In part 20, Lea is finally finished with her contract and finds a new place to live. Like with the cabin, I found as I was writing I was having a hard time picturing it in my head, so I decided I needed a reference layout to keep things consistent. Unlike past ones I didn't make this one I found it, but I used it while writing to try to keep things right. I'm putting it in the "read more" because for anyone who hasn't read part 20 this is a little bit of what might count as a spoiler.
Showing posts with label Setting Information. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Setting Information. Show all posts
Thursday, July 30, 2015
Thursday, June 18, 2015
Surda
Surda is a fictional country, invented for the series. I did so in order to be more able to have it suit the story. It takes elements from the real world, but still leaves me the freedom to make it however it is I want to make it for the story.
Surda is a small chain of volcanic islands at roughly 22°N, 63°E where the Indian and Arabian tectonic plates meet. It is 100 km long end to end.
History
It was first settled by Indian traders in the 500s BC. A strong navy and the wealth from being a trading hub kept them as many small but prosperous independent kingdoms throughout the classical age. They had tin and copper mines, but they had problems of impurities that made them not particularly profitable. And while it allowed them to cheaply make bronze, the bronze age had long passed before the mines were active. Those not involved in trade or mining were usually involved in fishing. Very little of the islands were suitable farmland (with no major rivers to feed them) so aside for some minor grazing land, seafood became the primary staple food. In 714 they were attacked by an Arab fleet who successfully conquered the wealthiest island of Madtha. The other islands joined together to retake it over the next three years. When trying to decide who owned the reclaimed island, since its former rules had been killed, infighting broke out and continued off and on for generations. It resulted eventually in the first unified kingdom of the whole island chain in 802.
This new unified Surdanese Kingdom reemerged as an important trading port between India, the Arab world, and the East African Coast. They formed a particularly large and prosperous slave and spice trade and were famously good boat builders. Because of the constant contact with the Muslim world, more and more Muslims began to settle on the island chain. While still a minority, they made up a lot of the traders and were disproportionately wealthy. There were tensions, but the Hindu Majority still held most of the power.
During the Delhi Sultanate, war broke out with the Surdanese Kingdom leading to eventual conquest of the whole island chain by 1386. Muslim families largely supplanted or married into the old Hindu ruling class over the following generations. In 1451 as the Delhi Sultanate fell to incursions from another dynasty, the islands broke off to form the Surdanese Sultanate with its seat of power in Dakhari. They quickly worked to build a gunpowder navy and were able to resist conquest from both the Mughal and Safavid Empires. Muslims remained a numerical minority, but quickly grew to adopt many of the traditions of the island. Inter-faith marriage, especially among the ruling families was exceedingly common as a way to ease religious tension. One of the early rulers in particular, Shaha the Wise even went so far as to blend Hindu culture and festivals into official observance even by Muslims.
As Britain began to build it's power, both in India and Iran, Surda felt the pressure as well. They eventually relented and signed a treaty in 1861 to make itself a protectorate of Britain just as most of India had become. It remained part of the British Empire for almost exactly a century, gaining independence November 1, 1963. It became a constitutional Sultanate with an elected parliament. The prime minister runs the government while a restored Salton has limited powers but is the head of state.
Modern day
The country became noteworthy to global affairs after the fast rise in value for certain rare earth metals. The mines on the island produced copper and tin, but were always burdened with higher than usual impurities. Impurities that had no use throughout most of history but which became essential and lucrative minerals to the technological world. By 2020, their production was second only to China. As technology allowed them to mine deeper than they ever had, they also began to find large veins of platinum and other precious metals. It has brought in a fantastical level of money for an otherwise small country, concentrated in the hands largely of the rich, but the prosperity has not gone totally unnoticed by everyone else.
At the time the story takes place, the population has grown to 480,000. It makes it a very dense nation, ranking in the top 20 densest sovereign nations on earth. Most of the population has historically been concentrated on the main five islands that surround the Bay of Surda. The outer islands are now however a tremendous source of wealth, most of the (easily accessible) mineral deposits are found on those less populated and less developed islands. The GDP per capita is very high, $68,494 in modern dollars. However, there are a hand full of people who make so much from their mines and mineral rights that it greatly distorts the picture. A more "typical" income would be closer to ~$19,000.
