We are not in he business of making machines out of men. Men are already machines acting out of preprogrammed biological software. What we want to do is to upgrade the software and the hardware, to bring our innovations into John Q. Public. Surely, you all can agree this goal is reasonable, not to mention quite profitable.
—From Gates: His Struggle, by Willingham Gates

Technology in 2909

The distribution of technology in the world is dramatically uneven. The gadgets presented here are found mainly on megacities with a high level of science and technology. In GURPS terms, the Tech Level of megacities is TL8. It is possible to have higher tech levels, but as a rule this cyberpunkish Feral World campaign does not have faster than light travel.

Transport and Communication

The spinner is the vehicle of choice for travel within megacities...for those who can afford them, that is. At home on the road or in the air, spinners come in different styles and prices, from the relatively econo-models such as the GeMo Drifter, to the spacious Hyund SpinnerVans, to the luxurious and obscenely expensive Cyrus Millennia. Most people, however, conform themselves with

There are two main infonets available to practically anyone: GeoNet and SolNet. As its name suggests, GeoNet covers only the planet Earth. Even though the name seems to suggest one monolithic network servicing the world, GeoNet is actually an amalgamation of many private and public nets. SolNet links GeoNet with the few human colonies in the inner solar system, and its access is more restricted. There are other, privately owned information nets that are usually accessed only by the megacorps that own them. GatesNet and ZinnTechSpace are two of the most powerful, and the most heavily guarded. Net access comm booths can be found in practically every corner of a megacity, but their presence thins out the farther you get from the Hub.

Telephone calls, monetary transactions, and video transmissions of all kinds, among other things, are accessed through private companies via GeoNet. GeoNet is composed of hundreds of physical nodes, and the level of redundancy in the system is such that even if half the nodes were down, the net would still work at 60% capacity. Expert believe it is impossible to bring GeoNet down for good; for that to happen, 96% of the nodes must be inoperative.

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Power Supplies & Energy
Units (EU)

There are four main types of power supplies available for independently moving machines of any kind: standard electrical matrix (SEM), "flare bottles" (or "flares"), superconducting coils (called "Tesla" by some), and the very delicate Star-Core matrix.

The first three must be recharged or recycled after a period of time, while the last one can renew itself for up to five years without need of servicing. SEM’s are rather bulky but extremely efficient fuel cells that can last for days. They are also the most common and least expensive. The Tesla power supply consists of a more advanced and compact superconducting matrix which can last a month.

Flare bottles are mini-reactors that supplement energy faster and with less glitches than the first two power supplies, while Star-Cores are a more sophisticated and relatively unstable version of a flare bottle. Both Flare Bottles and Star-Cores are heavy, the latter one even more due to the massive amount of shielding it needs to protect it (and people) from harm. If a Star-Core’s WB ever reach 0, it implodes, crunching everything within 10 feet of itself, thus sealing the leak with any available material. This is a safety feature of the reactor to avoid contaminating large areas with radiation (safe for everyone except the person using it, that is).

Mechanical automatons (robots, androids), SiGoMechs, SmartSuits (mechanical armors, often used in combat), and MechTitans use one or several of these power supplies. Each power supply can be ejected from the mechanism in an emergency (such as radiation leaks, acid leaks, and overloads) as long as the ejection system works and the power supply has not somehow fused with the mechanism. The machine will then work only for an additional 20 to 30 minutes, long enough to allow the user of a SmartSuit to find a safe spot before leaving the armor behind. All of these power supplies have cooling systems of diverse complexities which are vital for their normal function.

Mega-Cities are normally powered with building-sized versions of Flare Bottles. Fossil fuel is still being used in many places around the world though in a very limited fashion.

The Energy Units or EU of the power supply are used to "buy" the technical gadgets that use them. For example, lets say a PC wants to build a simple robot consisting of a Neo-S computer brain (see below), sensors, and its servomotors. The PC would need 3EUs to feed the computer and, say, 14 more for the servos and 3 for the sensors for a total of 20EU. A typical SEM is more than adequate for such gadget.

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Computers

B-Dat
EU cost: Varied (see below)

Biological Data Assimilation and Memory Bank System , better known as B-Dat, use organic components for the processing and storage of data. It is extremely expensive, but highly efficient: one cell can store three times the amount of information of an Enstee lattice (see below), and it is 40% faster on data retrieval after six months of neural training

Security and the military have been cautious about using this technology in their Mechs due to its biological nature. Mechs with B-Mems are slow at first, but then become more agile as time progresses, often surpassing Mechs with Enstee “brains.” One attractive advantage B-Mems have over Neo-S is that they can recover very quickly from EMPs (electromagnetic pulses), such as that of the dreaded Noise Bomb (described in the “Armor and Combat” section). A significant drawback, though, is that due to their biological nature, B-Mems are more fragile than silicon lattices, and vulnerable to viral and bacterial contamination. They do not react well to antibiotics either, since the chemicals tend to kill the irreplaceable B-Mem natural defenses as well.

Players wishing to train a B-Dat must have Computer, Medicine, and Biology skills. Players must also have lots of time on their hands (from six months to two years) and almost as much patience, since a B-Mem CPU needs to be trained, and it acquires experience through constant use. A new B-Mem costs 2EU (Energy Units) though it demands more energy as the density of the network grows. A moderately trained B-Mem could easily cost 7EU or even 10.

Unscrupulous scientists have often tried to "seed" B-Mem cells in human brains, but that have only resulted in cancerous growths that metastasize quickly, killing the “patient” in a matter of hours. There is a record of one such “patient,” who reportedly said before her agonizing death “I can see now! Oh, God, I can SEE!”

