Category: 2018

[The Balance of Souls]

This section will be forever incomplete. As I continue to write stories set in this setting, I will inevitably create new technologies to add to this list. Also, I do let other people write in my settings. So, if someone does create a fitting technology someday that impresses me, I’ll add it to this list. Here goes:

Into the Unknown (ItU) – Time machines. For the actual theory behind time travel in this setting, see that link off the main world descript. Here is a quote from ItU describing the appearance of a time machine (yes, dents and all): “The device was a large metal pod. The outside was made of an assortment of 5-sided panels, with rungs protruding from several locations. I counted two repair panels, several instances of surface conduit, six monitor ports, and at least thirty dents.” Here is a quote to describe the inside: “The device contained three secured chairs. The front one was centered (likely the pilot’s seat) with a wall of colorful controls on the right armrest tablet. The controls were lit up, functioning, sending a distinct smirk across my lips. An intact-seeming screen lined the wall on my right with several complicated diagrams and extraneous-seeming numbers. The habitable area inside was much smaller than the main device, barely big enough for the three chairs and a few non-existent supply bins.” The descriptors for time machines in this setting are not complicated.

ItU – Grey gears. These are also described on the terms post for time point three. Grey gears literally looks like a grey gear with a tiny needle off the one side. Someone who is close to death can attain one from the military police. Essentially, it is used to euthanize someone close to death, whether this is because of sickness or grave injury. Although rapid heals still exist, it is rare to find a full-body one functioning. Therefore, certain diseases such as lung and bone cancer have higher death rates than they did in time point two. For example, if someone has lung cancer and cannot gain access to a full-body rapid heal, they can attain a grey gear for use when they choose, such as when the pain becomes severe. There have been cases of people stealing grey gears in order to commit suicide.

ItU – Lilchtee. A type of candy. See the post specific to lilchtee off the main world descript.

ItU – Rapid heals. These look like they did in time point two, except now they’re portable with a self-recharging power source. Essentially, a rapid heal looks like a medium-sized box with a tube-shaped hole cut through one side of it. Function keys (as opposed to touch screens) are used to activate it. In the event of a malfunction, rapid heals are designed to shut down. Larger, full-body rapid heals do still exist, but they’re rare by this point. A rapid heal in this time point can now fix most injuries in less than one minute. They are still known to leave a persistent itch afterwards.

ItU – Thermal-consistent wear. These are also described on the terms post for time point three. A common type of durable clothing that favors functionality. Typically black in color, this clothing is surprisingly thin (roughly an eighth an inch thick). It functions to naturally keep a being’s body temperature at a comfortable degree, regardless of the outside conditions. Yes, variations exist for cats, dogs, birds, hamsters, and other pets. Thermal-consistent wear is still effective even in the most extreme of weather conditions. The most basic version (long pants, shoes, and long sleeve shirt) is relatively easy to create and distribute, even in this time point. However, gloves and socks are notoriously difficult to attain since most people who create thermal-consistent wear find them superfluous when compared to the demand for the basic version. Voucher cards are always plentiful for people who make this type of clothing.

ItU – Meal pills. These are also described on the terms post for time point three. All the energy and nutrients (roughly) needed to survive for half a day. These are a common sight in the outer zones since they are easy to get quickly out of a functioning food replicator. Anyone going into the outer zone tries to take at least one bag with them A bag is roughly the size of a closed fist and carries enough for one person for 30 days.

ItU – Functioning lesson tablets. These are also described on the terms post for time point three. They are part of what’s left of the education system. Many shelters still have classrooms, at least for basic literacy and life skills. However, in order to further someone’s education, especially if they want to learn in depth about a particular topic, they’ll have to find a functioning lessen tablet. There are an estimated 10 functioning lesson tablets per 200 humans. Most tablets do contain a wide array of information, so any tablet can usually convey information on almost any topic, unless someone wants to get exceptionally specific about a niche topic (such as how thread was made in 1500s England). Most tablets are touchscreen or static field (four corners that break off to form an interactive field in the center), but some are controlled with arrow buttons on the sides.