Surdanese culture is largely a mix between Hindu and Muslim practices, but has many unique features. The tie to the water is unmistakable. Swimming is a near universal activity. Pools and water gardens have traditionally been the sign of decadence and luxury among the rich. The warm and consistent temperature also kept dress minimal, airy, and commonly topless. The history of inter-marriage between the two religions kept the people unusually tolerant of religious diversity. It also lead to a fusion of Indian and Muslim style in art, architecture and music like is common in much of Northern India. This slightly more liberal attitude kept the Muslim population from ever really radicalizing in any significant numbers.
One tradition imported from India is the Basivi. Basivis are woman who offer themselves in ritual servitude to the Gods. They would serve however the priests would need them to serve, which often included time serving in the courts and homes of nobles who are patrons of the temple. In return it's a way for these women to elevate their family's status, and to bring support to their family from the religious order they serve. Some offer themselves for life, which is a commitment that elevates not only the living family, but all future generations beyond them. Since the move towards employment contracts and the rise of unemployment, there has been a resurgence in the Basivi tradition. Contracts puts in writing what had been custom for a long time, the basic needs of a family of a Basivi would be met making it a very attractive offer for many.
Zainab comes from one of the older and wealthier families of the island. They came to power following the conquest by the Sultanate, and have been an important family since. The current head of the family (and therefore the bulk of its wealth) is Zainab's eldest uncle, Omid.
Surda is a small chain of volcanic islands at roughly 22°N, 63°E where the Indian and Arabian tectonic plates meet. It is 100 km long end to end.
History
It was first settled by Indian traders in the 500s BC. A strong navy and the wealth from being a trading hub kept them as many small but prosperous independent kingdoms throughout the classical age. They had tin and copper mines, but they had problems of impurities that made them not particularly profitable. And while it allowed them to cheaply make bronze, the bronze age had long passed before the mines were active. Those not involved in trade or mining were usually involved in fishing. Very little of the islands were suitable farmland (with no major rivers to feed them) so aside for some minor grazing land, seafood became the primary staple food. In 714 they were attacked by an Arab fleet who successfully conquered the wealthiest island of Madtha. The other islands joined together to retake it over the next three years. When trying to decide who owned the reclaimed island, since its former rules had been killed, infighting broke out and continued off and on for generations. It resulted eventually in the first unified kingdom of the whole island chain in 802.
This new unified Surdanese Kingdom reemerged as an important trading port between India, the Arab world, and the East African Coast. They formed a particularly large and prosperous slave and spice trade and were famously good boat builders. Because of the constant contact with the Muslim world, more and more Muslims began to settle on the island chain. While still a minority, they made up a lot of the traders and were disproportionately wealthy. There were tensions, but the Hindu Majority still held most of the power.
During the Delhi Sultanate, war broke out with the Surdanese Kingdom leading to eventual conquest of the whole island chain by 1386. Muslim families largely supplanted or married into the old Hindu ruling class over the following generations. In 1451 as the Delhi Sultanate fell to incursions from another dynasty, the islands broke off to form the Surdanese Sultanate with its seat of power in Dakhari. They quickly worked to build a gunpowder navy and were able to resist conquest from both the Mughal and Safavid Empires. Muslims remained a numerical minority, but quickly grew to adopt many of the traditions of the island. Inter-faith marriage, especially among the ruling families was exceedingly common as a way to ease religious tension. One of the early rulers in particular, Shaha the Wise even went so far as to blend Hindu culture and festivals into official observance even by Muslims.
As Britain began to build it's power, both in India and Iran, Surda felt the pressure as well. They eventually relented and signed a treaty in 1861 to make itself a protectorate of Britain just as most of India had become. It remained part of the British Empire for almost exactly a century, gaining independence November 1, 1963. It became a constitutional Sultanate with an elected parliament. The prime minister runs the government while a restored Salton has limited powers but is the head of state.
Modern day
The country became noteworthy to global affairs after the fast rise in value for certain rare earth metals. The mines on the island produced copper and tin, but were always burdened with higher than usual impurities. Impurities that had no use throughout most of history but which became essential and lucrative minerals to the technological world. By 2020, their production was second only to China. As technology allowed them to mine deeper than they ever had, they also began to find large veins of platinum and other precious metals. It has brought in a fantastical level of money for an otherwise small country, concentrated in the hands largely of the rich, but the prosperity has not gone totally unnoticed by everyone else.
At the time the story takes place, the population has grown to 480,000. It makes it a very dense nation, ranking in the top 20 densest sovereign nations on earth. Most of the population has historically been concentrated on the main five islands that surround the Bay of Surda. The outer islands are now however a tremendous source of wealth, most of the (easily accessible) mineral deposits are found on those less populated and less developed islands. The GDP per capita is very high, $68,494 in modern dollars. However, there are a hand full of people who make so much from their mines and mineral rights that it greatly distorts the picture. A more "typical" income would be closer to ~$19,000.
