This page describes the technological status of the Terran races.
Though I have been working on this page quite a bit, it is still somewhat incomplete. I’ll be adding to it as time allows. Please let me know if you have any questions!
Fusion: Fusion reactors were first deployed on a wide scale in the 2060s, and soon powered all of Earth’s major cities. During WWIII (2090s), the fusion reactor was miniaturized into a portable device known as a helium fusion battery. Still the most common source of portable energy, these batteries are now efficient enough that a device the size of Rubik’s Cube can wirelessly power all personal electronic devices within 10 feet for several months at a time. When a fusion battery runs dry, it can be recycled – its supply of helium is replenished and its carbon waste removed – with the deposit going toward the purchase of newly charged replacement batteries.
Antimatter: Antimatter technology was announced by Midgard during WWIV. The Earth was nearly destroyed by the threat of antimatter weapons when they were first introduced, and they are still the most greatly feared technological invention so far, as they are capable of destroying all life on a planet. Antimatter reactors have largely replaced fusion reactors for powering cities and spacecraft, since they are much more efficient. But since they are also quite dangerous, no portable versions of them have yet been created (at least not legally).
Computers: Computers are still electronic, but fiber optics play a larger role in electronic devices.
Quantum computers: Quantum computers had been under development for decades, but they were finally able to process meaningful amounts of data in the 2090s, during WWIII. They were used to break strong encryption of the day. Only through the deployment of new quantum encryption algorithms was equilibrium restored.
DNA computing: Though seriously investigated, DNA computers are still considered a novelty, since they operate at chemical speeds too slow to be of much practical value.
Virtual reality: Interfaces for transmitting signals directly to and from organic brains allow the VRnet to be a nearly perfect simulation of reality. Many people need never leave the house, since they can perform both work and social functions completely comfortably within VR. Some people have even invested in medical devices designed to keep their organic bodies alive indefinitely while they remain permanently in VR. Others have simply transferred their consciousnesses into nonmobile soulmech devices permanently linked into the VRnet, choosing a "superior" virtual existence to a real one. Still, the majority of people do not feel comfortable abandoning actual reality for a simulated one, no matter how perfect.
Data storage: A crystalline structure commonly referred to as a "data crystal" (DC) exists that can store a large amount of data. DCs are coated in a clear, protective material (they feel like plastic), making them quite robust and able to withstand a lot of punishment (hardness 5 with 3 hit points). Each data crystal is a cylinder about the size of a human’s pinky finger.
Computer networks: Every world (be it mystic colony or technological space settlement) has its own, separate network (EarthNet, LunaNet, MarsNet, etc.). In addition, a portion of each network is dedicated to a gigantic shared network called the Galactic Network ("G-Net"), which is regularly mirrored between worlds. Email sent between worlds goes through G-Net, meaning it can take up several hours for the message to reach its destination. Personal nodes are not typically part of G-Net, but information that needs to be shared between worlds is (e.g., population data, basics about government and culture, shared industrial information, spaceport transit schedules, recent research, libraries, etc.). The G-Net is maintained manually by people who regularly carry data crystals containing the latest information between colonies.
Machine intelligence: Superintelligent pseudosentient AIs are possible because of a royal scientist named Dr. Noonian Soong. His life’s work was the development of a core ethical subroutine known as the Logical & Ontological Reasoning & Ethics (LORE) chip (Paul is going to punch me in the face), a mind-bogglingly complex collection of algorithms governing an AI’s special purpose. So far, AIs have held up in testing as well or better than humans, ethically (at least according to many peoples’ ethical standards). Still, many fear the widespread deployment of AIs due to the homogeneous nature of the LORE chip, at its core.
Robotics: Robots exist to fulfill nearly every function imaginable. Dana Arthur’s research has resulted in androids that are nearly indistinguishable from organic life (synthetic skin, visual sensors modeled after the organic eye, etc.).
Soulmechs: Organics may choose to continue their existence by having their souls transferred to an android or other robotic body specially designed to house it. Such an amalgam is called a soulmech. Though soulmechs’ functions are driven by computer, the implanted soul carries the original animal’s personality with it. A soulmech can even channel mystic energy if it was able to do so while organic.
Cybernetics: Nearly everyone has cybernetic implants of some sort. These implants can be for a wide variety of applications – any task relating to interaction between machines and biological structures could potentially be accomplished through the use of cybernetics.
Medical:
- We can cure cancer more often.
- We can reattach lost limbs more easily (or use artificial limbs).
- Life extension techniques have allowed organic beings to survive for much longer – the oldest living human is currently over 200 years old.
- Cloning can regrow limbs that can then be reattached.
- Everyone on Earth has basic health care.
- "Natural" pregnancy and births are rare.
- Your health plan gives you the ability to have children grown at the facility for you, based on your DNA, up to your quota (usually 2, sometimes 3).
- One of the standard body modications is a "perfect birth control" module – i.e., you do not get pregnant unless both partners want to.
