Establishments of the Future

New U

This is a Body Salon. In addition to the normal cut/ style/ and pampering, it offers a full selection of body modification services. Using various techs, they can provide a "new you" in terms of face, body type, various implants, and so on. These changes can be temporary, or near permanent, given the available technology.

While this "chain" is everywhere, local laws and social opinions, limit that they can provide at a given location. It is best to check with your local New U outlet to see what is offered.

Things offered

*Beauty and maintance products.

*Hair alterations: stimulated growth or extensisions, cuts, styles, coloring (dyes or genemodding).

*Skin coloration, from permanent makeup to body painting, to exogene skins,

*Tatoos

*Facial Sculpting (plastic surgery and others)

Changes can be made to eye color and a few other things as well.

*Body Sculpting, modifications can be made any numbner of ways.

*Non genetic gender change. You can be who ever you want to be.

*Splicing, adding minor xeo-gene elements such a horse tails, cat tails, slit eyes, and so on.

*Minor Cyberweare implants

*Some will include a full line botique of clothing.

Yes this is from various sources, including Logan's Run. However, it is still a great place.

Pod Six Courier Service

quite non-chalantly sitting at the western end of the local starport is a small run by night courier service. Named after their station location, Pod 6/commercial use, this service operates three light frigates for freelance hire.

Staffed by sixteen spacers, the regulars are a mix of friendly alien species, one android, and a handful of offworld mutants and the rest, about half, are humans. Two of their ships are in good repair, while the third is in desperate need of a power core overhaul.

Music Box

It is ages since the old music industry has collapsed, and the new one entered its place. You can get your music everywhere, now it is either paying for a live concert, or just getting your tunes for free.

But the Music Box(tm) gives you more - with high performance medical scanners, and a set of standardized tests optimized for each and every race and ethnic, you will get instantly composed the music that exactly fits your current mood, and physical condition, improving both. The record can be imported into any standardized output device or brain chip; your local store is sure to have anything that is used in your corner of universe.

Disclaimer: the Music Box(tm) erases the medical scans of its customers immediately, it does not store nor share this data with any parties. It is processed with our trademarked software that composes the music with your help only.

Store Ur Self Apartments

Store Ur Self was a much simpler business in a much simpler time (before The Pulse). It came to a point that it didn't make any difference what was stored, the storage site just needed the income. Also being one of the few buildings that survived the riots, it became a stable place. Now 400 people make there home here in the 200 units (ranging from large closets to 20x30) of the three story building. All the doors open to the inside circular corridor. It is a diverse community that protects their own.

So if you need a "patch" and can live with only one electrical and nothing but a communal chem toilet and water fountain that is warm(ish), dry(ish), and safe(ish), Store Ur Self is for you.

Power Site

The Power Site chain has a store front in every sector. It is an anchor of the portable society. Power Site prides itself in having every type, size, shape, and socket of powercell (fuel cell, and even primative batteries) known to Society in stock in every store. If it doesn't, it can get one to you in under 24 hours, usually under 2, and will sell you an adapter for a mere one cred if you don't want to wait.

Power Site also provides recharing services at every location and reconditioning services at nearly ever locations. Using their deposit system, you can have a rotating set of power cells ready for your use, allowing for nearly uninterrupted use. (one in use, one in back up, one is shop recharging).

Their service guys can install them in most vehicles within an hour, and most other portable items in under fifteen minutes.

The Power Cell Logo and gear is quite catchy in its Bright Blue and Yellow with a glowing lightingbolt trim. You can always see one of the ubiquitous jackets, hats, or gear carrying case, in a crowd, especially if the crowd is a younger one. They have endorsed any number of skating, racing, or mecha performers, so their colors are everywhere.

This can be handy if you are using protoculture, but any number of powercell technologies make this a useful store.

6) Perrellti's Air Bar

It is a little hole in the wall "tucked away in the corner" by a service alley. There is a nice sign with classic holo neon on the street. The door leads to a small entry room and functions as an airlock. The air inside is ion scrubbed, but street mix. Inside the accommodations are quite nice, if a little worn. The place has a charm of its own, all decked out in classic midcentury-modern revival (think 50s diner). The red velvet and chrome seating goes nicely with the checkered floor and the white walls. You can use your own mask, or they will gladly let you use one of theirs (or even sell you one). Some of the regulars actually keep their masks here for ready use (they are kept under the counter). Each set of couches (two couches and a small round table in the middle) has its own mini-display that gets standard vid or music. If you ignore the display and are not sitting with anyone else, you can always watch the holo neon signs on the wall change every few minutes in various period logos and such.

