Haen Hithiel (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
alcheregis) wrote2016-06-12 11:15 am
alcheregis) wrote2016-06-12 11:15 am
Entry tags:
Glossary of Terms
CODEXVERSE WORLD INFORMATION
The Bio-Terror War
The Codex universe takes place in a future dystopian Earth, around 400 years from present day. All major history points are the same as real Earth, and at a point called the Bio-Terror War, which is exactly what it sounds like. What's generally agreed to have been the precipitating event actually took place on July 29, 2061. Called the Fisojne Incident, a small and localized nuclear weapon was set off in the city of Fisojne, Albania, utterly wiping it out, yet with a precision that was uncanny. Although (and perhaps because of) the incident never being claimed by any terrorist groups, the remaining years of the 21st century and early into the 22nd saw a new kind of Cold War, which were later referred to as the Annihilation Days.
Ultimately, the nuclear weapon had been a distraction to draw the world's attention from the development of chemical and in particular, chemically enhanced biological terrorism, and the Bio-Terror War began in 2134. The primary carrier diseases were engineered typhus and malaria, as well as several strains of Yersinia pestis, or the bubonic plague. With a large portion of the world's population having no native resistance to these diseases, and with the planet's population having hit 9 billion by that point, the spread was fast and brutal. It was assumed that the original culprits had designed these plagues to be treatable, essentially a way of creating bioterrorism ransom situations, but the epidemics continued to mutate until they no longer responded to any kind of antiviral.
By 2150, the world population had dropped to between 4-5 billion people, and construction of the first three Towers (Chablis in France, Rhodomel in Southeast Asia and Tangeuray in North America) began in 2152. Designed to be hermetically contained living spaces, these massive vertical constructions nearly a mile high could house tens of millions of people apiece, where everything could be controlled and quarantined as needed. Eight additional Towers across the world were completed by 2209, with approximately 85% of the world's remaining population moving into them.
Codexes
As part of an effort to protect disease-resistant traits in people, genetic research and understanding had skyrocketed over the course of a century, and along with the Towers, the Codexes were created. One for every Tower, with a rumoured Master Codex hidden somewhere, the idea behind them was simple. At birth, every citizen in every Tower had their DNA signature extracted and loaded into the Codex, a master file of templates which was used as identification. Their Codex value was a combination of physical, mental, and psychological genetic markers, which were assigned a numerical value between 1 and 200. Everything governmental was controlled by comparing a person's scan to the Codex, which dispensed their tokens, and allowed them passage on the Shafts. Residence in the districts were assigned by these groupings, and a select group – those coded at 180 or above – had their genetic profiles reserved for future generations.
Towers & Georails
There are 11 completed Towers around the world: Batida, Chablis, Chouchen, Eiswein, Galliano, Metheglin, Rhodomel, Riesling, Sauvignon, Shouchu and Tangeuray. There are rumours of partially completed ones as well, but these are not named, and it's suspected that they're empty, as they are not sealed and therefore open air to the many virals rampant across the globe. Of those 11, only 10 are "living" Towers in Haen's timeframe of 2365, as Chouchen Tower suffered a catastrophic failure in 2309, resulting in an almost 100% casualty rate.
Towers are designed vertically around a thick central open-air core, into which massive rail lines are installed. Each Tower has 18 levels that make up the "Lower" Tower, and each level is subdivided into eight districts that are arranged around the central shaft. Assigned residences are provided to people based on their Codex value (so level 1 residences are reserved for Codex values between 1-10, level 2 for 11-20, etc) although they're free to move or trade their residence with anyone else on the same level. Everything from food, to clothing, to tools and necessities are distributed using redemption tokens. Barter has resumed its place as the primary method of trade, and handmade items are now most people's primary source of income.
The lowest level of the Tower, below the housing levels, is colloquially referred to as the Pavement, and is where the deep-drilled grates are found, providing geothermal heat into the Tower. The "Upper" Tower was reserved for those whose genetic Codex placed them at 180, up to the maximum of 200. Contained all to one level, as typically less than 5% of the Tower's population achieved these ratings, the accommodations (not just housing, but employment and all forms of assistance) are lush in comparison to the Lower Tower levels. Finally, the topmost Tower level is reserved for the governmental employees, their living spaces, and all the control technology for the entire Tower.
