Category: Technology

LORE24 ENTRY #39 – Supers Month #8 – Clean Sweep

 

From the files of Cyber Seer…

 

Villainous Name

Clean Sweep

 

Real Name

Mariska Hathaway

 

Description

Wow, almost didn’t have a chance to get a good look at her!  I was totally taped up and at her mercy before I could blink, ya know?  Like, I’d never been mummified that good before!  And the way she was choking me while holding me hostage totally got my juices flowing too!  OMG, it was so hawt!  Oh, right, what does she look like, though?  Well, she’s a total hottie with that uniform she’s almost wearing, right?  Dark hair, amber eyes, and ‘attractive’ would be putting it mildly; she’s got some amazing…tracts of land.  Like, does anyone else wonder how she can like, move that fast without fallout out of it?  (Note from PP:  double-sided tape might be a thing here.) Or how she can run in those heels?  Ohmygawd!  Right, right, what does she look like, though?  Well, thanks to MM’s data, we have one sexy maid with a seriously bad attitude!  Lotsa boobage on display in that totally skimpy maid uniform, big bows, lacy frills all around, sexy lacy garters and fishnets over some amazing legs (not as nice as yours, GB!), and some flashy red high heels.  Sounds like she’s from New York Jersey, maybe?  Anyone else gettin’ those kinda vibes?  Like maybe she’s mafia or something?

Update From Gun Bunny:  “SCPD records indicate she is a native of New Jersey and does indeed have ties to other criminal operations on the east coast, has a list a mile long of minor offenses, nothing concrete as far as convictions on more serious issues. As of now, we still don’t know where she’s getting all the heavy weapons.  There must be another source we’ve not managed to track down.”

 

Known Lairs and Hangouts

So like, does anyone know where she hangs out when she’s not doing B&E and theft and property destruction and stuff?  You’d totally think it’d be easy to find a few dozen maids hanging out with the hardware these chicks pack, right?  I totally would, anyway.  Like, they gotta have a place to store that arsenal.  Seriously, nobody got a clue?  

She’s locked up in the Edgewater Institute for now.  Seriously, they must have some amazing tech in there to hold someone like that!  Like, has anyone ever been inside there?  I’m totally curious what they’ve got in there!

 

Why She’s Bad news 

Super-speed, dudes!  Like, wow, can she move!  Even Mecha Musume’s sensors couldn’t keep track of her!  Best she got was something like an incoming missile warning, but by then it was already too late to react.  And she hits like a Mack truck!  Totally sent MM flying with just a steel pipe!  Like, wowza!  According to MM’s armor, she can hit with the same force as a missile, and could actually do some major damage!  And like, she’s super-skilled with tape, too as I can fully attest (with detailed, moment-by-moment records of exactly how I was feeling at the time), and probably other restraints if given the chance.  Like, maybe I can get in with Edgewater somehow for some more tests?  Would be a good idea I think.  Hey, maybe I could like, reach out to the director of that place?  Wow, she looks hawt…

Update from Mecha Musume:  In all seriousness, Clean Sweep’s speed cannot, under any circumstances, be dismissed.  She can be in one place, then somewhere else in the blink of an eye, and can even bring people with her.  I still haven’t managed to calibrate my sensors in a way that can track objects moving at that speed.  Were it not for Black Cat’s timely arrival, I do not think we would have made it out of the situation unscathed.  I also have my doubts that Black Cat could have even managed to stop her if Clean Sweep had been aware of her presence.  Based upon what we witnessed, I can say with a high degree of certainty that Clean Sweep is possessed of a remarkable metabolism, but must still consume a high volume of oxygen when she uses her powers.  She almost immediately used up all the remaining air in that force cage Black Cat made trying to escape it, blurring as she did.  Perhaps she can move so fast as to resonate her body in a way that she can pass through physical matter?

Update from Gun Bunny:  Given that she can move fast enough that none of us can keep track of her, I don’t think Clean Sweep’s motivations are pure greed.  She seems to have a sadistic side to her, given how she treated Cyber Seer and was toying with Mecha Musume while her girls did the heavy lifting.  Her criminal records from New Jersey include at least two assaults, though she has been implicated in many more that couldn’t be confirmed.  