In addition to a wide variety of gas mixes, they have a small drink and treat bar that will give you something else to do while taking in a properly saturated gas.

It is a nice place with a good community. The staff is friendly and knowledgable. You really can do no wrong visiting this air bar.

7) Buzzes Motors

Officially, Buzzes specializes in the legal trade of Closed Cycle Internal Combustion Engine equipped vehicles. A CC-ICE vehicle is a hydrogen-burning engine which captures and then re-separates water using external power. The freed hydrogen and oxygen are then stored in special chemical storage arrays. This provides for performance nearly equal to hydrocarbon fueled vehicles without the expense and weight of advanced fusion drives.

However, Buzzes also sells the illegal hydrocarbon engines preferred by many street racers.

8) Besrodian Arms Factory Store

This grim weapons merchant sells only guns manufactured on Besrodia II. Pretty much any slug-thrower that can be built can be found here. Though their line is extensive, they are quite open to custom orders, assuming the patron does not mind the shipping time from Besrodia.

The store will superfically respect the arms laws of the local planet, but of course money has the amazing ability to produce necessary permits.

9) Lights and Sounds

The joke is, want to find a JuvGroup looks for a Noahstar's and its adjacent Lights and Sounds. Because where there are these two things, you will have teens.

So when you see the pretty girl dancing to a song and you can see the star singing it across her belly, you will know the power of cyberwear.

This little boutique chain became a retail powerhouse with the cyberwear craze. Before the craze it sold a variety of personal entertainment tools: memory sets, comms (communication devices), earbuds, wrist vids, mini holo cubes, and media of all sorts, plus accessories for what they sold and similar items.

The Cyberwear fad added technology to clothing in such a way that people twenty years later could never imagine being without. (Ubiquitous computing is now a way of life). Through cyberwear, people are able to express themselves with clothing that changes color, projects moving video images and full sound, a jacket that carries an air keyboard and a video display on the sleeve, or a took/ knit hat that has fiber optics running through it to generate animations or logs. Cyberwear allowed you to change your look or your message without having to rework an entire wardrobe. A few simple programming changes and a new you is presented.

The first cyberwear scarves were sold at Lights and Sounds. Realizing they were on to the next big thing, they began to sell jackets and other things in the mall kiosks and small boutiques. Over the first three years of the craze, they were able to expand their businesses into full storefronts. A full selection of cyberwear in a wide range of sizes was now available.

Now knock off of things sold at Lights and Sounds are sold in fine retailers. Things sold 7 years ago at Lights and Sounds are sold at S-mart and other mass market retailers. The trend has cooled some, but now cyberwear is now a stock item for every Generation K, L, and N, member. They are in small storefronts- larger than their small boutiques, but they are now are everywhere.

10) O'skar's Fuel Depot

It seems almost sterotypical but the D'athri 4290 seem to always be in the fuel and energy business. Given their colonies and homeworld all have major energy resources, they are more comfortable with energy and fuel than many beings.

O'skar's is not a chain, though some suppose it is. No, O'skar is a very, very common D'athri male name. Their culture tends towards small businesses named after their proprietors. Given the fact that they are widely spread around Known Space, there is an O'skar's at practically every star facility or other transport depot in Known Space.

So if you ever need fuel for your ship, skip, craft, or vehicle, anyone you ask will probably hike an digit towards an O'skar's Fuel Depot.

11) The Rising Human

It is a large bookstore - yes, it has genuine books - but is well linked to other sources of information, despite the look of an old, pre-20th century study. There is only one subject: all the ways to improve the human being, be they psychological, cybernetic, or biological.

The owner, Mystren Tenneman, is a careful old gentleman, that looks very human, and unimproved. Quite a few rumours circle about his hidden upgrades, and sometimes stupid teens try their luck by provoking him, hoping he would show true colours... well, his assistants have proven to be good bodyguards.

Mr. Tenneman can provide personalized advice, for anyone interested in an advanced upgrade. It is said he can produce true works of art, combining upgrades together no one ever thought of... how sad he doesn't do it very often, or for less money, when he has the mood.

So if you want something special, go to him. Maybe you'll get lucky.

12) Chapel of the Divine Electric

Often tucked away into holes in the wall near cybercafes, the Chapel of the Divine Electric has begun to proliferate, even in the nations where it is illegal. Straddling the line between religion and cult, people come here to commune with their Goddess of the 'Net, the sole, unfettered AI that roams the world network.