Transport shafts, like high speed freight elevators, allow personal movement between the different levels. There several in each district, and they all employ a genetic scanner. In order to use the shafts, a person must allow themselves to have a tiny bit of DNA extracted, which is then compared to the Tower's Codex. A person was only allowed to move a certain number of levels above their Codex value, although they could move downward without impunity.
Georails are the method by which everything was moved between the different levels of the Towers, and are powered by massive electromagnetic fields. They also employ approximately 30% of the Tower's population, in various support roles, with everything from moving to packing freight to magdisc manufacturing. While the ownership of the rails themselves belong to the government, private companies often own the rights to manufacture certain required parts. Work on the georails is considered reliable, but dangerous.
Towers are only able to produce about 60% of the materials they need within the confines of the towers themselves, and the rest had to be produced from specific farmland cultivated areas that were mobile: massive rolling platforms on every continent that traversed the plains, in an effort to avoid the most epidemic-prone areas and be able to move between multiple Towers. Despite the efforts, most workers only lived a few years outside the safety of the Tower, and these platforms (Rollers) were primarily staffed by a conscription system, although there was a high premium paid to the families of those who volunteered.
Genessi, Traceries, Templates and Morphs
One of the most astonishing developments that came about of the widespread genetic testing and investigation in the 22nd century, prior to the introduction of the Codexes, was that certain individuals carried with them DNA markers that allowed them to manipulate genes within a living organism. These people were termed genessi, and carriers of the gene comprise around 10-15% of the population, although the actual number of genessi capable of developing their talents is less than 5%.
To augment their ability, genessi use a Tracerie, which is a long glove shape made of tiny interlinked metal discs. Each finger was tipped with a silver point, with graceful incandescent filaments arched from nodes on each tip and passed through the clasps at the forearm and elbow. Genetic material passed from the host via the filaments and into the genessi's own genes, where it was rewritten via selective mutation, and then returned to the host's DNA, where the changes took effect. The filaments were essential to the Tracerie's function, as without them, imperfections were inserted into the subject's body and would multiply, eventually causing sickness and death.
The result of genessi's ability to manipulate DNA gave rise to a host of applications, some functional and some strictly decorative. These changes are broken down into three major groups: Perks or Tweaks are defined as an enhancement or parallel change, like changing ones hair or eye colour, or body type. It is generally considered the least invasive of the three, and focused entirely on physical appearance. Morphs are defined as the addition or modification of appendages, and are usually immediately visible to the casual observer. Such changes include extra limbs, or changing the existing ones to take on the properties of other species. Fixes are the most discreet of changes and focus primarily on internal organs or mental capabilities, and would include intellect enhancement, improved reflexes, and the elimination of mental disability. As a whole, gene manipulation is referred to as Morphs, as well as that particular group of changes.
It is important to note that regardless of any changes, a genessi is not able to affect a person's Codex value, allowing the Codex system to continue to function within the Tower. Every genessi must be registered with their Tower's registry office, and practicing genework without an updated license is grounds for deportation from the Tower-- essentially a death sentence.
Working opposite to most active genessi are genework designers, called Templatists, who design various Morphs, which can then be "uploaded" into the Tracerie, and therefore into the genessi themselves. Specialized tablets are used for the design, each capable of holding the information of an entire DNA makeup, although the work itself is long, tedious, and catastrophic if mistakes are made. Templatists and genessi, especially working in tandem, can become highly in demand on all levels of a Tower.
Major Factions
The major player groups in the Codex universe are the two government factions, called the Proctors and the Corps, which are the agents and soldiers of the Towers respectively. Proctors have the authority to work outside the law, and Corps are given the equivalent of martial law. Opposite these groups are the various protest group, such as the Anti-Geos and the Equibates, whose agendas usually oppose the Codex system, the georail reliance, and the overall living conditions within the Towers. A similar group is thought to be responsible for the sabotage that destroyed the filter system in Chouchen Tower.
The Bio-Terror War
The Codex universe takes place in a future dystopian Earth, around 400 years from present day. All major history points are the same as real Earth, and at a point called the Bio-Terror War, which is exactly what it sounds like. What's generally agreed to have been the precipitating event actually took place on July 29, 2061. Called the Fisojne Incident, a small and localized nuclear weapon was set off in the city of Fisojne, Albania, utterly wiping it out, yet with a precision that was uncanny. Although (and perhaps because of) the incident never being claimed by any terrorist groups, the remaining years of the 21st century and early into the 22nd saw a new kind of Cold War, which were later referred to as the Annihilation Days.
