VI Operating Frequencies and BrainWave.

In a previous post I covered the radiowave part of the spectrum and how the frequency of a device might affect its realistic performance. A question that may have occurred to some readers is what frequency range do THS’ virtual implants (VI) work at? This is of particular interest for the Virtual Interface Implant (VII), which is nested inside the brain.

Such no operating wavelength is specified in any of the books I have read, and radio is often treated in a rather arbitrary fashion in sci-fi and general fiction, as I have discussed elsewhere. Some additional information in other books points us in a possibly fruitful direction. Broken Dreams 3e p.23 tells us “a standard AR signal, if not jammed, can typically be detected at a range of 1 mile.” Cities of the Edge 4e p.25-26 details how most of the Web traffic is via fibre-optic cables. A VI signal usually need only reach the transceivers in the nearest wall. It can also be deduced that the high-level of information being exchanged will require higher frequencies that offer better bandwidth. On the other hand, use of centimetre and millimetre bands is unlikely, since these use frequencies also utilized by microwave ovens and MADS (THS 3e p.156, 4e p.62-3) riot control. Having a device using these bands next to, or within, your brain does not seem prudent! THS 3e p.64 describes brain implants as “tiny-usually pill-sized or smaller.” Logically, VIIs, implant communicators and similar devices will need antenna of some form, but the space inside the head for these will be limited. How the VII is powered is never discussed. Replacing energy cells would not be practical. Power may be metabolic (ATP) or by wireless recharging. Whatever the system, it is probably relatively low power. Excessive heat production within the brain would need to be avoided.

Juggling all this together leads me to the conclusion that VIIs utilize UHF transmission. A range of about a mile sounds credible for a low power UHF transmission using a short aerial. A short range actually facilitates an environment where there are multiple other users. UHF works well within building interiors. UHF is the frequency used for early 21st century mobile phones. It is reasonable to assume that as use of these devices declined, the frequencies would be assigned to VI applications.

Does this mean anything in game terms? The GM and players should keep the “1 mile” range in mind. This will have little effect in a Fourth or Fifth Wave city where there are ample transceivers. Place the player out in the boonies and this becomes significant! One mile is the transmitting range. The implant may still be able to receive more powerful signals from greater distances. You may know where you are from GPS signals, but be unable to call for help. There is little point in recording a slink of climbing a mountain unless you have an external device that can boost the signal to distant receivers. Perhaps the slink is recorded instead, but for the slink to be available they have to get out alive, be rescued or their body recovered. That might be a profitable but dangerous mission. If a file you need is on a data-cube, and your AI on a brain implant, some form of hardware will be needed to read the cube and transmit the data to the implant.

Potentially, wearable devices might also utilize longer wavelengths, probably VHF. This depends on the size of the device and the practicality of using longer and/or telescopic antenna systems. This applies to wearables such as VIG and DVI (THS 3e p.142) but also to portable devices such as the hand-held/ palmscreen and book computer/ bookscreen (Broken Dreams 3e p.130). Such devices can usually read cubes or wafers without additional equipment.

BrainWave.

“BrainWave” is an implant first encountered in 2097. Since then the technology has been widely copied.

The BrainWave is a brain implant that when triggered, emits a powerful field of centimetre-band microwave energy. This rapidly cooks the surrounding brain tissue, killing the implantee and rendering recovery of memories by brainpeel impractical. The triggering of a BrainWave is usually accompanied by wiping of a VII’s memory banks.

The BrainWave is the successor to the 20th century agent’s suicide capsule. The agent may not know they have a BrainWave implant. The BrainWave may be triggered by the agent’s companion AI when capture or interrogation seems certain, or by remote signal.

Going Blank.

“Ze’s a blank! Ze’s a blank!

Ze has no social rank!

Cops will throw hir in the tank!

For living like a crank!”

“Ballad of a Blank”, Corey Godzilla.

Blanks are also known as “nullos” or “the zeroed”. A blank cannot be found in official records. A blank does not legally exist. Typically they minimize their Web footprint.

Blanks are often confused with fringers or Isolates; the terms are often incorrectly used interchangeably. Blanks often live with fringers or Isolates, but very few fringers or Isolates are actually blanks.

People have various reasons for going blank. Some a criminals, and may be dangerous. Others are paranoids, runaways, discontents, drop-outs, hermits, minimalists, Isolates, technophobes or eccentrics. Contrary to popular belief and fiction, very few blanks are secret agents. Living as a blank poses too many restrictions to movement for an effective covert operation.