Decorated inside in a profusion of neon and chrome, the primary feature here is row after row of jackpoints, where people may send their prayers and make their requests through a simple interface. Sometimes, when it pleases, interests, or otherwise amuses Her, the AI may respond. This is always random, however, and may or may not occur.

These Chapels are often attended to by men and women wearing neon-traced priests robes. They have universally abandoned whatever name they held before becoming an attendant, and while they are an attendant, they may only be addressed as 'Sark', as this pleases Her.

13) Blue Diamond Automat

In these store slots, there are ten to thirty vending machines and autoprep machines serving mostly food. Here you can get a hot autoprepped soy burger or Belgian styled fries with sauce out of a vending mech. These are the common, but the options vary by region and store. Of course, there is standard vending fare available: any number of cold drinks, preprepped sandwitches, rabbit burgers, jerky, food tubes, or even kibble packs, plus the ever common candy. Most stores will also have some non food items for emergency needs: panchos, sunscreen, mini O2 saturators, cells and other comms. Every store will have a SunDisk kiosk, where you can purchase any media in their massive catalog and have it burned onto a minidisk.

Payment is by credstick or smart card or even your Personal Digital Assistant. You pay, the machine allows you to select.

The Blue Diamonds have extensive video security and fairly solid riot drop doors to protect their stores. If you vandalize their machines, the doors will drop and the authorities will come and collect you.

The Blue Diamonds are the quality chain of Automats. Their stores are very clean, either done by an attendent or a cleanbot. Their machines are restocked daily, sometimes several times a day, with some of the items prepped onsite in the back room. The "backroom" has a great deal of inventory to support these. You never see the employee in the shop however, they close the riot doors and stock.

It is amazing what can come from a vending machine these days. Imagine the future.

14) Zandelli's

Zandelli's is in a posh, upscale shopping district. Its bright white storefront, accented by a gold scrip Zandelli's sign above the door, has two simple windows. The windows always have exceptionally well dressed (kick'n is the new term) hyper realistic high tech mannequins (bot-quins in retail speak).

You can see inside. There are more mannequins on low dais with more stylish fashions.

If you are patient, you can even watch an occasional mannequin move or even wink at you.

Upon entering the overly courteous staff will ask you what you are looking for. If you just want to browse the clothes, they will let you. They will order it for you and send it to any location you wish.

If you are looking for a companion, then my friend, you have come to the right place. Zandelli's is a companion store. Here, only the finest Human Sim Aibos and other units are sold.

While you can order any specifics you want from the company, Zandelli's "sculpts" unique combinations of look, personality, and skills, to show off. They even come with a small wardrobe to maintain their human illusion. The staff at Zandelli's have gone a step farther and "trained" their units. Any unit from Zandelli's will not have that "awkwardness" that new units have when exposed to the real world. Their units (male and female) are all charming, interesting, and very "human", while still retaining their bot obedience.

Additional modifications are possible, softwear mostly. They have most databases and skill sets in back ready to load, but usally that is not needed as Zandelli's preloads most of the most desirable skill sets.

In fact, that overly courteous staff that you could not tell were not Humans, are Androids.

For an exorbitant fee, and that is saying something since a Companion Unit's "on the floor price" normally runs the same price as a high end sports car or luxury sedan, they will custom order and train a specific unit to meet your specific needs. (Note: Zandelli's prices are a higher than most retailers and factory orders by 15 to 20%, but you get what you pay for).

15) Lifters

Lifters is a specialty shop in the mall selling all the gear you need for grav sports. They carry the regions largest selection of grav boards and grav harnesses. They have the most frigid gear, from full body suits and helmets to ripping streetwear with all the right logos and patterns. The staff are not posers. Lifters is run by G-boarders for G-boarders, so you can get the real help you need. And they also know G-Ball and FreeJumping. So if you need to lift your spirits, go to Lifters.

Note: they also carry some limited stock of other action sports (what today's extreme sports are called). We are not extreme enough for the future.

If you want a Grav Bike, Big Lifters is down off Marshall Ave. They have the widest selection of a G-bikes from Loral Gravetics, Yamaha, and Toyota. Their mega-massive facility gives you a chance to try the bad boys out instore before you buy.

16) Francis Inghaart's Sausage Parlor

A comfortable place, part time fast food restaurant, part time sausage shop; there is always a delicious smell of meat pervading it. With ages of practice, the number of tastes and combinations available here is uncountable. It is a matter of pride for the owners to claim that most of the products come from real animals, not just cloned organic matter (okay, the animals are cloned, but that doesn't mean anything). Try the Ostrich Lemon Bagel in a parlor near to your home, and you won't be disappointed. They have even an 'Explorer Ticket', with which you can search for just the right taste. Even without it, you can save your preferences, and you will be offered the same fare as in the last visit, and a selection of alternatives that might be to your liking.

