Setting_
Set 50 years in future where technology reigns supreme. Fresh air and clean water are treated as commodities and the world has become a cesspool of pollution, disease, and unethical capitalism. Governments are in the pockets of big businesses, and even the people have grown numb to the corruption, as they become morally bankrupt.
Technology has become both our savior and our undoing. We’ve continued to advance, creating machines to build for us, entertain us, and even keep us alive. However such advances have come at a great cost. They have caused a scarcity of natural resources, a drug-like fixation with fantasy simulations, and even the creation of man-made viruses that have mutated beyond our control.
But we still turn to technology to get us out of the trouble we’ve created for ourselves. We’ve managed to mitigate the dangerous effects, and survive amidst these otherwise “unlivable” conditions...for now.
Society as a whole has continued turn to escapism and mindless self indulgence to cope. At first it was all digital simulations and virtual reality. But people were spending too much time being “plugged-in”, while neglecting their health and responsibilities. AI and Robotics were designed to work in tandem with people, not replace them completely. Global society soon began to implode. Economic productivity, profitability, and sustainability bottomed out.
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Businesses and governments quickly began looking for a new solution. It needed to be something that would keep people grounded in reality so that they could be productive members of society. But it also needed to be something that would grab and keep their attention, and stimulate the global economy.
Enter RAMGØD. The newest worldwide craze, a thrilling “sport” unlike any other, that merges high stakes competition and technology into modern day gladiator games.
Presently, society primarily utilizes technology and robotics specifically to keep us safe and breathing properly. The investment in and use of biotech devices have become commonplace, allowing us to live and function in the real world, instead of the digital one.
Everything has drifted toward the extreme. Urban metropolises have expanded, both outward and upward, while rural areas have become increasingly more barren and desolate, ultimately being abandoned altogether. Certain areas are only for the elite, while the middle and lower class are left to fight for the scraps.
_Our story begins in
New City...
New City looks and feels like the bastard child of a drug-filled orgy between MegaCity (Dredd), Night City (CyberPunk 2077), dressed in the technology featured in Upgrade and Elysium.
_Safeway
SafeWay is the worldwide leader in health bio-tech. It is privately owned and operated but has governments in its pockets, since it is the only entity that can provide the necessary level of tech and distribution. Like the WHO x Google x SpaceX on steroids.
_Helmets are the new masks
The outside air has become unsafe - chemicals and pollutants, viruses, radiation, and even unfiltered sunlight. Masks have been upgraded to full on face-covering helmets. In addition, full body-covering outfits have become the fashion standard when outside. The wealthy have sleek, retractable helmets, while the poor have clunkier models that must be manually assembled/removed.
_Zoning
Each area (inside and outside the city) have designated “zoning tags” that show what the contamination level of the air is, and how dangerous or safe it is. Every citizen has a digital Zoning GPS built into their helmets that alerts them of when they are entering or leaving a hazardous zone, and what THREAT LEVEL precautions to take.
_Med Pods
An entire hospital in a box. A Medpod is a single person medical chamber that can do anything a hospital can (and more). It can analyze, diagnose, and treat almost any injury or medical condition. These pods are extremely expensive and the newest models are reserved for the wealthy and influential, while the older models are sparsely distributed to hospitals and emergency clinics for public use.
_Vents
Safeway’s biggest products, literally, are their Ventilation Enhanced Network Towers (“VENTs”). A fancy acronym for what is ultimately just a giant outdoor filtration system that can detoxify air and water supplies quickly and effectively for large areas. The VENTs are not hard to miss, as they stand out like monuments signifying a safe zone. Some people prefer to call them “Suckers” as they literally suck in air/water, and spit it back out cleaned and ready for consumption.
While Safeway has monopolized the health tech market, they are not the only mega conglomerate making tech.
_Orbs
A personalized all-encompassing flying “orb” that sits somewhere between an evolved smartphone, a drone, and a star wars droid. Nearly every citizen has an Orb, as it’s broad functionality makes it an essential product to own. Leaders in the Orb industry include Orbi, ArchiTec, and iFly
_Robotic Enhancements AKA “Mods
Initially, Robotic Enhancements were designed as prosthetic limbs and organ replacements for those who legitimately needed them. But, companies quickly began finding other non-essential uses for them as a way to allow people to modify or “improve” their god-given abilities. These specific types of nonessential enhancements are most commonly referred to as “mods” or “getting modded” - leading to a modern day version of a plastic surgery addiction. Unlike the essential enhancements that have been approved by the FDA, these nonessential Mods have been deemed unsafe as new side effects continue to surface. Even with the potential risks, restrictions, and overall negative stigma, there is still a demand for them. Certain third party resellers have capitalized on this niche market.
_Bots
Robots or "Bots" have become reliable and safe options for certain kinds of work, and are thus well integrated into society. They have been purposely designed to look decidedly less human, since people seemed to prefer being able to easily distinguish them from humans. In addition to their non-human aesthetic, their programming prohibits them from harming humans, or from becoming “too human.” There are different kinds of Bots for different tasks (sanitation, construction, agriculture, food delivery, health care, first responders (including police - we’ll explain soon). There are three primary manufacturers that account for almost all of the Bots in the world: Zobot, Krass, and ArchiTec (yes, the same company that also makes Orbs).