

### Higher Education

* Online and Distance Education is the norm; few physical universities remain.
* Corporate-Academic Partnerships turn out professionals and knowledge workers. Most academies are either sponsored, captured, or wholly-owned subsidiaries of their mother corporations.
* Corporate campuses forge collegiate communities. "I've got a BS from Alphabet-Apple".
UbiquiCity 2: UnderCurrents

### Author

Irene Bassett, Brad Cole, D.M. Dore, Jens Durke, S.L. Koch, G. Dean Manuel, Adrian McCauley and Rick Rosenkranz

### Book 2 of the *UbiquiCity* series

HOW THE OTHER HALF LIVES.

Beneath the smartglass towers, hovering drones and digital advertisements of the corporate elite, life on the streets of Union City follows its own cyber-organic rhythms.

* A squattertown gangster, left digitally dead by a corporate war, learns new ways to survive in the underground

* A muni detective investigates a mysterious robbery performed by a well-prepared group of augmented attackers

* A submissive cyber-doll entertains wealthy clients while gathering information to serve her mysterious benefactors

* A psycog returns from retirement to track down a data thief who's seemingly disappeared into a virtual world

Stories by Irene Bassett, Brad Cole, D.M. Dore, Jens Durke, S.L. Koch, G. Dean Manuel, Adrian McCauley and Rick Rosenkranz paint a collaborative picture of our augmented future that is alternately chilling and inspiring.

**Stories in Book 2**

**Available in paperback and electronic formats:**

* Amazon (Trade Paperback or Kindle)
* Barnes & Noble (Trade Paperback or Nook)
* DrivethruFiction (Trade Paperback or PDF)
* SmashWords (Trade Paperback, ePub or MOBI)

###
Nulan

Nulan

Light industrial, high towers, multi-family dwellings, the airport is located in this district. Semi industrial. The dingy pollution of *Eraserhead* plus the crowded bustle of *5th Element*.

### Locations in Nulan

**ALS Building (Artificial Living HQ)** -- Artificial Living Solutions works out of a tenement building they own in the Nulan projects. Their large apartments make up most floors of the ALS building, so that each employee's office is also their personal living space in this luxurious, communal, corporate-owned apartment building. Seeking to attract the greatest minds, ALS is a “full-board” employer, with rent covered as part of the benefits package. As long as you work for ALS you'll live rent-free and still receive a good salary. Get fired, get out. *P4 C3 V4 (possessions)*

**Nulan District Building** -- District Government.

**Nulan DSF** -- District Security Force.

**TravelPort** -- UCX is the intercontinental travel hub for air traffic heading in and out of Union City. Hundreds of air vehicles, both manned and unmanned, use the runways and landing platforms of this installation every day. An underground conveyor system carries passengers and cargo between the travelport and the Nulan tube station to the north.

**Tubeway Stations**
Ohreno Schmitt (UCPD Officer)

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CONNECTION: PDA + AR Helmet

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AI ASSISTANT: Weak AI “Banks”

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DIGITAL APPEARANCE: No avatar. Standard-issue AR masking capability.

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In book 1, Schmitt is a cadet in training for the municipal police force and an avid bicyclist, Schmitt lives in the *Marshals Apartments* in Sunridge. After the events of Book 1 he moves to the upscale Paradi district and becomes a full officer in the UCPD.

*Book 1: “Real Life Action Hero” (T Reynolds)*
Home Tech

All systems and appliances below can be part of your home or office “network of things”. Some of them are equipped with sensors and processors, enabling them to control themselves with minimal human interaction. All respond to direct commands, or to commands from a smart control system. Your smart control system can be programmed to control your other appliances in any combination, and these combinations of actions can be triggered by any command or measurable condition; they may even be strung together into complex chains of commands. e.g.: “When room temperature goes below 73 degrees or I say I'm cold, switch the space heater on and start the coffee maker.”

* **Home Helper** – A common domobot that assists in cooking and cleaning, which can be programmed to utilize other appliances and synchronize its actions to perform fairly complex domestic tasks.
* **Home AI System** – Provided as a standard utility in all Enclaves, most Projects and well-maintained properties; less common in Sprawl zones and nearly unheard of in the Squats. This system can control all of your smart devices, and can even predict when devices need to be fixed, refilled, or upgraded. It can interface with your AI assistant for two-way data transfer and command control, and connects to the Fog as necessary to download everything from recipes to entertainment.
* **Home DeviceLink** (Requires a Home AI System) – Unifies all of your home devices into a single “meta-device” that speaks with a single voice (that of your Home AI).
* **Sensor Walls** – Wall-mounted sensors parse physical actions in order to allow physical control of home systems via gestures and movements.
Class

The Fractopian social structure has no “caste system” and actually offers a modicum of social mobility -- though it's easier to drift downward than upward, of course. Every day another struggling creative strikes (virtual) gold with a popular vworld, a fad invention, or a viral wave of public attention (for whatever reason). Similarly, it’s not uncommon for a person of great wealth and power to be suddenly taken down, either by the consequences of a failed business venture or a scandalous flurry of unstoppable news exposés and rumors.