Famously, a number of artists have gone blank, often preceded by considerable publicity. Typically this is intended as a sabbatical. Many have returned to society after a period of time, claiming to be drawing on their experiences for their subsequent creations. Certain individuals have never been heard of again, and their fate is unknown. Several are known to have intended their life as a blank to be only temporary.

Becoming fully blank is not easy. Ideally they have arranged for the deletion of any records that may be used to identify them. Fifth and Fourth Wave encryption systems make this very difficult, as do multiple backups across the Web and in air-gap facilities. In some societies there may also be physical records that will need to be destroyed or stolen. Going fully blank takes the right connections and lots of money. Remaining wealth my be converted into a more physical form. It is a popular meme that blanks have secret hoards of precious metals and gems. In fact,a hoard may be more practical items such as medicine, rations and ammunition.

Some blanks will have cosmetic surgery to change their appearance, race or even their gender. Fingerprints may be removed or reconfigured. Virtual Interface Implants (VII) are usually removed, or at least deactivated. Very rarely, an implant may be kept but air-gapped so it can still run an AI, but cannot connect to the Web or other systems. Such units may be needed for tasks such as language translation or recognition of useful and harmful plants. Typically blanks lack Web or VI-based abilities, memes, skills and advantages. Pop-culture references will be lost on them, for example. Likely capabilities for blanks include local area knowledge, stealth, survival and scrounging.

It is possible to be born blank. Children born outside the mainstream medical system may not be officially registered. Some individuals in rural or wilderness areas may be blank without knowing it. Humans who become blanks in this manner may not take the “Genefixed” advantage nor upgrades, unless a clone of a genefixed or upgrade. Runaway bioroids that pose as humans may be effectively blanks.

Some individuals go blank simply by disconnecting from the Web, adopting a new name and changing location. They stay blank by avoiding anything that may identify them or draw official attention. Assuming a new nationality may hinder authorities from locating the correct records.

Living as a blank is difficult in a world where nearly everything involves the Web or a computer. “Always paying cash” is problematic in a world where transactions are usually virtual and very few physical coins and banknotes actually exist. Blanks often barter or use alternate mediums such as casino chips. Avoiding surveillance is another concern for blanks, especially in societies where most people have VII or wearables. Blanks avoid areas where such devices and cameras are common. Some will try to avoid being directly viewed by anyone who may have an implant. Some blanks choose to live in rural or wilderness areas or within certain types of Isolate communities. More live in abandoned buildings in decivilized urban areas, often with fringer communities.

Fifth and Fourth Wave societies contain a small number of blanks. Blanks are more common in Third Wave societies, particularly those in transitional developing societies. Going blank is often a reaction to the technological and social changes the society is undergoing. Becoming and living as a blank is generally easier in such conditions since surveillance and record infrastructures may not yet be as fully developed as in Fifth and Fourth Wave communities.

Legal status of blanks and how they are treated by authority varies. Some officially “don’t exist”. In some countries it is felt that ignorance of true identity does not invalidate an individual’s basic human/ parahuman rights. In others, being a “non-person” may result in the blank being subject to various petty or major abuses. Blanks live on the edge of the law, if not outside it, so it is usually easy to find some crime to charge a blank for. Likely charges include vagrancy, squatting, trespass, tax-evasion and lack of legal identification. In some societies it is illegal to not have an electronic bank account. Some blanks are wanted criminals, so authorities are often keen to establish a blank’s actual identity.

For the population in general reactions to blanks range from pity to suspicion and fear.

Note: The above section was written in a THS Earth-based context. I believe I first encountered the idea and term “blank” in an episode of “Max Headroom”. The concept can be applied to various other science fiction or modern scenarios. The alternate term “nullo” was taken from GURPS Cyberworld.

Gauzi: The Aussie Gun.

Australia in 2100 has very restrictive gun laws (CR 5). This has done very little to curb criminal use of firearms. Several organized crime groups in Australia illegally manufacture firearms. Black market minifacs may be located in remote regions or within urban areas. Some groups use pirated designs, blueprints often acquired from the TSA Web or Trojan Mafia. Original designs are also manufactured. Appealing to patriotic and nostalgic memes, copies of the Owen, Austen and Lithgow F1 submachine guns in 9mm MAX are available. In addition to illegally manufactured weapons, many guns of various types are also smuggled into the country.

Such weapons are not just purchased by career criminals. Australia has many communities located in remote regions. Their objections to Australia’s gun prohibition laws are both ideological and practical. Many communities, many of them Isolates, do not want to have to rely on police for protection. Many communities are so remote that any call for help may take hours to be answered.