 

Known Accomplices

She’s got a whole gang backing her, dudes!  Like, how many have there been now?  A couple dozen at least!  And she’s got some special one too, like more talented or whatever, like that Little Suzie chick and that creepy pink-haired one with the knives and the gas mask.  Like, totally uncool vibes coming off them, no girl boners here.

Update from Mecha Musume:  She goes by Pinkie the Knife, btw.

And then there’s whoever she’s getting the guns and explosives from.  Like, I looked into some records and stuff (no, I totally didn’t hack any federal databases or anything!  That would be bad and wrong and I’m totally a good girl!), and like, there’s nothing on that load of guns and stuff reclaimed from those robberies.  Guessing that a lot of them came from overseas somewhere?  Totally should try to track down where these are coming from!

 

Comments

Mecha Musume – The fact that you were getting excited by her threatening to slice your head off with a garotte is troubling.

–Reply from Cyber Seer:  I’m a very horny girl, babe.  What can I say?  It was a heat of the moment thing!!  Totally won’t happen again.  Probably.  Maybe.  Maybe not…

—-Reply from Mecha Musume:  It had better not!  

——Reply from Cyber Seer:  …But, like, what if it does?  I mean, you know how hot some of these baddies are, right?  Like, especially this one.  Total dommy maid fantasy stuff going on here!

——–Reply from Mecha Musume:  Do you need to speak with Mecha Mistress regarding this matter?

———-Reply from Cyber Seer:  Yes please!  <3 <3 <3

 

Pink Pussy – Wow…I get a little excited when I do my crime fighting thing, but you’re on a whole new level, Cyber Seer.  So thirsty…

–Reply from Cyber Seer:  Such is the burden I must bear as an avatar of the internet!  it’s for porn, you know?  Like, totally.  They even wrote a song about it.  By the way, have you seen some of the art of you out there?  I’m getting all hot just thinking about it!

—-Reply from Pink Pussy:  Si, chica!  I get it, absolutely!  Also…uh, you mentioned more details about the taping thing?  

——Reply from Cyber Seer:  I totally did, and it is soooo hot!  Like, sent you a link, babe 😉

 

Gun Bunny – I haven’t faced her myself since she’s safely tucked away in Edgewater, but I don’t even think my speed could keep up with her.  She could easily outrun bullets at that speed, perhaps even have all of us in a bind before we knew it.  Anyone have any suggestions on how we could deal with someone like her without Black Cat’s magic?

–Reply from Mecha Musume:  Perhaps we would need to focus on roundabout ways of dealing with her.  At least based upon Black Cat’s handling of the situation, if Clean Sweep cannot perceive the threat, then perhaps even she cannot react to them.  I am considering a reactive power surge through my armor as an option; the moment she makes contact, a stunning blast would trigger, basically.  Traps of some kind to slow her or pin her in place would be an option as well.

–Reply from Cyber Seer:  *raises hand*  I volunteer for testing any and all traps, the stickier the better.

—-Reply from Gun Bunny:  Yeah, I agree with your line of thought, Musume.  I’ll see if I can come up with any bright ideas on my end too.  

 

LORE24 ENTRY #38 – Supers Month #7 – Dollface

 

From the files of Cyber Seer…

 

Villainous Name

Dollface

 

Real Name

Unknown (Probably some stuffy British name or something, based totally on that holier-than-though posh accent of hers.)

 

Description

Like, oh my god, this lady is totally into the whole doll fetish thing!  Like, super seriously, you know?  Those masks of hers are totally bad news!  Creepy and porcelain-looking and stuff!  Then there’s that stuffy old Victorian dress thingy she wears, sitting on her throne and having all those creepy dolls waiting on her, totally loyal pets, like some kind of modern queen or something.  You know, I can totally understand why she’d like that kind of thing and could like, you know, maybe get into the whole ‘doll-like plaything’ angle, but only if, like, it was on my terms, you know?  Not like mind control and stuff, that’s just not cool.  