If you know the right codes, in a few large branches are also special products to buy. The staff doesn't know, or won't tell whether it is cloned or from a real source... they won't even call it correctly, but if you have the code, you should know it is human flesh. Most of the time, it is marked as pork.

Note: this merchandise can be legitimate in some locales, but the owners don't seem to want the associated trouble.

Fantasms Unlimited

Fantasms has no physical storefronts, only a handful of dingy office buildings across the world, each of them humming with the heat and sound of hundreds of server racks. Yet, Fantasms Unlimited is perhaps the single most visited destination on the Matrix. Fantasms, you see, is the premier provider of fantasies, illusions, and simulation software.

There are a handful of sectors to the Fantasms 'Trix area, with functions ranging from a virtual corporate office building, playing host to meetings and an apparent storefront, a 'spaceport' waiting to whisk visitors away to exotic destinations, a variety of meeting cafes and sports stadia, and, tucked away in a not quite obvious corner, a 'red light' building.

Capable of full sensory projection, and hosting a complex and powerful piece of interpretation software, nearly verging on true AI, Fantasms is capable of supplying nearly any experience that a user cares to attempt to imagine. From the catacombs of ancient Rome to the battlegrounds of the Eye of Terror to the dungeons of the Marquis de Sade, anything can be had for its price. Want to line up on the fields of the old NFL? Climb Everest? Hunt with the wolf pack? Attend a celebrity orgy? No problem. Fantasms can provide.

Humans being humans, it is perhaps unsurprising that the significant majority of Fantasm's income comes from the erotic, the violent, and the violently erotic. There are, of course, many organizations that despise them for this, but so far, only one country has banned portions of their content, and they are finding enforcement nearly impossible.

18) Ochell's Authentic

After the war, servicebeings came back with a taste for the things Valnorian. Given the state of their region of space, there was a great exodius of Valnorians (and client species) into Community Space. Two standard decades or so later, you can get Valnorian cuisine in many places.

Ochell's is a Valnorian restaurant actually run by Valnorian. Most of the kitchen staff and the hostess is Valnorian, a few of the kitchen scuttles and serving staff are locals. The decor is classic Valnorian, earth tone yellows and green dominate the room as low tables surrounded by large overly fluffy pillows keep guests cozy. The staff all wears traditional robes and it seems all the servers can speak Bailen. The lighting is soft and has an amber cast to it. Note: The thermastat is set to a summery temperature, so dress in layers.

Eating is "family style", with large bowls brought to each table, then portioned out to smaller personal bowls. There is ample Zan (flat bread) to help you eat every delicious morsel.

The menu has all the classics (from North, South, and Pakorel cuisines) and a few "family recipes" from Ochell's homeworld. Everything is flavorful and delicious. They are even made with actual Valnorian products (grown and raised on planet not imported), so the have the slighty euphoric effects that originally made the cuisine so popular. However these native ingredient can lead to a few issues for the Earthstock. Every item on the menu has one to four blue green dots on it, four being completely earthstock compatable, one being barely compatable. However many people are willing to deal with the various digestive difficulties just to taste the wonderful depth and weave of flavors of the Paaandi (The House Specialty). Note: the little suns that express the spicy heat of the dishes is set to the Valnorian palet. Most Humans need one to two stars before they can truly taste anything. Since they serve up to five (too spicy hot for most Valnorians), this should not be a problem .

Ochell's is the center for the local Valnorian community. Weddings, Funerals, Comming of age rituals, are all celebrated here.

Some say their Tongs use Ochell's as a meeting place and that Ochell and his family are deeply involved in them. This is all hersay, as no charges have been brought against anyone associated with the restaraunt.

19) DataStop

It is the data age, where do you get your storage media?

The Data Age is here, why is there a tower of babel based on connections and formats?

These little kiosks with the blue and white striped awnings are ubiquitous in some areas. In actual format, they range from little human manned carts in the middle of malls to vending machines. The most celebrated ones, and by far the most successful and plentiful, are the little cart kiosks run by those cute little robots.

No matter how it is run, the DataStops help you meet all your portable data storage needs. They have disks, sticks, cubes of all sizes and capacities, and just about every adaptor known to Humanity or AI. They can also burn disks and mini disks for you while you wait.

Note: they are often found by Lights and Sounds.