Ultimately, the nuclear weapon had been a distraction to draw the world's attention from the development of chemical and in particular, chemically enhanced biological terrorism, and the Bio-Terror War began in 2134. The primary carrier diseases were engineered typhus and malaria, as well as several strains of Yersinia pestis, or the bubonic plague. With a large portion of the world's population having no native resistance to these diseases, and with the planet's population having hit 9 billion by that point, the spread was fast and brutal. It was assumed that the original culprits had designed these plagues to be treatable, essentially a way of creating bioterrorism ransom situations, but the epidemics continued to mutate until they no longer responded to any kind of antiviral.
By 2150, the world population had dropped to between 4-5 billion people, and construction of the first three Towers (Chablis in France, Rhodomel in Southeast Asia and Tangeuray in North America) began in 2152. Designed to be hermetically contained living spaces, these massive vertical constructions nearly a mile high could house tens of millions of people apiece, where everything could be controlled and quarantined as needed. Eight additional Towers across the world were completed by 2209, with approximately 85% of the world's remaining population moving into them.
Codexes
As part of an effort to protect disease-resistant traits in people, genetic research and understanding had skyrocketed over the course of a century, and along with the Towers, the Codexes were created. One for every Tower, with a rumoured Master Codex hidden somewhere, the idea behind them was simple. At birth, every citizen in every Tower had their DNA signature extracted and loaded into the Codex, a master file of templates which was used as identification. Their Codex value was a combination of physical, mental, and psychological genetic markers, which were assigned a numerical value between 1 and 200. Everything governmental was controlled by comparing a person's scan to the Codex, which dispensed their tokens, and allowed them passage on the Shafts. Residence in the districts were assigned by these groupings, and a select group – those coded at 180 or above – had their genetic profiles reserved for future generations.
Towers & Georails
There are 11 completed Towers around the world: Batida, Chablis, Chouchen, Eiswein, Galliano, Metheglin, Rhodomel, Riesling, Sauvignon, Shouchu and Tangeuray. There are rumours of partially completed ones as well, but these are not named, and it's suspected that they're empty, as they are not sealed and therefore open air to the many virals rampant across the globe. Of those 11, only 10 are "living" Towers in Haen's timeframe of 2365, as Chouchen Tower suffered a catastrophic failure in 2309, resulting in an almost 100% casualty rate.
Towers are designed vertically around a thick central open-air core, into which massive rail lines are installed. Each Tower has 18 levels that make up the "Lower" Tower, and each level is subdivided into eight districts that are arranged around the central shaft. Assigned residences are provided to people based on their Codex value (so level 1 residences are reserved for Codex values between 1-10, level 2 for 11-20, etc) although they're free to move or trade their residence with anyone else on the same level. Everything from food, to clothing, to tools and necessities are distributed using redemption tokens. Barter has resumed its place as the primary method of trade, and handmade items are now most people's primary source of income.
The lowest level of the Tower, below the housing levels, is colloquially referred to as the Pavement, and is where the deep-drilled grates are found, providing geothermal heat into the Tower. The "Upper" Tower was reserved for those whose genetic Codex placed them at 180, up to the maximum of 200. Contained all to one level, as typically less than 5% of the Tower's population achieved these ratings, the accommodations (not just housing, but employment and all forms of assistance) are lush in comparison to the Lower Tower levels. Finally, the topmost Tower level is reserved for the governmental employees, their living spaces, and all the control technology for the entire Tower.
Transport shafts, like high speed freight elevators, allow personal movement between the different levels. There several in each district, and they all employ a genetic scanner. In order to use the shafts, a person must allow themselves to have a tiny bit of DNA extracted, which is then compared to the Tower's Codex. A person was only allowed to move a certain number of levels above their Codex value, although they could move downward without impunity.
Georails are the method by which everything was moved between the different levels of the Towers, and are powered by massive electromagnetic fields. They also employ approximately 30% of the Tower's population, in various support roles, with everything from moving to packing freight to magdisc manufacturing. While the ownership of the rails themselves belong to the government, private companies often own the rights to manufacture certain required parts. Work on the georails is considered reliable, but dangerous.
Towers are only able to produce about 60% of the materials they need within the confines of the towers themselves, and the rest had to be produced from specific farmland cultivated areas that were mobile: massive rolling platforms on every continent that traversed the plains, in an effort to avoid the most epidemic-prone areas and be able to move between multiple Towers. Despite the efforts, most workers only lived a few years outside the safety of the Tower, and these platforms (Rollers) were primarily staffed by a conscription system, although there was a high premium paid to the families of those who volunteered.