 

Known Lairs and Hangouts

The Dollhouse – It’s totally just a warehouse with some fancy interior, you know?  Like, nothing that special.  Especially since Black Cat gave it a new sunroof and I kinda totally fried all the electronics in there.  Think she’ll hold that against us?  I totally bet she does.  If she ever wakes up, anyway…

Edgewater Institute – Dollface is currently being held here for medical care and possible treatment.  They’re like, the only place in the city that can restrain supers right now, and like, oh my god, I can only imagine how they do it!  Like, seriously, they’re security is next-level, you know?  Like, I can’t even break through the firewall; whoever their IT is, they’re GOOD, like super-good, ME kinda good, you know?  

Update from Gun Bunny:  My sources inside SCPD have confirmed that Dollface is still in a coma at this time.  She is in the intensive care unit currently, and so far has shown no signs of waking up.  Brain activity is a mess, but that’s about all we’ve managed to get.  It seems the facility’s director, Jennifer Tempest, is VERY big on patient rights and protection.  Will let you know more if I get anything else.

 

Why She’s Bad news 

Those doll masks, dude!  Totally jacked up!  Like, those things are gnarly in the worst way!  Like, they’ve got some seriously intense tech going on there.  It’s a lot of what Pink Pussy was stealing and stuff, but with like, so much more beneath the hood!  I couldn’t like, get a full tech-spec on them before I burned everything down, but these things are like, wet-dream territory for the globalist nut-jobs trying to control the world, you know?  Not only can they totally control your mind, but they buff you up, too!  Like enhanced strength, toughness, all that kind of thing!  She made them out of like titanium and carbon composites, and that’s why even Musume had trouble busting them up.  But the way she like, made those special masks just for us is kinda creepy?  Or maybe its more like, the masks could shape themselves to us somehow, like, you know, customization based on the target or whatever?  And just how many of these things could she pump out if she had a bigger operation?  There were like, two dozen dolls there already!  What was this chick planning?  Like, world domination?  A kinky dollhouse kind of kingdom?  

Good news is that my brain is like, not totally compatible with her tech, thankfully, so she couldn’t get me to do the whole loyal doll thing, buuuuuut it totally messed with my head, like splitting headaches and jacked up senses and junk.  Not that I could, like, see or hear anything besides her anyway; totall sensory deprivation helmet.  Maybe I could’ve done more at that point, but she totally had me strapped down and at her mercy and stuff, so great save there, Gun Bunny!  Also, your legs…OMG, your legs!  Would totally let you crush me with those someday if you wanted!  Walk all over me with those heels of yours…mmmm…

Oh, oh, more about Dollface!  Like, her control mechanism was totally wireless tech, like a suped-up Bluethooth kinda thing, so maybe I could make something to disrupt that signal?  But if what Black Cat said holds, then maybe not?  Cause its like, magic and stuff, and I still don’t get how that works?  Might be something that Kitsune lady did, too.  She was magical too, and not just because she wore that sexy latex outfit.  She was pretty hot, though, right?  And that outfit she put Black Cat in?  OMG, SO HAWT!  And so cute!  Not cool though!  Not cool at all!  Bad Cyber Seer, bad!  Punish me, Mecha Mistress!

Update from Pink Pussy!  Like, apparently Dollface can teleport, too!  That’s totally how she managed to snatch Pussy (hehe…heheehehehe….I said snatch pussy…) and get her in that mask!  Creepy doll-faced lady with teleport powers, totally not cool!  BUT apparently it only works through mirrors, maybe?  At least, that’s what PP remembers, so everyone be totally careful of anything like that!

 

 

Known Accomplices

Kitsune – The sexy fox lady with very naughty and advanced illusion magic, per Black Cat.  I added the naughty part.  And totally not from Earth, apparently, not even this plane of existence.  Major unknown quantity here!  Like, she totally helped to free me when Dollface took that bullet to the head, but what’s her game?  Who’s she working for?  Where do all those tails connect, and are they real or just kinky accessories?  Inquiring minds want to know!

Anyway, she stole some seriously bad vibe magical artifacts that could mean…well, bad news.  Still waiting on Black Cat to figure out something there with her mysterious order or whatever (by the way, what little I’ve gotten out of her indicates there are totally a bunch of sexy mages in there…).  And apparently Scheherazade could do more than tell fun stories!  Who knew?  Certainly not I! 