In remote areas, and some urban area too, bows and crossbows are used. Being Australia, use of woomera (atlatl) or war boomerangs is not unknown either. Firearms acquired by illegal means will be kept well hidden until really needed.

Officially, it is grudgingly admitted that some citizens may possibly have a need for firearms. With considerable trouble and red-tape a citizen may be permitted to own a “gauzi”. For most Aussies, this is the only model of gun they may ever legally own. Few permits are ever issued to urban dwellers. Being approved for ownership may be a little easier if the user agrees to security features such as locator-tags, and recognition pads.

The gauzi is an unusual weapon, looking like a 19th century rifle but using modern technology. It is a single-shot gauss-gun, the breech being opened by a lever that also serves as the trigger guard. The safety resembles a hammer to give a simple, easy to understand mechanism. When the hammer is in safe position the sights are obscured. After firing the hammer drops back to the safe position. It cannot be set to fire while the breech is open. A C cell is installed in the stock and powers the gun’s systems. The 18mm calibre barrel can accommodate a variety of loads. The projectile is suspended in a magnetic field and does not come into contact with the barrel walls. The gauzi will actually fire any object that can fit the bore and is ferrous. With a container of steel shot it serves as a shotgun. Several weights of spitzer bullet make the gauzi a small game or medium game rifle. Heavy, large calibre slugs provide some capability against dangerous animals. Explosive rounds and other varieties of military ammunition are not available. Because of the requirement for metallic content, producing less-lethal ammunition types for the gauzi is problematic. Purchasing or storing large quantities may prompt official investigation. The gauzi has a two-foot long barrel. Unlike that of a conventional firearm, the barrel cannot be shortened to make the gauzi more concealable. Cutting the barrel destroys the electromagnetic accelerator system. Cutting off the stock removes the power supply. The Australian government prefers to keep the number of gauzis in circulation low, so the design has a modular sighting system, allowing a single weapon to be used in a variety of roles. A HUD sight is fitted as standard.

Each gauzi is “made on demand” at a minifac. Some users opt for decorative finishes and ornate furniture. If you are only going to own one gun, might as well have one that you can be proud of. Other examples are plain utilitarian.

Interstellar Travel: Considering the Unthinkable.

The majority of space science fiction is based on an assumption: Interstellar travel is possible. Either a way to travel faster than light is possible, or there is a way to side-step the necessity by taking a short-cut, usually through another dimension.

Like many sci-fi fans, I hope we do reach the stars. But if I am brutally honest, to the best of my knowledge, there is currently no evidence that interstellar travel is possible. Wormholes and tachyons remain theoretical. Quantum tunnelling has been observed, but there is no evidence that a human or starship can do the same as a sub-atomic particle. 

Suppose practical interstellar travel is not possible? Rather than a great ocean, the galaxy is really closer to a desert of tiny puddles. Humans are minnows in that puddle. They can thrive and occupy the whole puddle, or shelter below a familiar weed, but they cannot leave the puddle, and nothing can cross the desert from another puddle.

This may be the solution to the “Fermi Paradox”. We cannot detect interstellar visitors or civilizations for the simple reason that they cannot exist. 

There remains “impractical” interstellar travel. We could reach some of the neighbouring star systems using “slowboats”. if we are willing to accept voyages of several years duration. Hibernation or generation ships may be needed. By these means, human colonies around other stars would be possible, but very little interaction between them would be practical. A distress call from a colony might take more than a decade to receive an answer. Shipping people to the colonies would have minimal effect on any population problems the Solar system is likely to have.

We could use unmanned probes to explore other systems, although we may not hear from then until a future generation of scientists. Many may challenge the expense of exploring worlds that we can never be visited.

In most near-future sci-fi interstellar travel is not an option, but what happens if this never changes? In a few thousand years, how will humanity fare if it cannot expand outside its home star system? What if it can only utilize the finite space of the solar system? Eight(-ish) planets and various moons and lesser bodies. Some of the Rho-class planets and moons may be capable of being terraformed. For environments that cannot be adapted, ingenious solutions may be needed. Several science fiction novels have track-mounted communities on Mercury that constantly move to stay in the twilight band. Humans themselves may be adapted to certain environments, such a oceans or free-fall. A future solar system may have several sub-species, or even several distinct species of humanity.

Life may be trapped in its star system of origin, but that does not mean that there is no life around other stars. Perhaps we will one day make contact with other civilizations. We cannot visit each other, but may be able to correspond, even if there are years between responses. There may be practical problems with sending a coherent transmission over multiple light years. If so, instead, unmanned “courier” craft might be exchanged. Such vessels would be one-way only, so are able to expend all their fuel in reaching a high sub-light velocity. They can also utilize propulsion systems and acceleration rates that would have been detrimental to a crew. On reaching their destination system, such couriers would broadcast the data they were carrying. Rather than expending energy decelerating (which might have required weeks or even months) couriers would be programmed to safely fall into the systems’ sun(s). Theoretically a courier could carry physical objects between systems, but this adds the complication of decelerating the “gift package” at its destination.