Genessi, Traceries, Templates and Morphs
One of the most astonishing developments that came about of the widespread genetic testing and investigation in the 22nd century, prior to the introduction of the Codexes, was that certain individuals carried with them DNA markers that allowed them to manipulate genes within a living organism. These people were termed genessi, and carriers of the gene comprise around 10-15% of the population, although the actual number of genessi capable of developing their talents is less than 5%.
To augment their ability, genessi use a Tracerie, which is a long glove shape made of tiny interlinked metal discs. Each finger was tipped with a silver point, with graceful incandescent filaments arched from nodes on each tip and passed through the clasps at the forearm and elbow. Genetic material passed from the host via the filaments and into the genessi's own genes, where it was rewritten via selective mutation, and then returned to the host's DNA, where the changes took effect. The filaments were essential to the Tracerie's function, as without them, imperfections were inserted into the subject's body and would multiply, eventually causing sickness and death.
The result of genessi's ability to manipulate DNA gave rise to a host of applications, some functional and some strictly decorative. These changes are broken down into three major groups: Perks or Tweaks are defined as an enhancement or parallel change, like changing ones hair or eye colour, or body type. It is generally considered the least invasive of the three, and focused entirely on physical appearance. Morphs are defined as the addition or modification of appendages, and are usually immediately visible to the casual observer. Such changes include extra limbs, or changing the existing ones to take on the properties of other species. Fixes are the most discreet of changes and focus primarily on internal organs or mental capabilities, and would include intellect enhancement, improved reflexes, and the elimination of mental disability. As a whole, gene manipulation is referred to as Morphs, as well as that particular group of changes.
It is important to note that regardless of any changes, a genessi is not able to affect a person's Codex value, allowing the Codex system to continue to function within the Tower. Every genessi must be registered with their Tower's registry office, and practicing genework without an updated license is grounds for deportation from the Tower-- essentially a death sentence.
Working opposite to most active genessi are genework designers, called Templatists, who design various Morphs, which can then be "uploaded" into the Tracerie, and therefore into the genessi themselves. Specialized tablets are used for the design, each capable of holding the information of an entire DNA makeup, although the work itself is long, tedious, and catastrophic if mistakes are made. Templatists and genessi, especially working in tandem, can become highly in demand on all levels of a Tower.
Major Factions
The major player groups in the Codex universe are the two government factions, called the Proctors and the Corps, which are the agents and soldiers of the Towers respectively. Proctors have the authority to work outside the law, and Corps are given the equivalent of martial law. Opposite these groups are the various protest group, such as the Anti-Geos and the Equibates, whose agendas usually oppose the Codex system, the georail reliance, and the overall living conditions within the Towers. A similar group is thought to be responsible for the sabotage that destroyed the filter system in Chouchen Tower.
Haen's History
When Segan turned 18, he was given his own lodging in the Binoun district of Riesling, and three years later, Haen moved in with him. He was an aspiring Templatist, but worked full time on the georails to support them and give Haen a chance to practice her own talents as a genessi. Due to the exorbitant prices of Traceries and their upkeep materials, Segan took a job on the freight platforms to help make ends meet, and only worked on his template designs in his spare time.
It was about this time that Haen discovered that she could perform gene manipulations without the use of her Tracerie. While almost all genessi could, to a miniscule degree -- which was how they could spin the helix tattoo they had, proving they were indeed genessi -- that was usually the extent to which it extended without the Tracerie's augmentation. Instead, Haen found that she could still do more complex manipulations without the aid of a Tracerie. She kept this a secret from everyone, even Segan, for fear of being downgraded in Codex value and being separated from the people she knew.
When Haen was 22, an accident on the georail line destroyed the platform where Segan was working, killing several workers. Although Segan survived, his right leg was crushed by the falling debris and despite best efforts, it was too damaged to fully repair, rendering him severely disabled and only able to walk with the aid of a cane. In a world where even neurological diseases could be eliminated, having an irreparable physical handicap was devastating. Due to where their row housing was located in Binoun, several stories up the linked staircases, it was impossible for Segan to continue to live there. The accident was determined to have been caused by faulty magdiscs produced by company called Sinecht Systems, owned by a prestigious family of the same name in Eiswein Tower.