 

Kitsune’s Boss – So, like, she’s working for someone.  No clues as to who, what, when, where, or why, but that’s like, the nature of mystery and intrigue in the superhero world, amiright?

 

Others – I couldn’t get much out of Dollface’s records, but I totally think there were others working for her or with her, maybe not her doll squad, but like, more influential or powerful types.  Something is amiss in Sentinel City, y’all!

 

Comments

Mecha Musume – I fixed the formatting for you; less thought-streaming, more factual and to the point.  Also clearer headings and more serious nature to the database.

Edit:  I see you’ve reverted most of my changes.  I’ll assume that’s just an error from the update you performed earlier and change that again.

Edit 2:  Ah, you’ve reverted my changes once more.  >:(  Well, fine, have it your way.  Mecha Mistress will be seeing you this evening, and she will not be pleased.

–Reply from Cyber Seer:  Insert eager panting noises here

 

Pink Pussy – I’m not proud of what she made me do, but can attest to the danger of those masks.  I could restrain myself in some ways, like when I took down Shadow Lynx and left her strung up under that streetlight; I had been ordered to kill her, but thankfully resisted the order.  I was out of it for a pretty good while afterward, though; once that mask came off, I was starving and exhausted.  No clue what longer term wear would do to a person who wasn’t a super.

And…who is this ‘Mecha Mistress’ chica?

–Reply from Cyber Seer:  That was totally hawt, btw.  Edit:  The Shadow Lynx thing, not the other stuff!  Also, Mecha Mistress, i can’t say anymore atm, I’m a little tied up 😉

—-Reply from Pink Pussy:  …with you, I’m not sure if you’re being literal or not…

——Reply from Cyber Seer:  Totes literal.  Ohmygawd, so hawt!

 

Gun Bunny – Appreciate that you appreciate my legs 😉  Also, I’m not seeing any comments from Black Cat; does she not have access?

–Reply from Cyber Seer:  The offer to crush me between them thighs or walk all over me is ongoing, btw.  Ummmm…baby steps with Black Cat.  She’s like…not really down with the electronic age, y’know?  She’s totally retro, but in a cool way!  

—-Reply from Gun Bunny:  Perhaps you should confer with your Mecha Mistress first?  

——Reply from Mecha Musume:  I’m certain she would not approve; I’ll be sure to inform her about this.

——–Reply from Cyber Seer:  I totally approve of this!  Eagerly awaiting whatever punishment Mecha Mistress has for me!  I’m totally a bad girl and absolutely 100% need it. XOXO

 

LORE24 ENTRY #35 – Supers Month #4 – Mecha Musume

 

Hero Name

Mecha Musume

 

Real Name

Emi Koike

 

Description

Emi is a young and pretty Japanese woman, with dark hair and a pleasant face framed by a pair of glasses, standing just barely at five feet tall.  She wears her hair at shoulder length in a plain cut, and typically dresses neatly, usually wearing a proper skirt, blouse, hose, and sensible shoes.  She’s still getting over her more introverted nature, and doesn’t go out of the way to draw attention to herself.  She does dress more casually when at home, though this usually means she’s wearing some kind of coverall and covered with grease and metal shavings as her favorite hobby of late is tinkering with her armor.

As Mecha Musume, she stands nearly seven feet tall, broad and bulky in the humanoid powered armor.  The current Mk. I design is painted in dark gray and black until she decides on a proper color scheme, the armor several inches thick in most places.  The backpack unit resembles that of an astronaut’s pack, equipped with powerful thrusters that enable her to fly and leap much further than the weight of the suit might indicate it is capable of.  The weapons are likewise much too large to use by a regular human, a large directed energy cannon that she uses like a pistol, and the energy sword stored in the backpack resembling a good sized pipe.  

 

Powers and Abilities

Though Emi doesn’t possess any flashy superpowers, her mind is her greatest asset.  Though she can’t process information at the speeds that Becky does, she has a far greater ability to grasp complex concepts and a far deeper understanding of engineering and robotics, and can learn practically anything if she applies herself.  Her true passion is robotics, though, and that shows in her armored alter ego, Mecha Musume.