Trainers: Educational trainers exist that provide accelerated experiences (similar to those in the Matrix, but not as quick) training you for a skill or knowledge. They require several days, a few hours at a time, bombarding your brain with signals. You must interacts with an advanced AI program that controls the information (it’s not simply a mindless flow of data), so in a sense, a computer program really is teaching you. These trainers are expensive to develop, and so for now, people have been concentrating on creating them for core secondary educational information (everything from learning to crawl through high school subject material). Thus, students are expected to be equipped with a neural interface as soon as they are old enough to begin schooling. The option exists (and most people do this now) to have the neural interface implanted very shortly after birth. This allows the baby to immediately begin absorbing things like how to crawl, how to walk, how to talk, how to read, potty training, and other basic skills. However, children do need to be monitored medically to ensure their neural interfaces remain properly connected to their growing brains.
Gravtech:
- Gravitic drives are capable of generating gravity fields near the device. These fields can either increase or decrease the effective weight of matter within the field.
- A gravitic drive transmits gravity waves at a specific frequency; a gravitic lens works by collimating those frequencies at a specific nearby point. This technology is essentially a gravitic laser – a large enough one of which could actually effect tidal forces.
- Math for relativistic weapons is so complex that not even the smartest AIs or the fastest computers can solve the equations necessary to throw a relativistic projectile accurately enough to destroy a specific target.
- The two-body problem has been solved, so you can use gravitic technology to throw things extremely quickly, but not relativistically quickly (i.e., the gravitic railgun in the book works).
- Gravitic drives are not yet strong enough to fold space or create a point singularity.
- Gravitic drives can be powered by either fusion or antimatter. For ships, antimatter provides the necessary power for near-light travel, and for storing enough mystic energy; for personal use, fusion batteries can power a gravitic drive for things like personal flight.
Space travel: The gravitic drive is a key component of space travel. The drive accomplishes three important tasks: first, it focuses a gravitic lens directly in front of the ship, accelerating it to near-light speeds; second, it creates a powerfully repellent gravitic field around the ship to deflect any debris encountered during travel; lastly, for colony missions, it generates a gravitational bubble at its center to contain a large quantity of mystic energy for use in seeding the destination world. Due to the relativistic effects of near-light-speed travel, journeying to a far-off world takes only a few days or weeks for those inside the ship, but potentially many years, depending on how many light-years away it is. Once the world has been mystically seeded and reaches a state of mystic equilibrium, mystics can teleport back and forth from Earth easily.
Mystic travel:
- By weaving a mystic net around a large area, mystic energy can be channeled across the net and encompass the entire area for a fraction of the normal cost. When this netting technique is coupled with a gravitic drive that reduces the effective weight of everything in the area, even a relatively nonpowerful mystic can port large structures full of people and cargo between designated areas. Much like airports today, these mysticports provide people with the most efficient means of travel, no matter how far away the destination.
- Still, not everyone can afford to travel by mysticport. Cargo ships do still exist that travel without the aid of mystic energy. Prices are cheaper (partially due to the World Mystics’ Union’s sole control of mysticports’ "pilots"), but travel times are years longer (at least, years pass relative to the transport).
Genetech: Advancements in genetics have eliminated once-common physical and mental defects, and allow for nearly endless creativity in body modification and offspring design. Kelsey will write more.
Nanotech: Everything discussed in the d20 Future book has been researched to one extent or another. The applications of nanobots are still being explored, but they are seeing more and more widespread use. In particular, intelligent machines use them to simulate certain organic functions such as the ability to self-repair. The most rare and expensive form of nanobots are those that require the arbitrary breakdown of molecules themselves.
Weapons and other gear: Nearly everything described in the d20 Future book through PL8 exists, except for equipment with teleportation features (such as PL8’s teleporting magazine gadget and phasing ammunition) – technology has not advanced far enough to enable matter to spontaneously alter position without the use of mystic magic. Energy weapons such as plasma swords require too much power to draw from a nearby fusion battery, and instead have their own dedicated fusion batteries, which must be replaced every so often (depending on how frequently the weapon is used).
Mecha: Military mecha do exist, sometimes piloted by humans. Militaries are often a mix of humans and machines for various reasons (paranoia, social, political, etc. – many do not trust the LORE chip "black box"). There are still mercenaries, often hired by governments or corporations that are not large enough to command their own military.
Enervin ("Substance P"): A drug that temporarily blocks mystic abilities. One dose renders a mystic completely unable to use magic for 24 hours. Enervin also works on psionic characters. Taking more than the usual dosage makes the user lethargic and muddy-headed (-4 to Dexterity and Wisdom). The drug in any amount has no effect on mundanes.
Forterol ("Agent X"): A drug that temporarily enhances mystic potential. For 1 hour, all spheres in which you possess ranks improve by +3 (both current and maximum). Reserve (both current and maximum) is doubled. Mystic effects up to three levels higher than usual can be performed. After the drug wears off, the user is exhausted, current Reserve becomes zero, and it refills only one third the next day. Taking more than the usual dosage is usually lethal. The drug in any amount has no effect on either mundanes or psions.
Transportation: Cars are completed automated. Specify the destination and the AI will drive the car there. Cars are also hover vehicles, meaning the roads often have multiple levels (see the Fifth Element). Manual override of the AI is possible by swiping an identicard indicating the driver (but is generally done in emergencies only). Many people do not own a car anymore, but instead request uses of the equivalent to "public transit" in this day and age – the desired time of transport is noted online, and then a car is automatically sent to pick people up and transport them anywhere they want to go. Other setups are possible but not as common (e.g., a rich or important man might have an android "driver" for his own personal limosine, but this configuration is purely for status reasons, and serves no practical purpose).