ItU – functioning food replicators. Bigger and more effective than in time point three, functioning food replicators can create entire meals in less than a minute. Most shelters are equip with several. Smaller, older models (such as the ones in time point two) are still present in most shelters, although they’re usually reserved as back-ups for the more efficient ones.

These were expanded on in WtS:

“Once the people in front of us had filtered through, Emalyn approached the screen. I could see around her shoulder: it started as a diagram of a plate with a drink cup. It looked like you tapped the section to fill in what you wanted, skipping anything you didn’t. but Emalyn flicked through the options so fast I’ll admit I didn’t follow. Then a slot popped open and a drawer slid out with her coffee and biscuit. She scooped it up then stepped to the side.

“I took one more step forward. The screen glistened like it was covered in sweat. When I tapped the drink cup, it felt oily, greasy, almost slimy. But I resisted the urge to wipe my finger on my shorts. I tried to breeze through the menu options instead: fruity, juice, grape. Sure. I knew they could screw that up, but I figured it wouldn’t be as bad as something like raspberry tea or orange soda. I had one down, at least one to go. The plate had one large, encompassing circle for main dish, or a smaller circle on the inside with options like side one, side two, and main course. I stumbled over the options for a moment.

“The person behind me grumbled something unintelligible, but Emalyn shot them a glare so I ignored it. What else would be fitting but hard to screw up?

“Quickly, I clicked through: main course, breakfast, toast, plain. Side dish one: peach slices. Oops. Well, now that was a risk I’d have to take. I couldn’t seem to cancel anything. Or could I? The distinctly-disgruntled mumblings behind me seemed to be getting louder, but Emalyn paid them no mind. I’ll admit I rushed and pushed the dispense button. As soon as that slot opened, I (surprisingly gracefully?) yanked my metal tray out.”

Will to Speak (WtS) – Nimbles. These are basically a hybrid between a human and the Pyrrh. The humans think they’re human, albeit with Pyrrh tech visibly integrated into their bodies. They’re called ‘Nimbles’ because of their propensity for agile movements and flight. Most Nimbles are children, and it is odd to see one speak a human language. It is rare to hear one speak at all, but a Nimble speaking in a way a human can understand is not unheard of. The Nimbles speak to each other through a type of visual language that involves finger motions. They can communicate with the Pyrrh, but only on a very basic level. Pyrrh do not harm Nimbles since they them to perceive them as curiosities instead of potential threats (think how a person might perceive a beautiful bird). For the most part, humans do grant Nimbles access to human spaces (such as shelters and inner zones), but Nimbles do face resistance. Many humans question their humanity, argue that they should be denied resources, and openly demand their allegiance. Nimbles are not spies, but they have no way to communicate that well. (At some point I might add a sketch here.)

WtS: Empaths do exist among humans. This is not a technology, but it’s worth noting. You can find a post dedicated to Nimbles and empaths [here].

WtS: Atmosphere filters. They are actually in place sometimes before or around time point two, but the Pyrrh control them by time point three. I added them because I think they’re a useful addition considering our current pollution problem. I’ll admit to not having thought through too much of how these work for the setting.

The majority of the remainder of technologies characters might encounter are likely analog (“technology that’s too dumb to think”). Although humanity has had to default to many older systems in their struggles against the Pyrrh, there are forms of technology that can be counted on to never acquire a Pyrrh’s awareness. To clarify: rapid heals and certain other technologies are a ticking time bomb: the more people leave time point three, the more likely a computer-related technology to gain a Pyrrh’s awareness. That change, at least, is gradual (once the awareness appears, it takes a while for a Pyrrh to realize it does actually exist). Therefore, rapid heals, functioning lesson tablets, and similar technologies cannot be used indefinitely – eventually, humanity will have to find other solutions.

[The technologies from Will to Speak will be added soon. I know there is a lot of crossover between this list and the terms of time point three, but that was unavoidable. I feel like I forgot some for ItU? I’ll fix that later if I did.]