GURPS Terradyne.

Version 1.2

Before GURPS Transhuman Space (THS), there was GURPS (Space) Terradyne.

Terradyne was written in 1991, so it is interesting to observe how the period it was written in has influenced the future depicted. For example, the USSR still exists on the Earth of Terradyne, although the book does predict a number of republics will have seceded, and problems with ethnic unrest.

The most obvious difference with Transhuman Space is much less biotech. Genetic engineering is used, but it is mainly for food crops or terraforming organisms. The latter are fungi, lichens, algae and microbes. There are bionics, but no biomods; robots, but no bioroids.

Terradyne is more dystopian than Transhuman Space, but also a somewhat more realistic, grittier hard sci-fi setting. Terradyne is set in 2120, rather than the 2100 of THS. Tech-level of Terradyne is lower than THS, however. Off-world, and the more prosperous nations or social groups of Earth are (early)TL8, but many Earth nations are TL7, with some communities as low as TL6, TL5 or even TL2. This is using the Classic/3e Tech-level scale, not the 4e. On the Classic/3e scale THS was high TL9 with TL10 biotech (GURPS THS 3e p.140).

Some of the technology later seen in THS sourcebooks is present in Terradyne. Some of the predictions that miss are rather charming. The book suggests use of the web will be charged by the minute, implying much less constant use of it is made than in THS or IRL. For monetary transactions people carry a keypad device resembling a small calculator.

“Have you ever ridden a conveyor strip before?” Gaines inquired. “It’s quite simple. Just remember to face against the motion of the strip as you get on.”

“The Roads Must Roll” by Robert Heinlein.

Unlike THS, slidewalks are a common means of travel in the cities of the UPOE and Terradyne. The slidewalks of fiction (and some real world examples), use several parallel strips, each moving two to three yards per second faster than its neighbour. By this means high speed slidewalks are boarded. The real world ThyssenKrupp Express Walkway is composed of pallets that can vary their individual speed. Rules for slidewalks are given in GURPS Ultra-tech 4e p.222. I also like the idea of cable cars being used within the craters of the Moon.

Inevitably, some of the scientific facts in the book are out of date. Still up for grabs in 2120 is a massive prize for finding water on the Moon. We now know there is quite a lot up there!

It is a standard trope in near-future sci-fi for big corporations to own virtually everything. Economically, this seems somewhat unrealistic and impractical. Terradyne has a more credible structure, and revolves around the interaction of two large organizations, only one of which is a corporation.

The United Peoples of Earth (UPOE) is a league of nations organization that is effectively the world government. It has an Assembly of Nations, where each member nation has one representative, and a Peoples’ Assembly where each nation has a vote for every 20 million of population, or part thereof. The latter system does not provide much of an incentive for nations to curb their population growth!

Terradyne is an off-world corporation based in Luna City. Its mission is the colonization and exploitation of the rest of the solar system. Currently its primary project is the terraforming of Mars. To this end, it has taken the bold but controversial action of crashing Saturn’s moon, Phoebe, into Mars. This impact has created several deep oceans and seas, and a thick, but as yet unbreathable, Martian atmosphere. Terradyne employs 90% of off-world personnel and sees itself as a de facto nation. Rather than raising money by taxing its population it does so by the sale of exports. Terradyne also owns and operates the solar power satellites that provide a significant proportion of Earth’s energy needs.

An interesting dynamic exists between these two organizations. The UPOE would like to bring Terradyne to heel, but is dependent on Terradyne for energy and high-tech goods, many of which can only be made in orbit. Terradyne, on the other hand, resents the UPOE’s attempts to control and influence it, but needs the population of Earth as a market. 

“The Mall in Washington, D.C. is flooded and the government has moved to higher ground. Tourists can visit the Oval Office and the second floor of the old Capitol Building by boat.

New York: City was also hit hard. About 20% of Manhattan is under the Atlantic, including the Upper West Side to Amsterdam Avenue, and nearly all of the East Village.”
 

Nations remain politically significant. The USA is a major food producer and has Earth’s largest armed forces. It would very much like to regain its status as a world leader but it is beset by considerable social problems and unrest. The poverty gap remains a problem, with many Americans living at TL6 even within TL8 cities. China is a major player on the world stage, but somewhat held back by its antipathy to Terradyne. Japan is significant economically, but hindered in some circles by its close association with Terradyne. Not all the nations of the world are members of the UPOE. There are also a number of Earth-based corporations and zaibatsu that wield considerable political power.