Initially appearing as something of a walking tank, Mecha Musume’s armor is continually being refined and modified to adapt to new situations and the ever-changing face of super-powered villainy in Sentinel City and beyond.  The armor itself is extremely dense and heavy, but manages not to overburden most of the city streets, and is capable of shrugging off small arms fire without a scratch, and can even absorb anti-tank rounds to some extent.  The armor is incredibly strong as well, allowing her to lift several tons without putting a strain on the suit’s mechanics.  Having modeled her designs after her favorite mecha anime, Emi’s initial loadout of weaponry were decidedly too much for dealing with most of the criminals she would initially encounter, the powerful energy cannon and sword easily tearing through anything up to an armored truck like a hot knife through butter, even on lower settings.  Emi would adapt her arsenal as time went on, expanding and tweaking it like the rest of the armor.

Though she was never one to get into physical altercations growing up, Emi has had to learn to fight now that she’s embraced her heroic side, practicing with both guns and in various weapons, though she still relies mostly on absorbing damage and providing heavy firepower against more dangerous villains.  She has become something of an amateur martial artist while she’s not tinkering with her armor, learning  unarmed techniques and how to use Japanese swords and naginata, modifying her techniques to better serve her inside her armor.  

 

Background Info

Emi was born and raised in Tokyo, Japan as the only child of her parents, dutiful government employees, though her father was often absent due to travel requirements.  From an early age she displayed an amazing intellect, a child prodigy, though her interests always leaned toward the sciences.  Though placed in accelerated courses in school, Emi was not entirely out of touch with pop culture, having fallen in love with the giant robots seen in various manga and anime.  It was perhaps no surprise that she would begin delving into studies on robotics as she rapidly advanced in school.  She had attained a college-level education by the time she reached puberty, and had attained doctorates in engineering and robotics by the age of sixteen.

Though still dedicated to her field of study, Emi also had a desire to see the world and experience American culture, and, against the wishes of her parents, though they would still support her decision, Emi went to America to see the ‘college experience’ first hand, even though she had already surpassed anything they offered.  It was in college that she met Becky Dodgers, who was a couple years older than her, and the two became fast friends and more, sharing a love of technology and her favorite mecha anime.  It was during a summer trip back to Japan after that first year that Emi would learn the truth about her father, that he was actually a highly trained operative performing various clandestine missions for the Japanese government, perhaps even with some lingering ties to the Yakuza, and that he had worked and even clashed with Becky’s father several times over the years.  Though her father was adamant she severe ties with Becky, Emi refused and returned to America, though she learned that Becky was completely clueless about the nature of the work her father did, and to this day, still doesn’t grasp that he’s not a simple accountant.

In the days following the world’s awakening to super powers, Emi worked with Becky to learn the extent of her newfound ability, and for a time thought she hadn’t been gifted with any such changes.  However, she would soon begin to work out designs for technology the likes of which were only in the earliest conceptual phases, and had envisioned her very first powered armor, the early-phase prototypes following in secret soon after, with only Becky aware of what she was doing.  Later, following their graduation and arrival in Sentinel City, with a little help from her father’s contacts within the government to obtain a few particular materials, the two would develop the first working prototype power armor, just before Emi started her new job as a teacher of robotics at Sentinel City University.

As fate would have it, the first test of the armor’s functions would also be the pair’s first encounter with the criminal element of Sentinel City in the form of the Clean Sweep Gang.  Though there would be some trouble during this encounter, the two would emerge victorious, and Emi would tirelessly refine and improve her design from there on, though there always seemed to be an underlying cooling issue for the inside of the armor, one that she has yet to puzzle out.  It would be after an encounter with Clean Sweep herself that the pair would join forces with the mysterious mage Black Cat that would put them on the path to confronting the thieving Pink Pussy, and eventually confronting Dollface and learning of her otherworldly boss.  

 

Known Enemies and Rivals

Clean Sweep (Enemy)

The Clean Sweep Gang (Enemy)

Dollface (Enemy)

Grover Bloomenthal (Rival)

Demon Lord Kurae (Enemy)

Kitsune (Enemy…?)