[The Balance of Souls]

This post is dedicated to certain terms and quirks of language unique to time point three:

• Inner zones are safer passageways between shelters. These zones also exist for agriculture, production of resources not provided by functioning technologies, and as a buffer to defend the shelters. Some humans do choose to live in the inner zones. The military police maintain order and defense around the inner zones, mostly as a buffer to the shelters. At this point, open conflict is rare even around the inner zones.
• Shelters were established as a safe area for humans to live after the conflict with the Pyrrh escalated. Now they are the last system of order amoung humans. The military police works to maintain order in the shelters. Abuse of power is common, and they arguably focus more on maintaining order in the inner zones. Almost every shelter has at least a few functioning rapid heals (although rarely a full-body one), and at least one functioning food replicator. Agriculture in the inner zones is mostly for foods or resources that are more difficult to create in food replicators, or as a back-up. Shelters do have at least one shelter leader, usually voted on by residents (but not always). Travel between shelters is not common, but is reasonably accessible via the inner zones. Shelters already established in a story have their own list in this post after the main terms list.
• Voucher card. A voucher card is received for performing a necessary service or providing a necessary product to a shelter or the military police. Voucher cards can be exchanged for access to limited resources or luxuries. For example, a person can exchange a voucher card for access to the old-style movie theatre in the Wilmingty shelter. They could have received this voucher card for providing a temporary service to the military police, for example, such as assisting with the construction of an inner zone defensive structure. To clarify: basic food, water, and shelter are not considered limited resources because of functioning food replicators and the easy availability of clean water (the Pyrrh maintain the water systems and allow human access).
• Outer zones. You are on your own. There is no military back-up, no shaky safety net, and no guarantee you’ll survive. Pyrrh are everywhere. Essentially, this term refers to anywhere outside the shelters and inner zones. Troopers (elite units of the military police) will occasionally patrol suspicious areas in the outer zones.
• Nimbles have their own post [here].
• The military police tends to refer to itself as ‘the official military police’. A fan club and, therefore, unofficial fan groups do exist. Anyone pretending to be military police (as opposed to being actual military police) tend to be disposed of.
• A citizen is any human who is not a member of the official military police.
• Everything soup. Based off the infamous all-of-everything bagel of the 2020s, the everything soup took that concept even more to the extreme. An individual who was forgotten by history had the idea to combine every reasonably-attainable edible food ingredient into one soup. The supposedly-perfect proportions were allegedly worked out after a few years and a lot of experimentation. And, for whatever reason, food replicators always add in a few pebbles. You should test each bite before you chew.
• Time Bounty Hunters (commonly abbreviated as hunters). Exactly what they sound like. Time bounty hunters chase after escapees into the past. There are signs that a skilled hunter can find when seeking escapees. They have access to Time’s Doomsday Book, a meticulous record of every known detail throughout time from before the first jump was made (see below). Some escapees are more valuable than others, but most are just viewed as traitors to their time. The military police uses hunters to try to decrease the number of escaped souls since every escapee into the past is thought to help strengthen the Pyrrh. Therefore, the military police rewards hunters for every escapee (that being said, only maybe one escapee gets caught per every twenty). Since currency is no longer used by time point three, hunters tend to be rewarded with rare resources and an excessive surplus of voucher cards. Several of them have been known to retire to exploitative business-like ventures surrounding their acquired resources.
• Jumper is short for someone who has jumped through time.
• Time refugee is the common way to refer to someone who has been stranded in a particular time. This can be, for example, a scientist who gets trapped in the past. It can also be someone from another time who gets trapped in time point three.
• Time’s Doomsday Book. Named after King William’s doomsday book of 1086. This is essentially a record of every known recordable detail throughout time. It was made before the first jump into the past. Technically, it is a very, very large database that can be accessed via any time machine when someone enters the proper input code. In theory at least, it was meant to be a guide historians could use to see if their actions in the past had any impact. By time point three, this is used almost exclusively by time bounty hunters (see above). There is always the possibility that exploring the past could influence the information, but, in practical use, Time’s Doomsday Book is regarded as accurate. Details include weather reports, death rates (and a list of the deceased when available), birth documents, eye witness accounts of historical events, and military records. Other more minute details were included when available, such as corporate purchase orders, banking information, medical records, and even the number of posts in a well-known fence.
• Street lamps, as opposed to street lights.
• Functioning lesson tablet, part of what’s left of the education system. Many shelters still have classrooms, at least for basic literacy and life skills. However, in order to further someone’s education, especially if this human wants to learn in depth about a particular topic, they’ll have to find a functioning lessen tablet. There is an estimated one functioning lesson tablets per twenty humans. Most tablets do contain a wide array of information, so any tablet can usually convey information on almost any topic, unless someone wants to get exceptionally specific about a niche topic (such as how thread was made in 1500s England). Most tablets are touchscreen or static field (four corners that break off to form an interactive field in the center), but some are controlled with arrow buttons on the sides.
• Geargrind is an insult for someone frustrating, irksome, or exceptionally needy.
• Seneth is a slang term for something visibly fake or trash-like. It can be used to refer to the products of scams or to sub-par items.
• Mobile machines, essentially cars / jeeps / tanks / go carts. The concept of different makes and models has disappeared in favor of functionality. Motorized and capable of carrying people from point A to B? That’s a mobile machine. By this time point, the majority of these in use have either a self-recharging power source or are efficiently solar powered.
• Artificial electric lights, as opposed to “non-artificial” (“non-artificial” electric lights belong to the Pyrrh). Flourescant lights still exist, but are considered their own category. Overhead electric lighting in a shelter? Those are artificial electric lights. Here’s some description from Will to Speak:

“This shelter was currently lit via a myriad of improvised sky lights. An odd webbing of what looked almost like light-up plants clustered in various masses on the ceiling, trailing down to bring it to the masses. I had noticed earlier that the inner lower rooms were still lit by fluorescent lights. But I found the plant-like lights pleasant.”

Here’s a closer look, also from Will to Speak:

“The vine-like lights were surreally beautiful. They really looked like plants, maybe fungi. From here, I could see that a messy, starchy texture made up the main body. Then the branches spread out organically into their light-bearing clusters. The light-up parts could be crepe myrtle flowers, complete with irregularities. But I loved staring at the lights. Loosely, some of the smaller parts were swaying. In the skylights, I could see we were getting into dusk. Even so, the organic lights didn’t dim.”

It should be noted that these lights sputter and release sparks when struck. The reaction is strong enough to lightly brun humans.

• Not everything is. Therefore, it is significant (and often of note) when something is actually functioning. This is also a point of many arguments in the inner zones.
• Artificially maintained, an area or technology that is maintained either by a functioning technology or the Pyrrh. Recall that comment in time point two about excessively extravagant parks? Most of those had technologies in place to maintain that environment. Therefore, if the technology is still functioning (or the technology is maintained by the Pyrrh, or when the Pyrrh do the actual work to maintain the environment there) that area is artificially maintained. If humans do the work, such as in an inner zone agricultural area, if may be nicknamed “artificially managed”.
• “Humans”, as opposed to Pyrrh. The term human is said a lot more often than the term person. Although humans are still seen as people, it is more significant in this time point to say human.
• Gimmick, a small object, usually metal. You may not know what it does, but maybe it could be useful. Sometimes, even if you do know what it does, the object is still called a gimmick. For example, keys are gimmicks. A coin is a gimmick. A paperclip is also a gimmick. Organic matter is not a gimmick, neither is foodstuff or something potentially made of organic matter (such as cloth).
• Not everything is. Therefore, just like with functioning, it is significant when something is.
• Stone pavers / asphalt / cobblestone, very common material to see marking main roads in the inner zones. Not usually intact, but functioning.
• Grimy vs clean. Not everything is clean. Therefore, it is significant (and often very noteworthy) when something is. Another common point of argument in the inner zones.
• No-go phrasing. If a character says somewhere is a no-go zone, or an option is a no-go, they mean it. This is just some fun slang.
• Off gravity. Although this technology is rarer now, it does still exist. There are smaller variants (unlike in time point two), so it can now look like almost anything. Turning gravity off (assuming someone can identify it and get the technology to function) causes a sharp static-like buzzing in the air. Most of these can still only turn off gravity for roughly 1200 cubic feet (that’s roughly the size of a living room).
• Rumbling earth and light up blue dots signal the arrival of the Pyrrh. Characters in this time point must also be weary of anything else that can have a similar effect, like certain functioning technologies and large mobile machines.
• Old-style phrasing. For example, an old-style street lamp or an old-style dance. This descriptor can be used with almost anything from roughly time point one or before. If something is especially old, a younger character might call it ancient instead.
• Concrete glue. This is essentially concrete in a glue-like form that can harden almost immediately after it is applied. In the time point, the substance is surprisingly easy to create and transport, so it is often used for quick repairs and establishing quick defensive measures around the inner zones.
• Lilchtee is a type of candy that has an entire post dedicated to it. For details, see that link off the main world descript.