Surdanese culture is largely a mix between Hindu and Muslim practices, but has many unique features. The tie to the water is unmistakable. Swimming is a near universal activity. Pools and water gardens have traditionally been the sign of decadence and luxury among the rich. The warm and consistent temperature also kept dress minimal, airy, and commonly topless. The history of inter-marriage between the two religions kept the people unusually tolerant of religious diversity. It also lead to a fusion of Indian and Muslim style in art, architecture and music like is common in much of Northern India. This slightly more liberal attitude kept the Muslim population from ever really radicalizing in any significant numbers.
One tradition imported from India is the Basivi. Basivis are woman who offer themselves in ritual servitude to the Gods. They would serve however the priests would need them to serve, which often included time serving in the courts and homes of nobles who are patrons of the temple. In return it's a way for these women to elevate their family's status, and to bring support to their family from the religious order they serve. Some offer themselves for life, which is a commitment that elevates not only the living family, but all future generations beyond them. Since the move towards employment contracts and the rise of unemployment, there has been a resurgence in the Basivi tradition. Contracts puts in writing what had been custom for a long time, the basic needs of a family of a Basivi would be met making it a very attractive offer for many.
Zainab comes from one of the older and wealthier families of the island. They came to power following the conquest by the Sultanate, and have been an important family since. The current head of the family (and therefore the bulk of its wealth) is Zainab's eldest uncle, Omid.
Map of Surda
Here is a map for the fictional location of Surda:
I will update this map if more places become important, but for now this should be all the major islands and locations. Most of the population live on the five islands named here that surround the Bay of Surda. Zainab's family, the Tahrinis, live on Madtha. The family just above them, the Dalals, are the wealthiest family in the county who do become relevant to future stories.
Tuesday, November 4, 2014
The Resorts
Quite a lot of the story, particularly for Sophia and Lea, take place in Atlantic City in a series of Casinos owned by Olson Resorts. I try when possible to not pick real places, as it gives me a freedom to create them in ways that best suit my particular needs. So all three are entirely works of fiction, but I still created them with some specifics and details in mind, not all of which fit well into the stories. First, a map to start out with. This is where I envisioned the three resorts being, using a map of what exists now:
Saturday, August 23, 2014
Music of Part 8
So in Part 8, Megan plays several classical pieces. Classical music is something I very much enjoy and it has increasingly been a part of my writing process. So when I wrote the dessert scene in Part 8 I had very specific pieces in mind. I eluded to them using the RV numbers (after all, it's hard to find better violin-centric pieces than Vivaldi) but it would be very easy to miss for almost everyone. So here are the songs I had in mind that Megan played with the twins:
Finally, Megan also sang a song after desert finished, though I'm sure it's identity was easier to discern. None the less, here that is too:
Finally, Megan also sang a song after desert finished, though I'm sure it's identity was easier to discern. None the less, here that is too:
A Little About Contracts
This was covered in part when I talked about this being set in the future, but there is more to it than what I covered earlier and it's important to understand. Especially if I did not do a good enough job explaining this in my story.
With the rise of certain technologies, labor was being automated faster than new non-automated forms of human labor could be created. It meant that the world's ability to produce goods and provide services continued to increase even as jobs decreased. So while our ability to provide for people increase, the traditional way of distributing the production eroded. Without everyone having paychecks you'd have no way to know how to distribute things to those people since they would not have money to buy them.
So many first world nations created some form of an Alternative Minimum Income. It is a small amount of money distributed to every adult citizen, allowing them to have food, shelter, and let them decide how they want to spend the rest of it. You could survive but not live well. It was paid for by taxing automated labor and the very wealthy who owned the machines. However, it created enough demand that the countries that tried it saw a net gain to their economy.
So with a job no longer being essential to survive, countries also began relaxing labor laws. They abolished minimum wage requirements and in particular saw the rise of Payment Delayed Employment. Since a wage was seen as "extra" rather than essential to survival, employers took advantage by offering to pay only at the end of the employment term. These were always outlined in a contract.
Contracts became king. With few laws remaining about terms of employment, contracts were a way for employers and employees to be locked into their agreement without the ability to alter it. This meant that if you promised to work for 6 months, you could not quit 4 months in without the contract having a way to do that. Similarly, an employer could not fire a person without the contract giving them a way. A violation by either party was a criminal act.