Neo-S
EU Cost: 3EU

New Solid State Technology, also called Neo-S and Enstee (from the official acronym NSST), are crystal lattices used to store and process information. All Mechs need at least one Enstee CPU (see "Armor and Combat" for more information on Smart Armors and Mechs). Each Enstee CPU can manage three different systems, including weapons, except for life support which requires a dedicated, independent Neo-S unit. Each Enstee costs 3EU. More user-friendly versions of the Neo-S architecture are used for civilian machinery and personal computers.

Veer goggles and VRDs
EU Cost: 1 EU

The majority of terminals allow the use of Veer (colloquial for VR or "Virtual Reality") goggles. They are often used by those who wish to view the computer screen privately, as well as those who enjoy or require a fully 3D interface with their machines.

VRD (short for Virtual Retinal Display) interfaces are cybernetic implants connected to the brain through a very delicate bionic coupler. Many professionals, some doctors for instance, have opted to get VRDs in order to be constantly online. They do not require goggles to view the screen since the image is directly projected on the retina like a heads-up display. All Veerjocks have VRDs installed in their heads.

Probably the most important component of the VRDs is the bionic coupler. It is definitely the most expensive part, and the potential user should be prepared to invest a hefty amount for it. Low quality couplers are infamous for shorting out (a roll of 10%) and, at their worst, frying half of the brain with it (roll M or higher on a general Con check to avoid it).

High quality couplers are heavily shielded against EMPs, electric spikes, and brownouts. If the PC doesn’t have the money for this, it is recommended that he/she better conform with Veer goggles than risk his/her life with a cheap coupler.

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Replicants and SiGoMechs

Replicants and Sigomechs were originally made to serve humans, or rather to serve select groups of men and women.

Sigomechs are advanced versions of industrial robots and androids originally intended for military purposes only. At first they were little more than programmed brutes, but recent models have a level of artificial intelligence that some people find chilling.

The Replicants were a natural extension of experiments on cloning and biogenic manipulation. They were cheaper to make than robots and it took far less time to "program" them to do more complicated tasks than any robot. In spite of their organic nature and obvious human features, Replicants are seen by most not as people but as machines or toys.

Replicants

AGL (50+2d10) or 90 DEX (60+2d10) or 60 PCN (30+2d10) or 30 PER (30 + 2d10) or 30 STA (100 + 2d10) or 80 STR (100 +2d10) or 100 WPR (30 +2d10) or 30 ATT 2; (85+2d10) or 90 SR 4 WB 50 Fear N/A MV (AGL/3)+20

Type: Servitor, Independent
Class: C
Disciplines: None known
Weight (150+4d10) or 150#

A Replicant is a genetically engineered creature composed entirely of organic material. Animal replicants (animoids) were developed first for use as pets and beasts of burden after many real animals became extinct. Later, humanoid replicants were created for military purposes and for the exploration and colonization of space. The various technologies and disciplines involved in replicant/animoid design are usually grouped together under the general term replitech.

Gates Corp. recently introduced the Nexus 66, the supreme replicant—much stronger and faster than (and virtually indistinguishable from) real human beings. Earth law forbids replicants on the planet, except within the industrial complexes where they are assembled. The law does not consider replicants human and therefore accords them neither rights nor protection.

Replicants differ from humans in one important factor: they are lacking in empathy (poor PER and WPR scores). This is due to emotional immaturity, though there are some prototype replicants with experimental memory implants. Usually, these prototypes are unaware that they are replicants. NEXUS 66 replicants have an inbuilt fail-safe mechanism: a four year life span

(Note: this is adapted from Philip K. Dick's story “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?” and its film version, the noir SF classic Blade Runner.)

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SiGoMechs

Silicon Golems, or Sigomechs serve as guardians, soldiers, and even spies. Most have organic skin, some even internal organics (like backbones, brains, stomachs, etc.) to boost efficiency or pass better as humans. The majority of internal organics are designed using replitech, although rumor has it that some (usually black market Sigomechs) use organs harvested by the Carnifuris, which tend to work better and last longer than artificial organics. Despite their heavy armor, their internal circuitry is delicate, hence the few WB. Nevertheless, even if a Sigomech is reduced to zero WB (and while its armature is still relatively intact), it will repair itself and rise again in 1d10 rounds unless its power supply is either disabled, disconnected, or removed with a Mechanics skill roll. Failure indicates an

Sigomechs may be possessed by Mechanical Entities or affected by Haywire. Ordinary SiGoMechs have no WPR to speak of but, for determining whether they resist an ME or a Haywire field (by an opposed check), assume they have WPR of 20. Those with neural organics have WPR points and are thus more resistant against these attacks. There are four known types: the red, black, jade, and the much dreaded gray Sigomech.

Sigomechs were created to replace humanoid replicants, since they are free of the eccentricities of replicants and are easier to control. Replicants resent that, and all bear a secret malice against these juggernauts of steel and artificial flesh.

Asterisks indicate that the data for the ability applies only to SiGoMechs with neural organics. Jade and Gray SiGoMechs are commonly given replicant brains and spinal cords, which is why the also have PER scores.

It is rumored that a Jade SiGoMech became self-aware and abandoned its masters, becoming an independent being. Techs baptized this legendary rogue Sigomech Arjay (for it's RJSGM designation, meaning "Renegade Jade SiGoMech"). It somehow got rid of all its internal tracking devices, and also stole a skin cultivator, a highly expensive replitech device used to grow and tailor artificial skin. This means the Jade also has the resources to change the way it looks whenever it wants.

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