Enclaves are specific territories owned or controlled by an Altcult. They are not unlike the “foreign” or “green” zones that existed in many 20th century countries, or the various “Chinatowns”, “Japantowns” , “Little Indias”, “Little Italys”, etc. that were common throughout the old United States. Enclaves support the food, language, culture, technologies and interests of a particular Altcult. As such, they often have distinct architecture or signage, and are always enclosed by some kind of barrier to keep outsiders out. Like a “gated community”, entry is rigorously patrolled by both active and passive systems, and some kind of passkey system is always required to get through the gates of the enclave. These passkeys are commonly known as dogtags.
Dogtags
Dogtags are thin wafers of metal and plastic, doped with either nano signatures, electronic circuits or both. They used to gain access to Altcult enclaves. Each Altcult has its own style/type of dogtag, although they are all commonly designed to be threaded onto a neck or wrist chain for safekeeping (hence the name). When entering an enclave, sensors within the environment scan for your tag—if they get a reassuring signal back, all is ok; if not, the system will trigger alarms and some very nasty defenses. Some enclaves have sensors mounted INSIDE the perimeter as well as at the gates, so it’s very important wear your tags at all times (even in the shower) just in case.
Dogtags are individually keyed to the genetic map of the person they are issued to; the right person must be wearing the right tag or the tag won’t work. The subject must also be ALIVE, as the tag monitors for heartbeat and individual EKG. Often, dogtag wearers string their tags on beaded metal chains that explode when snapped apart (SDP20), obliterating the tags before they can be used. Without a dogtag, there’s a very good chance that you will end up dead before you finish crossing an enclave threshold. So it’s very important to make sure you have the right tag for the right place. Most denizens of the Earth Sphere accumulate a collection of tags as they move from enclave to enclave. Having a dogtag for a specific Altcult is the first step towards getting in good with that group and achieving the all important status of Access.
Dogtags are individually keyed to the genetic map of the person they are issued to; the right person must be wearing the right tag or the tag won’t work. The subject must also be ALIVE, as the tag monitors for heartbeat and individual EKG. Often, dogtag wearers string their tags on beaded metal chains that explode when snapped apart (SDP20), obliterating the tags before they can be used. Without a dogtag, there’s a very good chance that you will end up dead before you finish crossing an enclave threshold. So it’s very important to make sure you have the right tag for the right place. Most denizens of the Earth Sphere accumulate a collection of tags as they move from enclave to enclave. Having a dogtag for a specific Altcult is the first step towards getting in good with that group and achieving the all important status of Access.
Access
Access is the ability to get something from a specific Altcult. Every Altcult has its own special technologies, tools, weapons and stuff—these are all culture specific and not available on the open market. So, getting, say, a LiveMetal body shell isn’t a matter of having enough money—it’s a matter of having access to the technology.
Getting that access is a lot harder than it might seem on the surface. Like military top secret programs, Altcults jealously guard their technology, making it impossible to steal or take into the open market. The technologies are tailored to specific users so that they can’t be retroengineered, and many developmental steps are hidden behind a maze of red herrings. The sources for the tech are tightly controlled and only granted to members after a long apprenticeship phase. The maintainance systems for the tech are also tightly controlled, making it impossible to maintain what you already have. And finally, people who try to steal this tech tend to end up very, very dead.
Face it; without access you have about as much chance of getting your hands on an alternative technology as a typical person in the 20th century would have getting his hands on an F-22 tactical fighter. (In fact, this analogy is pretty close—if you want to fly an F-22, you’d better be prepared to join the U.S Air Force.)
So how do you GET access? Simple: you earn the complete respect and trust of the leaders of the altcult.
Getting that access is a lot harder than it might seem on the surface. Like military top secret programs, Altcults jealously guard their technology, making it impossible to steal or take into the open market. The technologies are tailored to specific users so that they can’t be retroengineered, and many developmental steps are hidden behind a maze of red herrings. The sources for the tech are tightly controlled and only granted to members after a long apprenticeship phase. The maintainance systems for the tech are also tightly controlled, making it impossible to maintain what you already have. And finally, people who try to steal this tech tend to end up very, very dead.
Face it; without access you have about as much chance of getting your hands on an alternative technology as a typical person in the 20th century would have getting his hands on an F-22 tactical fighter. (In fact, this analogy is pretty close—if you want to fly an F-22, you’d better be prepared to join the U.S Air Force.)
So how do you GET access? Simple: you earn the complete respect and trust of the leaders of the altcult.