An international group formed called the International Contract Bureau. It was not started by any one government, but the major economies of the world all joined early giving them legitimacy. They are responsible for classifying and securely registering contracts. Most governments now only consider an employment contract binding if it is registered with them.They also have the ability to monitor for compliance and are allowed to do so as a condition of registering a contract.
All contracts have grades and levels that make up their classification. Grades, ranging from AAA to F, indicate the level of due diligence, confirmation of legitimacy and ability to arbitrate. An AAA contract requires both parties to have lawyers, the contract must be read allowed in full and a member of the ICB needs to be present along with 5 other witnesses, and either party should have access to bring the other to court over supposed violations. An F is essentially the ICB's way of saying they can't be sure this isn't just a kidnapping into slavery with no chance of ever getting out in their life. Most developed nations only accept B grade contracts and above, and most consider using grade D contracts and below to be close to human trafficking. Levels, ranging from 1-10, indicate what kind of activities are allowable under the contract as well as factoring in the length of the contract's term of service. Level 1 or 2 are basic "typical" jobs like cashier, secretary etc for a short period of time. Level 10 leaves almost no limits on what they can be told to do or how they can be treated.
The punishment for either side violating a contract is to be put into a Penal Contract indicated with the grade Z. Penal contracts are created to be roughly 2 levels higher than the level of the contract that was violated to create the penal contract. If someone breaks a level 4 contract, they are given a level 6 contract. When contract violations are discovered by the ICB, they are the ones to issue the contract and keep the profit from auctioning off that contract to a third party. Since higher level contracts are more valuable, those with high level regular contracts will be under higher than usual scrutiny as catching a high level contract violation is more profitable. In extreme cases, this also means penal contract may get up to level 11 or 12, which allows for treatment so severe that people are not capable of agreeing to it under a normal contract. That threat means that very very few high level contracts are agreed to and even fewer are willing to violate the contract.
Sexual work has only been allowed in contracts in certain areas and countries. In the US it was decided years ago that line would be that a personal contract could allow for sexual requirements but professional ones could not. The idea being that you could hire a person or two but not dozens to be used as a source of profit. The thought was that two people should be allowed to agree to whatever they want, but that large brothels would encourage human trafficking and other harmful often illegal things. In late January, around the time of the start of the series, that changed. The Supreme Court ruled that the distinction between personal and professional contracts to be an arbitrary restriction and struck it down. There are by the start of the series no restrictions with regard to sex if the parties are willing to sign up for it.
With the rise of certain technologies, labor was being automated faster than new non-automated forms of human labor could be created. It meant that the world's ability to produce goods and provide services continued to increase even as jobs decreased. So while our ability to provide for people increase, the traditional way of distributing the production eroded. Without everyone having paychecks you'd have no way to know how to distribute things to those people since they would not have money to buy them.
So many first world nations created some form of an Alternative Minimum Income. It is a small amount of money distributed to every adult citizen, allowing them to have food, shelter, and let them decide how they want to spend the rest of it. You could survive but not live well. It was paid for by taxing automated labor and the very wealthy who owned the machines. However, it created enough demand that the countries that tried it saw a net gain to their economy.
So with a job no longer being essential to survive, countries also began relaxing labor laws. They abolished minimum wage requirements and in particular saw the rise of Payment Delayed Employment. Since a wage was seen as "extra" rather than essential to survival, employers took advantage by offering to pay only at the end of the employment term. These were always outlined in a contract.
Contracts became king. With few laws remaining about terms of employment, contracts were a way for employers and employees to be locked into their agreement without the ability to alter it. This meant that if you promised to work for 6 months, you could not quit 4 months in without the contract having a way to do that. Similarly, an employer could not fire a person without the contract giving them a way. A violation by either party was a criminal act.
An international group formed called the International Contract Bureau. It was not started by any one government, but the major economies of the world all joined early giving them legitimacy. They are responsible for classifying and securely registering contracts. Most governments now only consider an employment contract binding if it is registered with them.They also have the ability to monitor for compliance and are allowed to do so as a condition of registering a contract.
All contracts have grades and levels that make up their classification. Grades, ranging from AAA to F, indicate the level of due diligence, confirmation of legitimacy and ability to arbitrate. An AAA contract requires both parties to have lawyers, the contract must be read allowed in full and a member of the ICB needs to be present along with 5 other witnesses, and either party should have access to bring the other to court over supposed violations. An F is essentially the ICB's way of saying they can't be sure this isn't just a kidnapping into slavery with no chance of ever getting out in their life. Most developed nations only accept B grade contracts and above, and most consider using grade D contracts and below to be close to human trafficking. Levels, ranging from 1-10, indicate what kind of activities are allowable under the contract as well as factoring in the length of the contract's term of service. Level 1 or 2 are basic "typical" jobs like cashier, secretary etc for a short period of time. Level 10 leaves almost no limits on what they can be told to do or how they can be treated.