If you have a data age, you will need a place to store the data. Normally purchasing is not part of the desired game experience. However, by having these in the background, mentioned in passing, it provides data age flavor to your setting. And in a moment of dramatic crisis, I could see someone running to one of these and getting all mad at the cute robot who is going slowly... then the firefight ensues as the other people want their data back, all while the little robot is going Konichiwa in a cute voice.

20) Bot-o-rama

Bot-o-rama is an odd place. In a formerly industrial zone, it is in a small warehouse. The signage out front is garish and neon, so you can't miss it.

Here is rows upon rows of portable robots that are previously owned or reconditioned. They range from Bucket Bots to Manikins(TM) (humanoid robots with roughly human faces). It is a noisy place with whirring, beeping, and the occasional odd mechanical breaking noise, not made any better by the cavernous size and the number of units and people. There is a small bot shop in the back where they work on various bots. The sound of welding and air wrenches is always emminating from back there.

This is the place for those who are in the know. You can get a great bot for a great price, if you know to come down to this dingy area of town. You can find full units or those suitable for parts here. Some were trade ins. Some are just being sold for not being useful enough or not wanted. Some might have a questionable providence, if you get my meaning.

The Salesguys are always enthusiastic and friendly. Sometimes too friendly, as they are paid on commission (think used cars salesmen).

The semi-pro and fun league robot gladiator community hang out here. They are constantly choosing lower end bots to "modify" for combat in the octagon or gauntlet. In fact some of the local arenas and work spaces are not too far from here.

These are all lower end AIs. Things with higher end AIs are really out of their price range and would be sold to "better retail establishments". However, every now and again, Robot Rights Activists picket out front, trying to raise awareness of AI rights and that this place is no better than a slave shop.

21) Rights Guard

Another great product by Automated Success. These booth kisoks (think of those photo booths) allow you access to up to date legal information and real live council. They can be found in malls, airports, and various police stations and substations around the world. Insert your credit stick and begin your search. The search rates are quite reasonable. If you want actual help from a legal representative, it is available for an additional fee at one clicks convenience. Any documents you need can be downloaded to a PADD or other device or, if the printer is working, you can get a flimsy (paper) copy. Thus you can determine your legal rights in any given situation.

Thus you can hand a representative a document of rights. This can be handy if you expect to be "bothered" by a security guard or other representative of the corporate property you are on.

Microsuits can be levied through a Rights Guard booth. If you are being hassled by a private secuirty guard at a commercial center, you can bring a microsuit against the mall for harrassment. It is judged and adjucated between the two legal parties and an arbritrator.

Your legal representative can even work up a "Remote Legal Brief" for you. The remote legal brief outlines the case and all the various legal pieces related to your case. You can use a Remote Legal Brief when you are being brought up before the local magistrate on a variety of charges.

It is hard to tell if the lawyers on the service are actual people or expert systems (or some mix of the above). Either way, this is the closest to real legal representation that most people will ever get (and luckily ever need).

A natural extension of tele-presence

These are also known as "crock in a box" or "zippy lawyer". Zippy lawyer is actually a different service, but the name is applied to Rights Guard units.

Muro's Placeholder: IT Staffing, circa 3007

23) Black Velvet Bar

This is one of the few bars in the orbital ring of the station. It is a spacer's bar, where they go to drink and relax. It is an orb bar, a bar where the drinks are sold in closed orbs with straws and the artificial gravity is turned off. Only someone truly at home in zero g would be comfortable and functional enough to be able to hang out here. It keeps the posers out.

You enter through an airlock. It does not cycle air, but shifts from gravity on to gravity off. The serving bar is on the wall to the right of the door.

Spacers know that being incapacitated or slow in space is a good way to make sure you die. So while they sell some weak etoh (alcohol) here, most of the drinks are mild stimulants and euphorics.

There are pillows and low tables on every "wall". The lighting is low and on every table. There are tons of velcro spots here to secure pillows or patrons. You can even "free out" a table or use one of the velcro balls (with internal light) as your table in the middle of the room.

The decore is mostly blue and silver, the fabrics synthetic silks. The Black Velvet of the name refers to is the poetic name for the soft blackness of space.

This bar happens to be known for its Zero G dance parties that happen every 9 shifts (every 3 days or so).

Madame Lar's Satisfaction

It is difficult to predict what piece of culture will make the leap, when intelligent species encounter each other among the stars. Certainly, no human expected Madame Lar. Both amused and intrigued by the existence of humanity's "oldest profession", this Kel'Regar femme has established her own brothel in the corner of a major trade station, where she has come to an understanding with the local authorities: She doesn't devour any of the customers, and they mostly look the other way.