The pair moved to Hansul District, a poorer area, but where they were able to find row housing much lower to the ground level, and Haen took a job at the georail depot nearby, despite Segan's protestations. Taking on a job as a Flicker, a position that needed not strength but agility and dexterity. Her job consisted of getting down onto the rails themselves, keeping the supercharged rails clean of tiny metal debris that arced when they were removed. Too many arcs would disrupt the electromagnetic field that supported the train’s massive bulk as they traveled to the higher stations. There wasn’t any stop put on the schedules for regular cleaning however, and Flickers like herself were required to work between the trains as they sped past at peak velocity, often with only inches of clearance to spare. Haen's petite size and excellent reflexes made her adept at the job, and once again their financial situation became bearable.
In order to provide for her and Segan, and to supply her with the parts required to upkeep her Tracerie, Haen began taking loans out from a financier named Boss Guyan, essentially a loan shark. While she was able to attain excellent supplies, which in turn made her genework more profitable, it was still not enough to live on, even with Segan now working on his Templates full time. Still, they were managing for several years in this manner, even managing to put away some funds with the hope of looking for nicer lodgings in a better district.
In 2393 when Haen was 28, the Hansul georail depot was targeted by an anti-georail group called the Equibates, causing a massive explosion that killed 157 workers and injured many others. Having been on the outskirts, Haen received only minor injuries, but the depot itself suffered massive damage, shutting it down completely. Almost overnight, Hansul became a ghost town as people fled to neighbouring districts to try and find replacement work. Limited by Segan's injury as to where they could find to live, unable to make her regular payments to Boss Guyan for her Tracerie as collateral, Haen was rapidly running out of options.
She was approached by two Proctors, who claimed they would be able to not only eliminate her debt to Boss Guyan and provide for her Tracerie, but also do something for Segan's disability. Having no other options, and knowing that this might be the only chance to reclaim Segan's livelihood, she agreed to hear what they wanted.
Their proposal was shocking: they wanted to secretly send Haen to Eiswein Tower under a false identity, with a forged Codex value high enough admit her to the Upper levels where genessi were strictly regulated, in order to infect Brice Sinecht, the new head of Sinecht Systems, with a specific degenerative disease, one that would hamper him severely enough that he would have to deed the company to a board of directors who could be more easily controlled. Brice had recently taken over the company, and was refusing to cooperate with the Proctor's arrangements that had been in place for years under the previous generation. However, genessi were almost never allowed into the Upper Towers, as a security measure to prevent tampering with the reserved gene levels for the Codex, so she would not be able to take her Tracerie. Somehow despite her attempts to keep it a secret, they knew of her ability to manipulate without it.
Haen accepted the job, justifying the ruse by considering this justice for Segan's injury, since it had been Sinecht Systems whose faulty equipment had been responsible for the accident which left him disabled in the first place. But she was not allowed to tell anyone, not even Segan, what was going on. She was only able to send him a short message letting him know she was being temporarily transferred out of Riesling and she would be back as soon as she could.
In Eiswein Tower, Haen was astounded to discover the Proctors had put together an entire identity for her, and somewhat horrified that the Codex -- which the entire planet's society was now based around -- could be so easily forged. Yet when she went to infect Brice at a public event, she overheard him speaking with members of the company's board, who were angry with him for tarnishing the company's image and causing them to lose influence. As it turned out, the accident in the georail depot six years earlier had not been caused by faulty magdiscs, but had actually been another attack by insurgents, and it was covered up by Brice's family, who agreed that the georail system -- and indeed, the whole Codex society -- was oppressive and needed to be taken down.
Stunned by the revelation, Haen took Brice aside to tell him everything, including what the Proctors had sent her to Eiswein to do. Hoping that Brice would have some idea of how to extract her from the mess she'd found herself in, Haen's hopes were dashed when Brice told her that he already had a degenerative disease, and that he had only months to live as it was, and that they'd been able to conceal it by bribing the Proctors to give him a higher Codex value than he actually had. Had she infected him, the two diseases would have interacted and he'd have likely dropped dead right at the party, where she would have been discovered and likely executed as a rogue genessi.
Realizing they were both being played by the Proctors, Haen and Brice forged an alliance, expanding on her forged persona in order to protect her from the Proctors undoing what they'd done. Over the next two months, Haen made connections and deals, working her way into the circle of trusted individuals who had the same goal as the Sinechts.
When Brice eventually succumbed to his illness, which Haen had not been able to cure despite her best efforts, she fled back to Riesling Tower to retrieve Segan, intending to bring them both back to Eiswein.