Technology

UPID

The Unique Person ID, or UPID, identifies a person across all stations and networks. It registers information about said person, and can be read by all station security devices.

All personal things are associated with this UPID, such as permits, forms, citizenship, ownership certificates, bans, bounties, and so forth.

In older times the UPID was a physical pass, a small plastic card, not unlike a credit card. Newer models are directly embedded into the body so they cannot be stolen that easily.

As with everything, a lucrative illegal business sprung up that deals in the manipulation, removal or swapping of such UPID chips and passes.

Credits

Credits in Last Descent is an inter-system currency that is linked 1:1 to the Euro. Other major currencies are the USD which is also bound to Credit in 1:2 fashion, so 2 USD are one 1 Credit. Credit can be used instead of the local currency on most stations and nations.

The most common way of paying are cash cards. They are preloaded with a given amount of value on them, and can be used as a debit card until they are empty. Credit Cards also exist, and are usually linked with a bank account. Paper currency still exists as well, but is rarely used anymore except on a few stations and outposts that do not have a reliable way to process cash cards or credit cards. The paper currency equivalent of Credits are either Euro or USD.

All PDAs are capable of depositing and removing money from cash and credit cards. Money rewards, prices and sometimes salaries are often given out in the form of cash cards.

PDAs

The PDAs of Endless Horizons are the newest and latest models of smart phones. They have a big class screen and built using aluminium or other high endurance metals and polymers. They built so rigid, so they can take some damage while floating and bumping around in micro gravity.

PDAs are highly valuable, and expensive and are often the targets of thieves. All PDAs are by default encrypted.

Name	Cost	Weight	Hacking DC
PDA	1000	0.4	8

Electricity

With the rise of better battery technology, electricity has taken over mankind's technology. Electricity is used to power cars, helicopters, vessels and almost all appliances. All aircraft and vessels use the Feynman Drive, a high yield Ion Engine, as their sublight engine.

After the successful completion of ITER in 2028 fusion engines became more and more widespread. Fusion cores are used, as Power Cores, on all ships and vessels for power.

While solar power has been improved and is available on most vessels, it only generates enough electricity to keep basic systems up and running. The core of a small or medium vessel may be recharged with solar power, but that can take up to several months or even years. Nevertheless some pilots have managed to go into stasis while their ships recharge just enough, by using solar power, to give them enough velocity to hurl them towards a nearby space station.

This has lead the price of fossil fuels (oil, diesel, gas) to drop drastically. While vehicles with internal combustion engines still exists, they are most often kept only for recreational purposes or because of sentimental value.

Deuterium

Deuterium, most often shipped and sold in the form of heavy water, is used as the fuel for the fusion cores. The deuterium is refined and sold on all planets and stations. Earth is the biggest exporter of deuterium, as it is found naturally in the oceans. Other stations mine asteroids or the subsurface lakes of their host planets for deuterium.

Internet

Never underestimate the bandwidth of a fleet of haulers hurling down the highway

The earth's internet hit a barrier in reaching the furthest reaches of space, namely other star systems. While the technology was brought to all stations, ships and planets, they are only interlinked with each other within the same solar system.

Data is transferred by hauling data storage units by ship from one solar system to another. A business has formed around this need, were so called data haulers offer their services in transporting data from one place to another. Likewise pirates have targeted these haulers, to steal it. Potentially to find something which incriminates the owners.

On newer models of the sensor array (Sensor Array MK III in any size category) it is possible to send information across warp, but the information still takes some time to reach its destination. In warp the radio waves used for communication travel with a speed of 20 parsecs a year.

Due to this delay, email as resurfaced as the main means of making contact with another across solar systems.

Food

Food has largely shifted towards an all vegetarian diet. With the dwindling living space and nature on Earth, and the massive increase in population in the solar system, meat has become expansive. Only the rich can afford meat on a regular basis, with the moderately rich being able to afford meat once or twice a month. Meat alternatives exist, being made from soy or grown artificially in a laboratory.

Cloning

Cloning has been perfected over the last decades. It became cheap enough to be heavily used on live stock. Cloning humans however is strictly forbidden, with the cloning of human body parts (for emergencies) being the only exception. The only thing that cannot be successfully cloned (or at least not without many failures and set backs) is the human brain.

Reconstructive Surgery

While cloning human body parts (for reconstructive surgery) is possible and allowed, it is tremendously expensive. A reconstructed human hand costs between 9 and 15 million credits. An entire arm 25 million credits and above. Organs also cost between 5 and 10 million credits. This cloning process is not error free, and if complications arise the price also rises. Everything, except for the brain, can be cloned however. This also includes muscles and skin, for example to repair burnt or otherwise scarred tissue or body parts.

Attaching a cloned limb is usually done by the company that created it, but the surgery DC is 15 and the operation usually takes 4 hours.

The cheaper alternative are artificial limbs, created with advanced robotics. Depending on the price and the model these limbs range from clumsy and heavy, to almost perfect. All doctors are trained in attaching these limbs, and most mechanics are capable of servicing them in case they get damaged.

Artificial limbs behave just like normal limbs (they can be targeted, shot and damaged) but may incur additional penalties or bonuses. While they require power to function, it is usually too much hassle to track this rules wise. Their weight however, gets added normally to the carrying weight of the character. Attaching an artificial limb is a surgery check DC 10 and takes roughly 2 hours.

Robots and Droids

Robotics has made a major leap forward in the past century. Robots exist in various shapes, forms and sizes and are used extensively for manual labour. Robots can now walk on two legs reliably, take simple orders and communicate in simple terms verbally. They are far from being sentient however, and can not be used for more complex tasks. Almost all robots can also be used remotely, for example to repair hull damage without actually leaving the ship or douse flames without having to expose oneself to heat and toxic gases. Robots come in as many shapes as the tasks they have to perform. From heavy tracked automated land moves, to small and agile welding robots.

Armed security robots do exist, and are heavily used by corporations and other private ventures. They are armed, heavily armoured, and often follow and enforce a strict protocol.

Droids are simply robots that have been built to mimic a human, and are often used in roles where they come in contact with humans. For example, most stations and planetary stations use droids as tourist guides. Droids are also used as house hold robots, where they might have to welcome guests.