The punishment for either side violating a contract is to be put into a Penal Contract indicated with the grade Z. Penal contracts are created to be roughly 2 levels higher than the level of the contract that was violated to create the penal contract. If someone breaks a level 4 contract, they are given a level 6 contract. When contract violations are discovered by the ICB, they are the ones to issue the contract and keep the profit from auctioning off that contract to a third party. Since higher level contracts are more valuable, those with high level regular contracts will be under higher than usual scrutiny as catching a high level contract violation is more profitable. In extreme cases, this also means penal contract may get up to level 11 or 12, which allows for treatment so severe that people are not capable of agreeing to it under a normal contract. That threat means that very very few high level contracts are agreed to and even fewer are willing to violate the contract.
Sexual work has only been allowed in contracts in certain areas and countries. In the US it was decided years ago that line would be that a personal contract could allow for sexual requirements but professional ones could not. The idea being that you could hire a person or two but not dozens to be used as a source of profit. The thought was that two people should be allowed to agree to whatever they want, but that large brothels would encourage human trafficking and other harmful often illegal things. In late January, around the time of the start of the series, that changed. The Supreme Court ruled that the distinction between personal and professional contracts to be an arbitrary restriction and struck it down. There are by the start of the series no restrictions with regard to sex if the parties are willing to sign up for it.
Monday, August 4, 2014
AI programs, how do they work?
So called "AI" programs become a prominent feature starting in Part 6. So what are they? How do they work? It's important to understand that a bit for the story to make sense
Let's start with what AI is not. Despite the name, AI is not sentient intelligence. This is not like Data from Star Trek, it is simply a program that is able to do things beyond what was spelled out in detail in its code. So in that sense AI may be a misnomer, but there's no better term.
AI requires "seed information" and "boundaries." Seed information is the starting point, knowledge for it to use to make initial decisions and to know what other information to look up. Boundaries are what keep the machine from overloading itself with too much information and give the program criteria to make decisions with. Defining the boundaries is the most important part, define them too narrowly and they will ignore relevant information, define them too broadly and they begin to destabilize with too much information and too many possibilities. This makes them different from human minds, our minds are boundless and can define our limits as ever changing goal posts, if an AI attempted that it would destabilize in hours or days.
An example could be you want to make an AI tutoring program. If one of the boundaries is to ensure "Timmy's homework gets finished," that is a very different boundary than "Make sure Timmy finishes his homework." To a human these sound like the same basic thing, work with Timmy to finish his homework. To an AI, the first instruction does not require Timmy to do the homework, just ensure the homework gets done. So the fist instruction could end with the computer simply doing the homework for Timmy since that would be the fastest and easiest way to achieve the goal.
This is the conundrum of programming AIs, they can't alter their views for what we might consider "common sense" because you can't define what common sense is. They need definitions written in code.
Below are spoilers for Part 6
Let's start with what AI is not. Despite the name, AI is not sentient intelligence. This is not like Data from Star Trek, it is simply a program that is able to do things beyond what was spelled out in detail in its code. So in that sense AI may be a misnomer, but there's no better term.
AI requires "seed information" and "boundaries." Seed information is the starting point, knowledge for it to use to make initial decisions and to know what other information to look up. Boundaries are what keep the machine from overloading itself with too much information and give the program criteria to make decisions with. Defining the boundaries is the most important part, define them too narrowly and they will ignore relevant information, define them too broadly and they begin to destabilize with too much information and too many possibilities. This makes them different from human minds, our minds are boundless and can define our limits as ever changing goal posts, if an AI attempted that it would destabilize in hours or days.
An example could be you want to make an AI tutoring program. If one of the boundaries is to ensure "Timmy's homework gets finished," that is a very different boundary than "Make sure Timmy finishes his homework." To a human these sound like the same basic thing, work with Timmy to finish his homework. To an AI, the first instruction does not require Timmy to do the homework, just ensure the homework gets done. So the fist instruction could end with the computer simply doing the homework for Timmy since that would be the fastest and easiest way to achieve the goal.
This is the conundrum of programming AIs, they can't alter their views for what we might consider "common sense" because you can't define what common sense is. They need definitions written in code.