 

LORE24 ENTRY #27 – Robotics

Category – Technology

Robotics have advanced in some amazing ways since space travel became commonplace, though still seems lacking in other ways.  The most common types of robotics are those dedicated to mass-production, laboring away in factories on massive assembly lines to build starships and other vehicles.  Other robots have, in the many prosperous regions, taken over the less desirable manual labors, such as farming or janitorial services.  Robotics are more commonly seen in the form of cybernetic replacements for limbs, or in the form of powered suits or exoskeletons designed to handle heavier cargo.

True robots have seen a rather limited advancement due to the unreliability and lack of advancement of artificial intelligence that would govern their behavior.  Beyond basic functions with a limited scope, such as farming and assembly, advanced AI has proven unreliable at best when governing the behaviors of these machines, and a liability and danger to living beings at its worst.  The general consensus is that artificial intelligence should be limited in scope and reach, and with limited decision-making ability.  There have been multiple instances throughout history where more advanced AI has led to loss of life and destruction of property when the AI outright fails or goes completely rogue and has to be destroyed.

Autonomous robots do exist in some limited roles.  Some corporations make use of robotic sentries for security purposes, though these act as little more than armored, mobile gun turrets with target-identifying abilities, as well as small, highly maneuverable drones meant to patrol or search a wide area.  Some groups see modern robotics as bringing back the ancient golems, creating loyal, if mostly unintelligent, servants and guardians, though even those were often only tasked with simple orders, limiting their purpose.  The size of modern robotics is likewise limited, with the largest examples being slow-moving and often limited to factory spaces; physics still applies to larger robots, after all, and the secrets of creating truly massive golems that could actually move about without necessarily destroying the streets they walked upon has been lost to time.

 

LORE24 ENTRY #20 – Seal-Tech

Category – Technology

Amongst the most controversial and feared arca-tech (arcane technology) in the known galaxy is Seal-Tech, unique to the dark elves, its secrets fiercely protected behind walls of secrecy.  Used primarily in the dark elf-controlled prison system (a lucrative business in its own right given their successful business model), on its surface, Seal-Tech is used as a means of controlling the prisoner population.  At first glance, one could assume that Seal-Tech was simply an advanced form of latex, typically seen in the form of a skin-tight bodysuit prisoners are placed within, sometimes with attached restraints, and able to be recolored at a signal from a controller to indicate various statuses of the wearer, even report back on their general state of health.  It is known to be much more durable than standard latex, and generally is reasoned to be used because nothing could be hidden on a person wearing it.

Below the surface, however, Seal-Tech is much more advanced and insidious.  Having gone through multiple advances over the centuries, Seal-Tech, while indeed latex at its core, is far more than a simple rubber compound.  The reason behind the name is primarily from the most powerful of the material’s abilities, namely the ability to seal away the magic of those wearing it, completely blocking the ability of arcanists and even divine or druidic casters from casting their spells.  The ability of the material to reshape itself on command also makes it perfect for immobilizing hostile prisoners and limiting their ability to cause trouble or even use basic implements, able to form a variety of restraint devices (straps, cuffs, mittens, gags, an inescapable sack to immobilize the wearer, and more).  In the most recent iterations of the technology, the dark elves have managed to incorporate a life-sustaining magic into the mix, which serves to keep a prisoner wearing the suit nourished without the need for actual food (though once their sentence is complete and the suits removed, they are ravenously hungry and must eat immediately), as well as self-cleaning functions so that the suits never have to be removed.

The truly nefarious nature of Seal-Tech is tied to its near-indestructability; once a person has been placed within a suit of Seal-Tech, they cannot remove it.  If the suit is damaged, even with cold, fire, or other means, to the point of being completely burned away, somehow, the Seal-Tech will regrow and reform itself in a matter of minutes (older iterations of the technology took much longer to reform itself, hours or days).  Though outwardly able to affected by magic, it is highly resistant to magical analysis, and the nature of its legendary resilience has yet to be determined, though many arcanists surmise that it is tied to a very advanced form of curse magic.  Others have theorized that Seal-Tech is somehow related to the dark elves’ patron goddess Yurisaya, as her faithful followers often make use of the material for their own purposes, and are known to work closely with the prison system to provide care, discipline, and spiritual guidance to prisoners.

