model lines
the
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The year is 3648. It has been 300 years since humans migrated to the stars. Leaving behind a dense patchwork of toxic cities rendered uninhabitable by centuries of climate destruction, nuclear war, and unchecked industrial sprawl.
Humans now live on Life Sustaining Environmental Emulation Drives. SEEDs for short. There are fifty of these suspended hives spread throughout the Milky Way Galaxy. Varying in size, population, and amenities.
Operating under one government, each SEED elects an official to represent their interests at the galaxy tribunal. This fifty-person assembly is referred to as The Gates.
Though the cosmic distance between SEEDs is vast and complex, space travel is now rapid and efficient. Thanks to one profound discovery: black matter. Scientists unlocked its properties in the year 3548—their research concluding that black matter is like a “rail” system weaving throughout the galaxy. A mappable fold in space and time that allows for near instant travel. This breakthrough finding effectively replaced centuries of light speed and hibernation pod technology. Rewriting the very laws of physics in the process. Yet, there is still much to understand about black matter. For that reason, it is rare that humans venture beyond the furthest rails.
Robotics, however, is more than a business. It is a lifeline between worlds.
The black matter rails are primarily used to transport life sustaining resources and materials between the planets and SEEDs. While the other planets are mined for natural resources, earth remains at the center of humankind’s existence. Humans may not survive on earth in physical form, but capitalism endures. Enabled by significant advancements in robotics, corporate headquarters and production remain on the earth’s surface. As do various recreations. Consequently, the landscape is thick with commerce. Carpeted with stadium-sized structures that house operations for enterprises such as space-ship building, water purification, and food engineering. The largest structures, colossal in size and energy output, belong to data servers.
In today’s economy, the stock market and traditional banks are obsolete. Currency is limited to The Trinity (Ethereum, Bitcoin, and Tezos). And, as a result of multiple corporate wars and centuries of consolidation, only six major corporations exist.
These six corporate giants are ranked by a government coded algorithm called The Index. With power-rankings frequently in flux, a volatile rivalry simmers—a rivalry that often leads to shadow wars over resource-rich planet territories. Natural resources are perhaps among the most lucrative assets in these conglomerates’ portfolios. Data, too. Other big money businesses include space aviation, security, and robotics.
A (Very) Brief History of Robotics
In the early 2000s, many foretold a future in which automation would effectively replace the human workforce. And for a time, they were right. By 2500, the majority of jobs were fully automated or reduced to algorithms. But an economy without earners, is an economy without spenders. Government subsidies, inherited wealth, and low overhead combined could not compensate for the near-complete loss of consumer capitol. In response, global corporations reshaped production to include user-operated remote robotics. A shift that would lay the groundwork for today’s robot avatar technology.
Now, centuries later, long after mother nature issued her eviction notice, breakthrough developments in this technology have allowed humankind sustained and meaningful access to its home planet. From the safety of one’s SEED, a person can experience life on earth (or a semblance of it) by connecting to a terrestrial robot. Once patched in, users have complete control over these bot surrogates, which enable both work and play on the earth’s surface.
t.a.r.s.
Tether Assisted Robotic Skeletons
These sophisticated machines are called TARS: Tether Assisted Robotic Skeletons. They mimic humans in frame and motion, but fully embrace inorganic, cyber aesthetics. Functions are rich and wide-ranging. Tar tech has even developed the facility to simulate physical sensations for its users. Feelings of being drunk, high, intimate—all transferred across the universe.
A person’s corporeal form is bound to a cramped, bland, and often shared SEED dormitory. Tars are a means to go beyond these confines. To engage with a concrete world that caters to your every want. Unsurprisingly, many people prefer to stay online. Tethered to their robotic selves.
The Vogu Collective
In this deeply engrossing hybrid reality, Tars are a vital tool in shaping and reflecting one’s identity. An existential transformation on which the market has gainfully capitalized. Though in some cases a rental is necessary, for the most part, Tars are individually owned. Users buy, upgrade, and accessorize their planetary counterparts to suit their work needs and, most importantly, their personal interests. Some might opt for a bot with more physical strength. Others might require sensory upgrades. Some might outfit their bot in colorful, statement-making fashions. Others might choose a more understated look. Whatever the case, options are plentiful. If one has the Trinity bucks to spend.
Tars are available for purchase at a number of retailers, but perhaps the most innovative and prestigious of these vendors is Vogu. A subsidiary of a big six company, Vogu offers five model collections—each with their own specialized tech features and design characteristics.
The Core Collection is popular among the luxury minded. Ongo appeals to the artists. Centurian is a practical model for the security elites. Kouwei is a stylish vessel showcasing the latest in streetwear and gamer trends. And the Patricians Collection? With its baroque, opulent designs and unparalleled tech, this model is for the wealthiest of the wealthy. More than any other brand, Vogu understands the symbiotic relationship between user and Tar. They recognize that for the user form and function are of equal weight. That to customize and individualize one’s bot is the ultimate act of self-expression. Or so the company mission statement reads.