Below are spoilers for Part 6
Friday, July 18, 2014
The Shed behind Lea's Cabin
So in part 5 you first learn what that dilapidated looking structure behind Lea's house is. Here's a rough diagram to help you imagine it in case the description wasn't good enough.
Each stall had a hinged door (the thinner, darker colored lines). All the light brown boarder only has the walls go up to elbow level, beyond that it is just wooden coulombs. The "gear room" is slightly higher than the rest of the floor, it is also insulated and fully sealed to protect what's inside.
Each stall had a hinged door (the thinner, darker colored lines). All the light brown boarder only has the walls go up to elbow level, beyond that it is just wooden coulombs. The "gear room" is slightly higher than the rest of the floor, it is also insulated and fully sealed to protect what's inside.
Saturday, June 21, 2014
So About the Tech in Part 2
Part 2 introduces a lot of technology that become foundational (or at least repeated) for future stories so I'll summarize it in some detail here.
NESIC - Standing for Neuro-Electric Signal Inducer Chip, manufactured by Synsermo. It connects with a nerve and sends an electrical signal which travels along the nerve to the brain. Based on Responsive Artificial Limbs which also send and receive electrical signals from nerve endings, but it has been shrunk down considerably and doing a new function rather than replacing an existing limb. These chips can send data signals to either convince the brain it is being sexually aroused or, if already aroused, it can send a signal to orgasm. They do not have batteries, they receive the power by inducing an electrical charge from a wireless power transmission signal similar to the kind of wireless power transmissions used for most electronics.
Slave Suit - The slave suits are the foundation of a whole system of interlocking and interchangeable pieces originally developed by the company Alternative Dynamics. The basic suites consist of several collars and cuffs, printed with an interior dimension specifically for the user while maintaining a uniform exterior dimension to allow maximum comparability. These collars and cuffs are hinged and lock closed by screwing in a locking pin with an allen key printed specifically for any given suit, meaning the keys can not be used interchangeably and replacements can not be easily obtained. These include specifically a collar, two wrist cuffs, two elbow cuffs, one waistbelt, two thigh cuffs, and two ankle cuffs. Everything but the waistband has d-rings protruding from them at standard sizes. The waistbelt doesn't have d-rings but instead is thicker and has slots where d-rings can be inserted. There are standard clips that take advantage of the standardized size of the d-rings, having bars and chains end with a small sleeve designed to fit over a d-ring. Once placed in a sleeve of any kind, a d-ring can only be removed when the suit sends a digital signal allowing the unlock button to work, otherwise they can not be removed.
The suits also come with a metal bra and chastity plate. The bra has two half-globes that come in a few standard sizes while the interior size is customized to the wearer's breast size and attaches with chains in a similar pattern to a normal bra, all connecting to a single box at the back. The chastity plate attaches to the waistbelt and has a low-friction small buttplug. The buttplug can expand in size and open, allowing for it to be used as a way to deliver enemas without the need to take the plate off allowing for much easier extended wear.
Slave Chow - A food designed at first as a novelty but has developed a rather large following as an efficient and humiliating way to deliver food. They come in plastic tubs similar to what tofu comes in, and have the texture of jello with things at about the consistency of soggy bread mixed in with it. They come in a range of flavors from the mildly tasty ones; like apple, cherry or vanilla; to nastier flavors like cum, garbage or dirty feet; to their original flavor which is about as scientifically close to no taste as one can get. It also comes in "punishment" variety, which only uses the nasty flavors. The punishment slave chow contains a chemical additive that tricks the body's nervous system, making the person feel like they are in pain when there is actually no change to the body. The punishment slave chow comes in a black plastic case so as not to be confused with the regular slave chow which comes in a white one.
NESIC - Standing for Neuro-Electric Signal Inducer Chip, manufactured by Synsermo. It connects with a nerve and sends an electrical signal which travels along the nerve to the brain. Based on Responsive Artificial Limbs which also send and receive electrical signals from nerve endings, but it has been shrunk down considerably and doing a new function rather than replacing an existing limb. These chips can send data signals to either convince the brain it is being sexually aroused or, if already aroused, it can send a signal to orgasm. They do not have batteries, they receive the power by inducing an electrical charge from a wireless power transmission signal similar to the kind of wireless power transmissions used for most electronics.
