Technology of Midnight Run

[Bosch]

In any Sci-fi setting the Tech is important, in cyberpunk though it’s all about high tech being involved with low lives. I guess that’s why I like cyberpunk as a setting it mirrors how we actually use technology as opposed to how we should. The internet for example started out as a way for academics to communicate now we use it look at naked celebrities while Nigerian princes ask us for a few quid. Cyber punk is like that it’s about subversive uses for high tech.

This list is not exhaustive and I’m totally open to suggestions.

Terraforming.

This technology was developed by Doctor Gary Schafer who’s name is frequently mentioned beside the likes of Newtown and Einstein. The basic idea is that it’s not feasible to generate a magnetosphere which means that the solar wind will instantly blow away an atmosphere. Therefore someone came up with the idea to contain atmospheres in craters. The craters provide some cover from the solar wind and so long as the Atmosphere was continuously replenished life is possible.

Plant growth became possible thanks a barrage of nutrient enhancers, genetic modification and hydroponics.

M-Gates

The M-Gates were a result of experiments into M-theory and Nano-computing by BC Industries. They found that through quantum manipulation they were able to drastically cut down the travelling distance between locations. A trip to Mars from Earth takes around five days. The experience of travelling through an M-gate and into M-space (Known colloquially as “the in-between” or “The Big White”) is quite odd. Ships have no sensor readings are out of contact with everything else and surrounded by a blinding white light. Outside of the ship is a perfect vacuum, there is no gravity no inertia and it’s impossibly cold. Those inside the ship will feel like the ship is not moving at all. If two are side by side and go through at exactly the same time they will emerge at the same time however they will not be side by side in M-Space each ship makes that trip alone. Occasionally people decide to commit suicide by stepping out of their ship while in M-Space nothing dramatic happens their body just comes out the other side. If you had a long enough oxygen and water supply you could make the trip in a Spacesuit. It would be very boring though.

Musclesuit

The Musclesuit was a precursor to augmentation technology but is still popular. It’s basically a skin tight bodysuit that is often worn under clothing. It’s made from woven Nanotubes that work in conjunction with the users own muscles to give massively increased endurance, speed and strength. These days there are countless models, makes and derivatives designed for a multitude of activities. Like Augments however there are limits placed of civilian models however there is a thriving black market.

Augmentation.

Robotics has come a long way and now even Synths are almost indistinguishable from humans yet possess capabilities far advanced of the of a human. The limit is so long as a you have a spinal Colum connected to a brain you can have a brand new body. Not everyone goes this far though choosing instead to just have new limbs or individual organs. Of course there are detractors who view cutting a perfectly good leg off in favour of a robotic one as a little crazy. Who’s to say who’s right and who’s wrong?

As mentioned above the augments can be indistinguishable from others but this assumes you are willing to pay for a good job. Augments come in variety of models to suit all price ranges from Bargain basement to Premium designer labels. Additionally some people don’t want to look human which has led to many peculiar subcultures popping up.

Artificial Intelligence.

Since the creation of AIs they’ve cropped up everywhere from cars to helping to run billion dollar industries. AIs can be limited in their intelligence and given certain parameters in which they are allowed to act for example an AI piloting a ship will have certain situations where it will be unable to act without a designated human in the room, for example when using weapons however increasingly more responsibility is being put in the hands of AIs since they received personhood.

Synthetics.


Synthetics are AIs that have been put into artificial bodies.

The bodies are based off humans and have a skeletal structure similar to our own. However instead of bone they use a lightweight yet very strong Nanomaterial. This keeps the weight of the skeleton low however the materials used to construct the rest of the body offset those gains.

Muscles are made from twisted bundles of Carbon Nanotubes that pound for pound produce far more strength then natural human muscle tissue. Synthskin is indistinguishable from Human skin and can be treated to offer some resistance to small arms fire. Their brain is housed in their head and destroying that will destroy the Synth. Battery removal will also cause a Synth to stop functioning the battery is located in the centre of their chest where a humans breastbone would be.

Synths do have their weaknesses though. If their internal workings get exposed wet becomes very dangerous and can short them out additionally if they are hit by a burst of electricity they can deactivate. They are also susceptible to EMP weapons which can know a synth out of commission quite easily even with shielding the affect can disrupt their cognitive functions.


Neural Interface.

While opinion is divided over augments the over whelming majority of people have a Neural interface which allows them to interact directly with a limited array of electronic devices. For example a user could access the net remotely, call someone or send them a mail. It works a lot like Bluetooth does as only devices known to the user can be remotely controlled. In addition the neural interface can be used as a HUD that displays map data, weapon information, location information, path finding and whatever else is convenient to the plot.

Getting an interface is a simple procedure using a mixture of Nano machines and tiny augmentations. Like everything else there are numerous companies competing in the market for example Pilots have a far more complex interface than other people. While it’s possible to have traditional controls a lot of pilots are plumping to instead getting a port that jacks them directly into the chip installed in their brain that allows them to pilot their ship. Benefits include faster reaction times and better awareness of the ship in general. The Pilot Augment is also popular with professional gamers who use it speed up their reactions when playing.


Please submit your own suggestions below.