The decor of the brothel is fairly tame, mostly soft, intimate colors and bio-engineered plants arranged to give the hint of wilderness, while giving off the scent of arousal. So too, are most of the girls only moderately attractive by the judgement of their own species, for Madame Lar rejects those whom she feels can provide a challenge to her dominance of her 'pack'. However, it has managed to become a vice tourism destination through the virtue(vice?) of a single rule - all service is interspecies, that is, no one may purchase the time of a girl of their own species. It makes this one of the easiest places to lay hands on an alien girl, which is attractive to a certain set of clientele. While she spends the bare majority of her time running the operation, Madame Lar is known to indulge herself with the customers - often.

25) Temporal Reflections

Time travel didn't really work, and perhaps it is better so. But partial results can be fun as well! One of the few working 'time machines' is hidden deep in the technical section of this reconstructed stadium. Time travel is not really possible, at least not into the future. Even the past is not fully accessible; but some information transfer works... by tapping into the sensoric abilities of a human present at a certain time and space, you can see, hear and feel anything what happened from that person's point of view. Only a direct transmission to the neural network of a human being is possible... attempts to store this data keep failing. It is as if computers were unable to process it.

This opened amazing new possibilities for the study of history - and for entertainment. After the explosion of numerous legal and diplomatic problems, it was agreed that any time travel must go at least one hundred years into the past. Historians didn't mind, and those in search of adventure have still much to visit. The most favoured are rock concerts and other mass events; the occasional orgies are also frequented - there is nothing like the intimate experience, and the authentic feelings of a real person. You can be there... wherever and whoever you want to be.

There are a few limitations, though:

- to tune into a human being is not easy, and the transmission process requires staggering amounts of energy

- the search for events that are worth revisiting is LONG and tiresome

- it is useful to be in approximately the same location as the past event (or the energy needed goes up even more) - so to visit the same event you have to basically wait a year until Earth returns to its original position

But, there is already a wide assortment of exciting places to go, and people to be. Whenever is an important event coming on (the best Queen concert, or the very rare political speech), there will be advertising in town, and the stadium will be full with visitors in their transmission helmets. Most of the time, there are only a addicts hanging out (and the 'private booths' are permanently occupied).

26) Aladdin's Place

Given the neighborhood, you expect a dive when you first enter. You are not completely disappointed. It is a fairly nice, but somewhat dated and worn ultralounge. The scene is dark with only few light spheres dimly allowing you to navigate the rich blue velvet couches, open booths where people used to gather together in days of old, and low dark woodtables that make up the place. There is still a bar here, though it only serves canned drinks, and provides some up lighting to the mirror behind it. The legacy lounge music plays as low background noise over the sound system. Each table, besides having a comfortable seat beside it and a dim Modern Ikea Light Sphere, has a small menu and two to eight small black boxes - Dream Servers.

Using your interface plug, you can connect to the server (jacking in the Parlance). If you have a deck (built in computer), you can order up what you want and pay for it directly from their menu. Or for the more patient, you can wait for the gorgeous hostess to come over and take your order. A little small talk, some suggestions, a few taps on her PADD or PDA, a swipe for payment, and your dream run begins (Brain Dancing in Parlance).

If she or the other gorgeous hostesses are not around, the bald guy at the bar can assist you. Sure he is there to run the network and dole out cans and "still patches" (tab stickers that provides a voluntary muscle restrictor for about an hour, so you will not twitch or move much while interfacing), but he (and his crew cut wearing B-shift counterpart) is a wealth of information about the artform and the technology. He also has a shock stick under there and a red button in case of trouble.

Dreamtaping is an offshoot of interface technology. Using it, the sensations a person (Dream Dancer in the Parlance) experiences - every sight, sound, smell, motion, and even hormonal reaction, can be recorded. Most Dreamtapes are mostly amature and semi-amature affairs, but small media companies are becoming more and more involved. (In fact The City's has become a mecca for the artform that has all the local media scene abuzz). They range from pleasant days, to dreams, to drug trips, to erotic encounters, to played out scenes, to short movies - where you are the "hero" experiencing everything the hero experiences (giving a whole new take on action movies). Since it is a digital medium, editing and laying down additional tracks is possible (thus the movies).

For the fan of the artform, an interface plug is a must. Most people don't have them and experience Dreamruns through interface helmets or tiarras attuned to themselves. These give a less real experiences, but are still better than any conventional media. If you have found Aladdin's, you have an interface plug (because of work with a computer or cybernetic vehicle or do media) and have an interest in the Art. You can see just about everything out there, with new titles added every day or so.