Slave Suit - The slave suits are the foundation of a whole system of interlocking and interchangeable pieces originally developed by the company Alternative Dynamics. The basic suites consist of several collars and cuffs, printed with an interior dimension specifically for the user while maintaining a uniform exterior dimension to allow maximum comparability. These collars and cuffs are hinged and lock closed by screwing in a locking pin with an allen key printed specifically for any given suit, meaning the keys can not be used interchangeably and replacements can not be easily obtained. These include specifically a collar, two wrist cuffs, two elbow cuffs, one waistbelt, two thigh cuffs, and two ankle cuffs. Everything but the waistband has d-rings protruding from them at standard sizes. The waistbelt doesn't have d-rings but instead is thicker and has slots where d-rings can be inserted. There are standard clips that take advantage of the standardized size of the d-rings, having bars and chains end with a small sleeve designed to fit over a d-ring. Once placed in a sleeve of any kind, a d-ring can only be removed when the suit sends a digital signal allowing the unlock button to work, otherwise they can not be removed.
The suits also come with a metal bra and chastity plate. The bra has two half-globes that come in a few standard sizes while the interior size is customized to the wearer's breast size and attaches with chains in a similar pattern to a normal bra, all connecting to a single box at the back. The chastity plate attaches to the waistbelt and has a low-friction small buttplug. The buttplug can expand in size and open, allowing for it to be used as a way to deliver enemas without the need to take the plate off allowing for much easier extended wear.
Slave Chow - A food designed at first as a novelty but has developed a rather large following as an efficient and humiliating way to deliver food. They come in plastic tubs similar to what tofu comes in, and have the texture of jello with things at about the consistency of soggy bread mixed in with it. They come in a range of flavors from the mildly tasty ones; like apple, cherry or vanilla; to nastier flavors like cum, garbage or dirty feet; to their original flavor which is about as scientifically close to no taste as one can get. It also comes in "punishment" variety, which only uses the nasty flavors. The punishment slave chow contains a chemical additive that tricks the body's nervous system, making the person feel like they are in pain when there is actually no change to the body. The punishment slave chow comes in a black plastic case so as not to be confused with the regular slave chow which comes in a white one.
Thursday, June 19, 2014
Lea's Cabin
So I have drawn up a rough layout of the two floors of Lea's cabin (as of Story 4) so it can be a little more clear in your mind. Some of this is not mentioned in Story 3.
Monday, June 16, 2014
So it's the future or something?
The whole series takes place slightly in the future, for the sake of the story I picked roughly 2035. It means technology is better and means some other things are different too.
Electronics have advanced considerably. Artificial intelligence is now possible, meaning computer programs can "learn" beyond the information they were programmed with originally. Truth detection has also been developed, by analyzing voice and a few other sensors a computer can tell not only if someone is lying but if they aren't telling the whole truth. Wireless power transmission also allows batteries or other electronics to draw power from transmitted signals similar to today's wireless induction chargers but at higher capacity and longer range. We've made all kinds of new materials including Near-Frictionless Coating which can be applied to almost anything and leave a semi-reflective gel look that has almost no friction at all making it feel like it's perpetually coated in lubricant.
Additionally, Self Driving Cars have become standard for all new vehicles. There are still driver cars on the road, but increasingly few. It has also created a trend of buying cars more for the interior space than anything else, leading to the rise in popularity of self-driving vans with custom interiors.
Production has switched largely to Made At Order production using 3D printers and other machines to create whatever is needed only when it is actually ordered. It has also meant that production is often customization, designed to fit the exact desires or body shape of the person placing the order. This has been part of a general trend of Automatized Labor where machines and programs began to supplant semi-repetitive jobs.
This lead to some major economic and social changes, and while they haven't come up much yet they will later.
With a combination of MAO production and artificial intelligence, automation of human labor has been happening faster than new uses for that labor can be found. It has meant wages world wide have collapsed, as have most employee protections. Wealthy countries began adopting some kind of Universal Minimum Income to ensure that spending continued to keep demand for goods and services high, that people don't starve, and that it would decrease the number of people chasing the increasingly limited number of jobs.
Since wages were no longer required to survive, a practice of Payment Delayed Employment started. It meant that someone would agree to a term of employment but would potentially only receive payment at the end of the term; though some contracts include small payment at the beginning or throughout. Law enforcement made sure contracts had to be very strictly followed, both for the employer and employee. The employer could not require things not agreed to, and the employee was not free to quit unless there was a way to do so. It was controversial but led to a fast increase in jobs as businesses found it much more affordable to hire if they knew they would get months or even years of service before needing to pay.
Most countries have also decriminalized prostitution, both from a change in moral thinking and from the desire to legalize any kind of work possible. Until recently sex work could not be Payment Delayed Employment, but by the time of our stories that ban is being unraveled as an arbitrary and therefor illegal limit.