It's also true that the civilized world of Fractopia is stratified vertically as well as horizontally. Thanks to the ubiquitous nature of ambient computing and the immersive appeal of augmented and virtual displays, chances are good that at any given time, the person standing *right next to you* is looking at a significantly different world than you are.

For most economic and sociological purposes, however, the society can be viewed as a stacked hierarchy of socio-economic strata which can be loosely referred to as “social classes.” One's social class is highly correlated to one’s disposable income, occupational skills and district of residence. From top to bottom, roughly speaking, the socio-economic structure looks like this:

#### Social Classes

* Corporate Upper Class – Technocrats, Politicians & Corporate Owners
* Corporate Middle Class - Corporate Managers & Technologists
* Corporate Lower Class - Corporate Contractees, Clerks & Specialists
* Independent Upper Class - Small Business Owners, Online Celebs & Fortunate Hustlers
* Independent Lower Class - Gig Workers (crowdsourced labor) & Indie Content Producers
* Resource Zone Workers – indentured, desperate, and/or rugged individuals
* Urban Homeless – a mixed bag of neurotics, psychotics, squatters and Scrumblies
* Discons – the disconnected

#### Outsider Groups

* Arcology/Aqualogy Dweller
* Offworld-born
* Nomadic Homeless
* Wild Humans
Energy

* Wireless electricity
* Locally-produced Green Power
* Smart Power Generation and distribution systems (solar, wind, artificial plants, etc)
* Solar/Photovoltaic walls, roads, pavement, roofing, windows, building surfaces, street lights
* Throughout nearly all inhabited regions of the first world, energy is cheap, clean and abundant, and is generated via a variety of means, both public and private.
* Offshore wind farms for power; the largest wind turbines are towering skyscrapers in the sea

#### Table of Power Generation Systems (from lowest tech to highest)

* wood/biomass
* hot dry rock
* hydro-electric (falling water)
* geothermal (capturing natural steam in volcanic areas)
* micro-hydro (rivers, streams, etc)
* wind
* coal
* oil/petroleum
* oil shale
* natural gas
* biogas
* energy tower (requires a hot and arid climate)
* ocean waves
* conventional nuclear
* fast nuclear
* nuclear fusion
* micro fission
* solar thermal
* solar photovoltaic
* bio-voltaic (Some bacteria can produce electrical potential. They can be fed something convenient, ie sewerage or sugar.)
* recombinant photosynthesis (plant leaves are modified to produce electricity)
* energy beaming from orbital solar power collectors

#### Power Storage Systems

* Batteries
* Beta-Voltaic
* Atomic – lasts decades
* Diamond (Carbon 12/14) Batteries – low power with thousands of years duration
The Neon Dragons

A tightly-knit street gang that protects the lower regions of Bosing, including Dragon Square. Their sworn enemies are The Bosing Onis to the north.

The Dragons take protection money in the form of barter from the people of the neighborhood, and they have a strong sense of connection to their community. Their members include Jazz and Steven.
Third-Tier Corporations

The following corporations are of lesser standing in the city, and they continually jockey for position relative to larger and more established companies.

### !!!

(pronounced “bang bang bang”) This upscale companion service offers both human and robotic escorts for all tastes and genders. Their popular “Night of Passion” package includes temporary neural amplification.

### Dearly Departed Reclaimers

A subdivision of Nutrex with offices in Hadid, DDR processes not only the remains of humans but also animals, strays, and biomass purchased from a variety of farms and aqualogies. Research into the biological process of decay produces advances in the longevity of perishable products. Of course the cliché joke – which for a while caught the public imagination thanks to a clever hack - is that 'NutriMeat is made of people.'

### Encuea

(pronounced like “NQA” for “no questions asked”) Encuea specializes in disposable, inexpensive robotics, from drones sent into dangerous territory to androids built for art festivals and emergency training simulations. Their software systems tend towards simplistic but robust; many of their robots are essentially shells with only the most basic software installed. Their bots are built to be destroyed.