• Grey gear. This literally looks like a grey gear with a tiny needle off the one side. Someone who is close to death can attain one from the military police. Essentially, it is used to euthanize someone close to death, whether this is because of sickness or grave injury. Although rapid heals still exist, it is rare to find a full-body one functioning. Therefore, certain diseases such as lung and bone cancer have higher death rates than they did in time point two. For example, if someone has lung cancer and cannot gain access to a full-body rapid heal, they can attain a grey gear for use when they choose, such as when the pain becomes severe. There have been cases of people stealing grey gears in order to commit suicide.
• “Still”, noun. A still is slang for a photo or poster.
• “Some kind of mechanic”, slang. A mechanic is a moving part or simple machine (such as a pulley).
• “Bodily maintenance” refers to health / hygiene / food consumption / sleep. Essentially taking care of the human body.
• Thermal-consistent wear, a common type of durable clothing that favors functionality. Typically black in color, this clothing is surprisingly thin (roughly an eighth an inch thick). It functions to naturally keep a being’s body temperature at a comfortable degree, regardless of the outside conditions. Yes, variations exist for cats, dogs, birds, hamsters, and other pets. Thermal-consistent wear is still effective even in the most extreme of weather conditions. The most basic version (long pants, shoes, and long sleeve shirt) is relatively easy to create and distribute, even in this time point. However, gloves and socks are notoriously difficult to attain since most people who create thermal-consistent wear find them superfluous when compared to the demand for the basic version. Voucher cards are always plentiful for people who make this type of clothing.
• “Black matter”, slang for decaying organic matter. This can include decaying plant life, dead animals, decaying foodstuff, and dead human bodies.
• “Foodstuff”, common slang for food and ingredients. Not necessary for a character to use (they will not get an odd look for not using it), but still fun.
• Meal pills. All the energy and nutrients (roughly) needed to survive for half a day. These are a common sight in the outer zones since they are easy to get quickly out of a functioning food replicator. Anyone going into the outer zone tries to take at least one bag with them A bag is roughly the size of a closed fist and carries enough for one person for 30 days.
• For more terms that may be of use, see the technology of time point three link off the main world descript. I will add to this list as more terms are created.

Here are some shelters and their modern day approximate already established in a story:

• Murtell – Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. The literal shelter is the former Hollywood Wax Museum and several surrounding buildings. The mirror maze still exists in time point three.
• Wilmingty – Wilmington, North Carolina. The literal shelter is the former Airlie gardens (now artificially maintained under a large sky dome) and several surrounding buildings. There is an old-style functioning movie theatre that can be accessed with a voucher card.
• The ‘Ides – Norfolk, Virginia. The literal shelter is the former Harbor Park and Norfolk Scope Arena. Yes, I know these two places are not right next to each other – in between is an inner zone. The two shelters function essentially as one.
• Pyoi – Somewhere? I have not established the modern day approximate, but apparently they have bathhouses.

[The Balance of Souls]

This is part of a world descript for a science fiction setting. If you got here by accident, hit the back button on your browser.

Here is a bit from Into the Unknown describing one of N’s daydreams and some early space travel from time point two:

“I let myself picture a grand starship in the distance. It was early into reentry – I could barely see enough details to identify it. An old-style G20. One of the earliest still in commission space vessels (according to my time, anyway), it was so named for its twenty types of old-style weaponry: from pulse cannons to improved railguns and prototype laser weapons. When the G20 was invented, humans had limited knowledge of what they would meet out there, so they tried to prepare as best they could. The ship’s design itself was especially utilitarian. There was no way just the three of us could pilot one of those. They would need a crew of at least forty to perform maintenance, staff the weaponry, and have adequate shifts.”