Sure Black Dreamtapes exist, showing a variety of unsavory acts, but you can't see them at Aladdin's Place. Well you can, but only after you have been a regular a while and have already gone through most of their grey catalog, then you might be invited to watch one. Such things happen in the semi-private back rooms where the Blue Tapes (higher energy sex tapes) are shown.

If you know what you are doing and know the right words, you can joyride. You are taken to a dingey back room. Here people are sprawled out jacked in. Even with several still patches, they are still twitching and moaning. A joyride is a tape of full sensation pleasure, often looped and sometimes remastered. Most people plug in for a minute or three, just a basic run... a hit if you will. The joyride is not physically addicting, it can be very emotionally addicting, especially as people desire longer and longer rides. Some people ride for fifteen minutes or even hours. When you end the ride, you are usually blissed out for a while afterwords. Those who are farther gone are escorted via the back doors and loading tunnels to a parking garage a block away and left there to find a way to get their next hit.

Nobody ever makes a scene out front in the lounge, because they know they will be cut off from their ride if they do. While this is not illegal, open knowledge that you are a joyrider or tasper can end your social and business life faster than bullet to the brain ends a life. So everyone keeps quiet until the very end. (And usually by that point the user has bought their own dream server and joy tape.)

27) Zone Delivery

Even in the world of high technology, people need to get little things from here to there. Sure you could spend a lot of money doing it and go all fancy, but when you need a little thing or some papers or some data disks transported around down or into the zone, sometimes there are cheaper and easier solutions.

Zone Delivery will deliver something anywhere downtown or even in The Zone. Using bicycles, motorcycles, and Pankour, these zoners can get your package anywhere for cheap. They even have official data badges so you can tell they really are delivery people.

28) Hexar's Grand Safarii

This specialized game perserve provides cloned human 'game' for hunters with the desire to kill sentiants. Located on a planet where Clones have no rights, and being artifical creatures they do not even have the rights afforded to animals. Patrons can either hunt from the existing stock, or provide samples of tissues of beings they would like to hunt.

The safarii is also attended by several pharmacutical/gen-mod companies that use some of the game to test their products, knowing that they can dispose of any undesired products here.

And of course, this is a ripe location for things to go wrong...

29) Sleep Spa

For most people, life does not stop long enough to get enough good sleep. That is why Sleep Spas have opened their doors. You come in and are greeted by the friendly staff. They gather your vitals and take you to a comfortable lounging chair in its own private cubicle. Once there, we assist you putting on our sleep crown (a patented trode tiaras with synchro headset set up). Those with interface plugs can be serviced directly for a small additional adapter fee. For the time the length of time of your choosing, plus ten minutes, your mind will be soothed and rejuvinated by crossbeamed theta and delta waves. In two hours, you can recieve the mental benefits of ten hours of sleep. If you buy into it, we can provide intensive oxygen therapy and a variety of physical rejuvinator tonics and patches, to enhance your [hysical recovery without addiction or side effect. The best part is, you never actually sleep. You achieve a twilight dreamlike state that provides restful mental relaxation that you can still function in. (Though for best results we recomend a small nap, but if you need to, you can still do business or even just text chat while hooked up).

Standard disclaimers apply. Sleepspa does not assume liability for any lingering dream states for those who leave their cubicles early, nor for any physical issues occuring from lack of physical recovery times.

30) Restoration Network

This is a simple fix shop, they can repair your watch, or your shoe, but give them enough time, and they can repair anything. They restored the Mona Lisa, after it was burned!

The advances in technology are obvious, with molecular restructuring, and adapted 3-D printing is nothing beyond repair, though it may be beyond your means. Besides the costs included, the customers may need to supply the raw materials, should they want to fix something truly exotic; the personnel will always inform the customer if such a thing is needed. (Of course it must understand how the thing works - putting a bizzare alien artifact into their care, and telling them to repair it, may not produce the desired results. Read the fine print in the contract.)

While we are at personnel... the network takes great pains to find people with needed, and sometimes odd talents. As a result, they are frequently... odd. That zombie-like salesman who looks and behaves like an illiterate mongrel might be the next winner of the Nobell prize for quantum physics - well if he sent his work somewhere. Last to discriminate, aliens are certainly welcome, and frequently employed. To the usual mix you can add some creatures of highly unusual physiologies, including units of the Tentacled Sam race (an unfortunate name for a rare species, with rather discomforting mating preferences). Repairing still involves laying your hands/appendages on the thing repaired.

Despite the management's best efforts, the average RN workshop will freak out most of its customers. You can find one close to any good starport, see for yourself.