The book includes some material that may be useful for THS and similar scenarios. Rules for man-powered flight under lunar gravitry are on page 57. “Mayflies” I have dealt with in a previous blog.

GURPS Terradyne uses a different armory to THS. TL8 weapons may be drawn for GURPS Space 2e, Ultra-Tech 3e, and presumably, Ultra-Tech 2, Cyberpunk and Cyberworld 3e. Much of the technology, including weapons, is TL7 so GURPS High-Tech may contribute many items. Firearms of any kind are very strictly controlled in domed and pressurized environments such as on Mars and the Moon. This may lead to characters or NPCs making greater use of melee weapons, LLW or martial arts. Chemical slug-throwers are widely used on Earth and on Mars outside of the domes. Laser pistols and rifles are used in the colonies, but may be encountered on Earth too. Gyrocs are another armament weapon option, although civilians may be unable to legally use certain ammunition types. Military, police, paramilitaries, militia, mercenaries and criminals may have access to such weapons as military lasers, gauss-needlers, grenades, missiles, rocket launchers and needle guns. On Earth most military units will be TL7, with elite, special forces or well-funded units having better access to TL8 gear. In areas such as the Kasmir, one might encounter infantry platoons mainly armed with TL7 rifles, but having an infantry support laser (UT-2 3e, p.55) and/or automatic rocket launcher (gyroc: UT3e p.47) and an electromag grenade launcher or mortar (UT 3e p.45-46) as their main firepower. The officers would probably carry heavy laser pistols as a sidearms.

I have a few minor gripes about the book. The description of the Lowell space station is rather confused: The hub shifts position to alter spin rate and vary the perceived gravity, but won’t this increase the spin rate of the other end module? Is only one module used for accommodation? The role of the Lowells is described under the entry for UCLA Cycler on this page.(Cyclers are also mentioned on THS 3e p.13) Page 111 of the Terradyne Sourcebook talks about “the lone combat soldier” where clearly the intended meaning was “the individual”. Theodore Sturgeon did not write “The Thing”! All of the movies were based on “Who Goes There?” by John W. Campbell Jr. Anthrax is a bacterium, so it is unlikely a virus (p.125) would be developed from it. Ranges for communicators are typically unrealistic. A microwave communicator will only have 10,000 mile range if it has line of sight.

The book could have used a map of the terraformed Mars. One can be found here, and also includes the artist’s take on the Terradyne Earth and Moon too. Personally, I think Israel would be in the UPOE, but would probably have a rough time with the Arab and Islamic voting blocks. I do like the idea of the Alawatie Christian Republic appearing in the Middle East. One issue I have with this map is the inclusion of space elevators. The tech-level of Terradyne makes it seem unlikely that the necessary high-tech materials for such constructions would be available. Additionally, Terradyne (the company) relies heavily on that it can ship goods down the gravity well to Earth much more cheaply and easily than materials can be moved up to orbit. Even if technically possible, building space elevators would be counter to Terradyne’s interests.

Biomod: Tabi-Feet.

“It’s OK, you can look. I call them my tabi-feet!

My first half-century or so was not kind to my feet. Fallen arches, torn tendons, all sorts of stuff. When I got them fixed, I had this done as well. The original bones are still in there, but now the four lesser toes share one lump of flesh. I have a big toe and an even bigger toe! I was always banging or catching my little toe on things. That is no longer a problem!

There are different options, but I went for the single big toenail, or as I call it, “the hoof”! So big toenail, and even bigger toenail.

This is cool: Watch. Retractable climbing claws! Three of them under each bigger toenail.”

The tabi-feet biomod encloses the bones of the four lesser toes in a single larger toe. It is essentially a quirk, but may evoke positive or negative reactions from some. In superstitious communities the owner may be accused of having cloven hooves!

Jet Seat: The Fast Route Home

“I will leave now. There is nothing you can do to stop me. There are three remaining escape rigs, and five of you. I imagine you have much to discuss!”

Another neat idea from vintage Look and Learn, in this case from 5th June 1971.

Not much use for the military of the THS-verse, where nearly all combat aircraft are crewed by infomorphs. This is more likely the “must-have” for private jets or light aircraft. Weight penalties mean there are unlikely to be more than a handful on larger passenger aircraft. Think of the escape pod the President uses on Air Force One in “Escape from New York”

Seat gun: extra.