 

LORE24 ENTRY #15 – Cybernetics

Category – Technology

Though true cybernetics are a modern develop, there are many recorded instances, and surviving artifacts, from the ancient times where limbs had been replaced with magical, artificial replacements, assuming limbs couldn’t be magically regenerated.  However, in the modern era, with most lacking the power, or faith, for such a feat, cybernetics have been developed as a viable and safe option to replace lost limbs and organs.  In most cases, the replacement functions exactly as the original, having been built to the exact specifications to suit the user.  Generally such replacements only require occasional tune-ups and recharging of their power cells.

In recent years, however, there has been a growing evolution of cybernetics, as information has slowly leaked from within the well-protected walls of various companies who have dedicated themselves to advancing the technology with a mind to increasing effectiveness and lifespans of soldiers.  These advanced cybernetics can enhance their users, increasing physical ability, awareness, and ability to interface with technology through varying degrees.  There have even been a few instances that have leaked involving cybernetic weaponry, such as blades or even projectile weapons, hidden within artificial limbs that have led to a growing fear of “cyborg assassins” coming after a corporate rival.

There is a growing subculture outside the corporate-controlled territories, stemming mostly from Sentinel Prime, where cybernetics are being installed when no replacements are needed, simply to enhance the individual.  These are not always as subtle or as refined in nature as those from a corporate source, and not with nearly as high of a safety record, but the fact that such things are now possible is a potential game-changer as the technology is further refined and improved, though there are plenty who have spoken quite vocally against such “abominations” and “defilement” of the natural form.

However, cybernetics have yet to become a cure-all for everyone.  Certain genetic factors, severe damage due to radiation, or other anomalous issues with a person can prevent the use of cybernetics as their body simply rejects the implants.  Further damage to the body can result from such situations unless the implants are removed in a timely manner.  In these cases, only magical means may fix the person, though these are usually even more expensive, and much more difficult to source, than cybernetic replacements.  There are early-phase trials in place regarding specialized replacements based upon individually bioengineered cybernetics tailored to a recipient’s DNA, but currently there is little to show for it. 

 

Lore24 Entry #1 – TK Drives

Category – Technology

The TK Drive is the standard use method by which starships traverse the galaxy, in use for over two thousand years.  Though some of the history of the development of this technology is in doubt due to conflicting sources, the most commonly accepted version is that the original concept for the drives was developed by a kerryn scientist by the name of Tonzura Koite, upon the world of Arcavarlon, during a time of great global upheaval following a long period of waning magic and rising tensions over limited resources.  

The TK drives would eventually lead to a wave of expansion into the depths of the galaxy, allowing the people of the Arcavarlon system to move beyond their own solar system for the first time in a way that wouldn’t require generation ships or lost spells to travel to other planes of existence.  The early days of travel were wrought with danger as the navigation systems for hyperspace travel were further refined, but after the first few decades, the galaxy was well and truly open…aside from the massive area known as the “Demon Sector”, which could not be entered via realspace or hyperspace.

The current iteration of the TK drive manipulates space, allowing the ship it is mounted upon to enter an area of hyperspace between two points in known space, traversing the corridor, and coming out on the other end in a fraction of the time it would take using regular propulsion.  There are different speed ratings for the drives, the higher the number, the less time it takes to reach your destination (for example:  to travel between two particular systems, a TK-1 Drive could take about 170 hours, whereas a TK-3 TK Drive would take about 57 hours).  Generally the larger the ship, the slower the drive, though this isn’t always the case, especially where military and corporate interests are concerned.  

The TK Drives create their own gravity fields when they are active, and thanks to advances in the technology, this feature has been fine-tuned to allow for artificial gravity aboard ships equipped with the drives.  As a consequence of this factor of the drives’ function, however, they cannot function to open a hyperspace tunnel inside strong gravity wells, such as those produced by a planet.  This means that ships will need to depart the gravity of a planet before engaging the drive to enter hyperspace, and conversely, a ship can be brought out of hyperspace by the unexpected appearance of a strong gravity well in realspace in the area of the hyperspace tunnel they’re traversing.