After that first terrified venture into space, humans encountered an already-established alien peace. So, humans automatically fell into that peace under the alien guidelines. It’s very basic: don’t interfere with other species, only land on planets with developed species (capable of space travel) if their leaders formally welcome outsiders, if you built it you maintain it, all space stations must welcome and respect alien travelers, do not arrest or detain any member of another developed species, and no armed conflict with other developed species (otherwise the entire combined military of the peaceful species will descend on you to forcibly end said conflict). Our own solar system and Alpha Centauri (A, B, and Proxima Centauri) became the main highlights of the human territory. The station officially named Centauri Space Station was nicknamed Wayward Point since Proxima Centauri had some unpredictable effects. Soon, it was a common stop for human explorers traveling to and from Sol’s system. Space Travel has advanced enough that humans can get from Earth to Wayward Point in roughly three weeks (by time point three, that becomes three days).

At this time point, humans are hard at work building new space stations and exploring human space territory. Wayward Point is the only entirely complete station (since it was granted quickest access to resources). There also exists what’s called the machine planet. It is an acquired piece of alien technology (gifted to humanity by the Anacondri’i who routinely construct dozens of these things in one earth year). Essentially, the machine planet is a gigantic space vessel shared like a hollow sphere. It is capable of changing size in order to routinely encircle other planets. The main function is to mine the planet it encircles, but the vessel is self-sustaining and faster than any vessels humans have built (it can get to Wayward point in half a day). Humans use it more often for exploration and longer distance space travel. However, it should be noted that (as per agreement with the Anacondri’i), the machine planet can only be used in human or unclaimed territory. Otherwise, it will be seen as a declaration of armed conflict (despite the vessel’s distinct lack of weaponry). In the event of an attack, the machine planet will pull itself inside out, moving the habitable areas to the inside and creating a durable shield over the outside. This has yet to be done by the human one.

[The Balance of Souls]

This is part of a world descript for a science fiction setting. If you got here by accident, hit the back button on your browser.

This concept has been largely softened in the books themselves, but I’m including the original (pre-rerelease) explanation from Victim below. It is still a movement in time point two, but largely for the parades and fear-mongering.

As Mica explains:

“It’s the reason why they stop the trains the day after tomorrow: for Remember The Victims Day. Also known as The Day of Remembrance. . . . Every year, they put on this big parade. All known murder victims, for as long as we’ve recorded murders, get at least a schoolkid holding their photo, if there is one. These schoolkids then all march in various parades around the world. Combined, these parades represent the victims. We have too many to fit in one parade, so they all get divided out, I think by where they’re from.

“The more recent, or better known, victims usually get a float. There they have some relative or important person make a speech about the value of that person’s life. For example, Ann Marie always gets her own float, and at least one important person talking about her. We all know her name because of studying who murdered her. But, in order to talk about him, we can only legally do it by talking about her. So, she gets her own float and people who give out speeches.”

“Wait, how much do we really know about her?” Rina asked, interrupting.

“Enough for someone to get up there and talk. But no one ever questions a victim’s worth to be up there. No matter what, they’re still honored. But we still have murders today, even with all the effort of the Remember the Victims Movement. Maybe because they never banned guns? Or because they never put adequate controls over them? Because any psycho with a knife can still murder people on the street? There are so many theories, and they undoubtedly come up at this parade. Some people even argue that the Remember the Victims Movement just deflects from the major social issues causing violence in our society. But no one ever agrees, all they do is debate and examine theories. How good is examining a problem if you don’t actually act to try to fix it?” I was rambling at this point, trying to follow where my thoughts were going.

(You get the idea. The Victim Remembrance Movement has had tremendous cultural influence by time point two. It is one of many social movements to come out of a theory known as The Imperfect System. Essentially, the world was supposed to be perfect by now after WW3. It’s not. People have nicknamed their new system’s fallacies ‘The Imperfect System’. Various social movements, holidays, and protests have grown out of a burning desire to reach a perfect system for humanity. When the shaky government comments on the Imperfect System, they claim that they are all still experimenting to try to figure out the best way to be.)