Electronics have advanced considerably. Artificial intelligence is now possible, meaning computer programs can "learn" beyond the information they were programmed with originally. Truth detection has also been developed, by analyzing voice and a few other sensors a computer can tell not only if someone is lying but if they aren't telling the whole truth. Wireless power transmission also allows batteries or other electronics to draw power from transmitted signals similar to today's wireless induction chargers but at higher capacity and longer range. We've made all kinds of new materials including Near-Frictionless Coating which can be applied to almost anything and leave a semi-reflective gel look that has almost no friction at all making it feel like it's perpetually coated in lubricant.
Additionally, Self Driving Cars have become standard for all new vehicles. There are still driver cars on the road, but increasingly few. It has also created a trend of buying cars more for the interior space than anything else, leading to the rise in popularity of self-driving vans with custom interiors.
Production has switched largely to Made At Order production using 3D printers and other machines to create whatever is needed only when it is actually ordered. It has also meant that production is often customization, designed to fit the exact desires or body shape of the person placing the order. This has been part of a general trend of Automatized Labor where machines and programs began to supplant semi-repetitive jobs.
This lead to some major economic and social changes, and while they haven't come up much yet they will later.
With a combination of MAO production and artificial intelligence, automation of human labor has been happening faster than new uses for that labor can be found. It has meant wages world wide have collapsed, as have most employee protections. Wealthy countries began adopting some kind of Universal Minimum Income to ensure that spending continued to keep demand for goods and services high, that people don't starve, and that it would decrease the number of people chasing the increasingly limited number of jobs.
Since wages were no longer required to survive, a practice of Payment Delayed Employment started. It meant that someone would agree to a term of employment but would potentially only receive payment at the end of the term; though some contracts include small payment at the beginning or throughout. Law enforcement made sure contracts had to be very strictly followed, both for the employer and employee. The employer could not require things not agreed to, and the employee was not free to quit unless there was a way to do so. It was controversial but led to a fast increase in jobs as businesses found it much more affordable to hire if they knew they would get months or even years of service before needing to pay.
Most countries have also decriminalized prostitution, both from a change in moral thinking and from the desire to legalize any kind of work possible. Until recently sex work could not be Payment Delayed Employment, but by the time of our stories that ban is being unraveled as an arbitrary and therefor illegal limit.
So where is all this taking place anyway?
Tullburg, PA is the fictitious town where all the main characters are from. It is also home to the St. Anne Academy, a moderately prestigious private all girls catholic school where all the main characters go.
The town is about halfway between Harrisburg and Hollidaysburg, far from any of the highways and surrounded by hills with a mix of farms and forest. It was a junction between two rail lines, but after one line was abandoned after a few mines went dry the town was no longer used as a waystation. It has a small state technical college but is otherwise an unremarkable small town with no remaining major industry.
In part two there is a converted factory where most of the story takes place, just north of Philadelphia. The entire area was largely abandoned as industry left, the owner of this particular factory tried converting it from industrial to more broad public use. It plays host to the occasional convention, conference or club night while most of the rest of the neighborhood sits abandoned which makes it a very appealing option for groups who prefer anonymity.
Starting in part three and later stories you head up to a secluded cabin located just outside Sproul State Forest. The nearest town is 15 miles away, it's several miles outside of the nearest game land where hunters might wander and over a mile from the nearest neighboring house. It is at the bottom of a small hill, and actually extends several acres with a small walking path around the mostly forested property.
There are more locations mentioned later, but I'll save those for then.
The town is about halfway between Harrisburg and Hollidaysburg, far from any of the highways and surrounded by hills with a mix of farms and forest. It was a junction between two rail lines, but after one line was abandoned after a few mines went dry the town was no longer used as a waystation. It has a small state technical college but is otherwise an unremarkable small town with no remaining major industry.
In part two there is a converted factory where most of the story takes place, just north of Philadelphia. The entire area was largely abandoned as industry left, the owner of this particular factory tried converting it from industrial to more broad public use. It plays host to the occasional convention, conference or club night while most of the rest of the neighborhood sits abandoned which makes it a very appealing option for groups who prefer anonymity.
Starting in part three and later stories you head up to a secluded cabin located just outside Sproul State Forest. The nearest town is 15 miles away, it's several miles outside of the nearest game land where hunters might wander and over a mile from the nearest neighboring house. It is at the bottom of a small hill, and actually extends several acres with a small walking path around the mostly forested property.
There are more locations mentioned later, but I'll save those for then.
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