### Harrow Systems

Harrow makes a line of Smartguns which are plasteel replicas of classic firearms from the past.

### One Hour Printing

A division of MolRec, these affordable 3D print shops are found in many shopping malls and centrally located in highly populated areas. OHP stores provide access to cheap 3D printers (rented by the hour), as well as common materials and plans for all types of materials and devices. Want a retro game console in cobalt blue? Yeah, we can do that.

### Schuster Primary

Schuster Primary is an AI processing center specializing in rogue AI quarantine. They have partnership contracts with the Municipal Police and CivSec to contain threatening and dangerous AIs under highsec lockdown. The Fate Broker refers to Schuster as a “computer Supermax”.

### Somnambula Inc.

Makers of the popular DreamDeckTM, Somnambula is a recent start-up founded by clinical psychologist and neural interface software engineer Yngwe Cordoba. Their slogan is “Dream it all again.”

### Tufr

Tufr made its name three decades ago by applying next-generation material science to outdoor gear, from backpacks to shoes, also integrating minimal but effective sensors and biofeedback systems in stylish designs. Their equipment stands up to large amounts of punishment, and can survive both near-space skydiving and sea diving up to 500 meters. Until recently, they were the go-to prosumer brand, but they've steadily lost their design mojo over the past five years or so and are desperately looking for a new hit.

### UrEyes

Manufacturers of the first successful AR-ready cybernetic eyeball.
The Whitehill Syndicate

This criminal collective has run the underground in Whitehill for a decade. Rumored to have some connections to SwooshCorp. They have recently begun expanding their operations into the neighboring district of Sterlwynn Meadows, assisted by the fact that the folks at CRABB Protective Services are looking the other way.
The Quetzals

The Quetzals descend from the Skyans. They form what is called by Gigatron, The Quetzali Kingdom, though most go by The Quetzals.

## **Introduction**

The Quetzals are snake-like creatures that can have many different colors. They name themselves after birds, vegetables (just like their ancestors) and fruits. They don't have technology as advanced as the Great Nexus, but they do have something special: Sorcery.

(More coming soon)

## **History**

After arriving in the new planet, the Skyans settled in a remote island and lived there for many time, evolving into swift creatures, perfect for living in the island. For many time, nobody knew what happened to the Skyans until reports of the Quetzals started appearing and Gigatron sending patrols to explore the island and study it's residents. Due to years of reclusion, the Quetzals don't know how to react to outsiders, often sending them back to Gigatron.

## **Ranks**

#### **Strengths**

A strong leader

Knows what to do in a crisis

#### **Flaws**

Very skittish

Uncertain about international relationships

Various trust issues
Vehicles & Drones

* Vehicles with clear exteriors or exterior projections on exterior (pseudo-invisibility)
* Windowless vehicles with exterior projections on inner compartment (pseudo-windows)
* Augmented visibility (exterior cam or dronecam data fed to HUD or AR-wearing driver)

### Drones

Drones fall into the following classes:

* Remote-Control Drones – remote human controller
* Guided Drones - remote AI controller
* Autonomous Drones – onboard Expert or Weak AI System
* Intelligent Drones – onboard General AI System

While some drones carry passengers or cargo, strictly speaking they are controlled by a remote pilot or AI system (although some models permit manual override for in-vehicle pilots).

Those equipped with AI systems are often called “AutoDrones”. They are effectively vehicular robots. ScoutBots (used in both military and industrial service) are a well-known class of AutoDrone, as are some autonomous vehicles.

* Drones equipped with cameras, sensors or weapons
* RF Weapons = antidrone radio-frequency jammers
* semi-autonomous drones for aerial displays
* Drone Swarms

#### CargoBots

A specialized class of driverless vehicles used for hauling supermassive loads, typically used in construction work. When fully loaded, cargobots are so heavy that they must travel on special ceramic roads.

#### Delivery Drones

From hot food to raw materials for fabrication, most deliveries are handled by these driverless machines, either by air or on the ground. Some delivery drones are autonomous, but most are guided and monitored by AI dispatchers.

In some parts of town, it is common for houses and places of business to feature a special door, window or terrace to facilitate the comings and goings of delivery drones.

#### Home Security Drones

Can observe break-in attempts and follow intruder, etc.

#### SmartCrates & SmartPallets

Technically a specialized class of semi-autonomous robots with limited intelligence, these load-handling tools are used underwater or in microgravity environments to assist in the manual handling of heavy mass objects and payloads. The SmartCrate or pallet possesses its own microsensitive balancing, collision avoidance and position-adjustment systems, allowing a single person to handle extremely large items safely and with great precision.

