THE SCIENCE OF ASCENSION
Many advances in both biology and technology have been made in the many years between the past and present. This is not an attempt to list all of them, but to give a brief overview of what the citizens of the various worlds find commonplace.
Genetic ModificationBoth humans and animals have been modified to be better suited to the work they do. Animals modified in this way are known as sophonts. The treeships use dolphin sophonts for deep-space repairs, feline sophonts for delivery and observation, and badger sophonts for internal repairs. Human sophonts have been modified to be either stronger than baseline (or smarter, etc.) and have been assigned a variety of tasks. Of course, some humans reject all such tampering. These are known as baselines, or pure-breds, depending on which side of the argument you are on.
BiotechnologyBiotech has expanded into several fields that were once taken by machinery or electronics. With a shortage of hard metals on many planets, biotech came to be a stand-in for those materials, with applications ranging from biologic waste disposal to optical sensors for automatic doors, to heavy-lifting, high-tension building materials, biotechnology is in nearly every aspect of life, even if you don't see it.
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Cybernetics
There are too many modifications to list, but suffice to say, if there is something that cannot be done with genetic modification, someone has tried it with implants. There are drawbacks, but that does not seem to make it any less popular. Many people have implanted tattoos that can shift along with their moods. Many settlements that have adopted this custom have also opted to go without clothing in order to show off their tattoos. These are generally not yet accepted in the rest of the settlements.
Small-Scale Teleportation
Treeships
As seen on the left, treeships are closed environmental systems, needing nothing from the outside in order to function. As long as the central tree lives, the ships function. To date, only one tree has been lost, reasons unknown. The other trees are still plying the stars, floating from world to world, acting as traders hubs for transport.
Mechanics (d20 Future)
Advertising & Marketing
Talking Products (PL 6) Future Tech, pp. 57, 58 Communication Videophony (PL7) Future Tech, p. 55 Computer Networks Computer Networks (PL 7) Cyberscape, pp. 39-40 Cybernetics Cybernetics (PL 7) Cyberscape, p. 5, 16-37, 68-73 |
Health Care
Medevac (PL 6) Future Tech, p. 58 Home Life Biofabricator (PL 8) Future Tech, pp. 59, 60 Identification & Security Retinal Identification (PL 7) Future Tech, p. 56 Interplanetary Ships Starships (PL6) Future Tech, pp. 32-48 No jump drives, or faster-than-light travel. |
Robotics
Robotics (PL 7) Future Tech, pp. 82-91 Travel Teleportation Stations (PL 8) Future Tech, p. 61 Treeships Starships (PL7) Future Tech, p. 50 Deep Space Outpost Weapons Personal Gear (PL 7); Gear (PL 7) Future Tech, pp. 6-28; Future, pp. 58-75 |