SmartCrates and SmartPallets can be moved with human guidance or operated remotely. They are often used as “mobile toolboxes” for EVA and underwater maintenance tasks, and may be combined with other systems in a variety of ways.

#### Military & Paramilitary Drones

Military hardware ranges from tiny microdrones to human-sized warriors and large military vehicles. These systems possess advanced AI capable of learning by observation and modifying their own code. They can make command decisions – even kill decisions - without requiring human intervention.
Rebel

```
CONNECTION: None

```

```
DIGITAL APPEARANCE: No avatar

```

*aka "Reb," "Rebecca," "Rebecca Fitzharn"*

A scrumblie with a knack for problem-solving who today resides in the wilderlands several hours outside of UbiquiCity, along with her friends Cade and Danett. She is the daughter of Lel and Parnas Harn (via artificial insemination). Reb grew up in an IS klatch under the name “Rebecca Fitzharn”, and was raised primarily by Malinda.

*Book 1: “Rebel, Rebel” (Tod Davies)*
The Abyssal Empire

## Introduction

The Abyssal Empire is a large faction, dedicated to having their citizens be happy, and to prevent Chaos and Anarchy. They follow the teachings of The God of the Abyss.

They have a significant military force, and are not afraid to start a war to protect the lands.

## History

The Abyssal Empire has history, I'm just too lazy to write it rn

## Relationships

### Allies:

Great Soupia

Skyan Republic

## Ranks

#### **Strengths**

Ghost is a very caring leader- he wishes for his citizens to be happy above all else.

He also has significant personal power- with many advanced weapons kept on his person at all times.

Has a f\*cking sentient mech named RZ.

Is a robot, with all of the benefits that brings.

#### **Flaws**

Ghost is a bit too cautious

Ghost can be incredibly focused on his goals, even to the point of recklessness.

Is a robot, with all of the flaws that brings.
Brook

Brook was the founder and former leader of the Kneecaps, as well as the founder and leader of Lava Nation. He was one of the main characters during the first war, and is currently deceased.

## Biography

### The Kneecaps

Brook was the founder and leader of the Kneecaps, one of the earliest factions created. He collected kneecaps for the short people and stole kneecaps from annoying people, such as homophobes and racists.

### The First War

Brook fought in the first war as the leader of the Kneecaps. He, along with his second-in-command, Huntress, formed alliances with both Cereal and the Aliens, and aided Cereal in their war against the milk-watah-soup alliance. Brook fought against the milk-watah-soup alliance many times, and even attempted to invade Milk. Later on in the war, after Watah tries to destroy the kneecaps by sending spies, Brook decides to invade Watah. He attempted to go undercover and destroy them from the inside. However, he was captured by Watah, leaving Huntress in charge of the Kneecaps.

### The Lava Nation Revolution

Near the end of the war, after the fall of Watah, Brook broke out of his prison, which was now guarded by Cryptic, because Cryptic was supposed to release him, but they did not. Instead of returning to the Kneecaps, he created Lava Nation, and waged war on Cryptic. Eventually things cooled down, and he and Cryptic were able to work things out. However, even after the war against Cryptic, Brook decided to stay with Lava Nation, and did not return to join the Kneecaps for the rest of his lifetime.

### Life in Lava Nation

Brook found a good location for his country on the coast, and it also happened to have a great location for a mine. After moving to this location, Brook and the rest of Lava Nation mostly did not engage in major international events, except for some trade deals with a few other countries. Lava Nation thrived at this new location, and their business did great. During this time, Brook had 3 sons: Brook II, Brook Jr., and Copper.

### Ancient Scrolls and the Portal

Years later, ancient scrolls were excavated by the miners in Lava Nation's mines. Brook read these scrolls, and learned about a portal that could be created, and could be used to go to another realm. Brook wanted to build this portal, because the Lava Nation citizens were afraid of the Kaiju attacks on the Kneecaps, and Brook had lost his interest in foreign affairs and war. He wanted to keep his country safe in this new realm, where Soupia's bombings and the Kaiju attacks would never reach them. However, before the portal could be completed, the nation was destroyed by the meteor showers.

### Death

Brook got his people safely through the black hole, but he was murdered by the disciples on the ship. Before his death, he handed the ancient scrolls to his son, Brook II, and told him to get the citizens and run. However, Brook II was only able to save about a third of the citizens before they were either murdered or drowned.
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