31) Zac's Rack

If you need your transport jazzed (pimped, updated, or even just repaired), Zac's is the place for you. Eight service bays all manned by virtuosos of the power wrench. They can fix your ride be it a ground car, duct fan, or hover vehicle. They have a wide variety of after market adds so your ride can be sweet. And if all you need is a late night paint job, they can do that too.

Free Racing and Just good looking rides will never go out of style. Zac's is the place to go for things you can't do yourself. And hanging around with them is a good way to get an "IN" to the local FreeRacing (street racing in the future with flying/ hoover vehicles) community.

Note: See how a commerical or note on a board like this one can provide information to PCS and give them the local slang too. Cyberpunk always has its own street slang, just to show it is on the bleeding edge.

32) The Center for Research of Galactic Energy

The beautiful spa resort is open to customers with all kinds of ailments. With advanced alien technology, they channel the Galactic Energy, and filter out the frequencies unsuited for the patient, providing the healing powers that the oldest of races have access to. Their success rate is simply amazing, but the alien-owned establishment can be very picky about their customers.

A Center is always a large complex with plenty of flora, and features pretty much any relaxing equipment and technique available, of course you can come just to rest. An additional turn on is their off-world imported mineral water with several interesting tastes.

A few skeptical scientists claim, that the customers are diagnosed with hidden scanners and simply fed conventional, effective drugs, and the whole energy thing is a hoax with fluff around.

33) Dyson's Donuts

This is one of those extremely tacky food slots found in every mall, arcade, prominade deck, and lobby of seemingly every public building, across known space.

Dyson's products come in over 80 flavors, all of which are baked daily and some hourly. Besides the classics of plain, sugar creme, chocolate, and brava nut, there are some exotic ones that appeal to any variety of species including sprice grass glaze, seaweed, and salted. They also sell some passible Klah and usually some local hot beverage or three (tea and coffee on Sol III).

Dyson's donuts are not really donuts in the 20th century sense of the word. They are not ring shaped, they are what we would think of as donut holes. These round little treats are popular and sold in packs of four, eight, or twelve (with one for luck). Bringing a Pachinko bucket of several dozen to the office or home will ensure that everyone loves you.

So you are possibly wondering why Dyson's is this way. Well after the discovery of one, everyone knew that Dyson's were spheres.

34) Timewarpian's Portal

For an edgerunnner, this shop and the trend it supports, is the world turned upside down: Faceganging for Straights and Corporates.

As seen on WWNN, timewarpians enjoy dressing and living as they would in an era gone-by. Whether they call themselves Victorians, Edwardians or timewarpians, these people are connecting via the net and web, thrusting themselves into the past.

Frensham, the world wide leader of the movement, has the quote that sums up the motivation for them. 'Modern society can be 'remarkably cruel and unforgiving,' Frensham said. 'There is certainly no sense of any kind of community anymore,' he said. 'People are purely self-centered, only in it for what they can get out of themselves.' Generally, timewarpians, want to the return to the times of good manners and morals, the values of respect for women, respect for others. Frensham says, 'Now with the society we live in, anything goes. There are more civilized times.'

Many will live this way virtually, on sites like livinghistoryworldwide.com. The Virtual Reality simulation of London of the Victorian Era has been in the top 25 sim spots for the last 8 years. However, there is only so long you can live in virtual hookup.

However, for some, the virtual is not enough. They need to live the experience.

For the true Transwarpian, something just feels right to wear a suit and an ascot, topped with a proper hat. For ladies it long skirts, reserved understated fashion, and of course the hat. Together they live their time displaced people. Hosting tea parties for friends while dressed in Victorian clothing, completely in character, is their goal.

The Portal is a shop that specializes in retrofuture gear. Everything a Victorian/ Eduardian Transwarpian needs is available for purchase. They have actual handcrafted materials and clothes. This kitchy throwback to the centuries past is a small segment of their business. They can make historically accurate garb and items to fit, utilizing modern tech microfabricators (like any mallstore, but theirs are discretely in the back) with historically accurate fabplans. This is the shop's dirty secret. However, it allows them to suppor the growing transwarpian movement across the Eastern Corridor Metroplex.

They also have a limited biosalon nextdoor. The experience is Victorian, all red velvet, wood panneling, carpet, and gas lighting. They can perform any op a Class C salon can do, facial shaping, hair implanation and lengthening, and minor body shapings. However they do it 'in character' as a mad scientist and his 'constructed' assistants. The salon is almost worth going to for the experience, even without a transwarpian view.

There are 8 portals in The Corridor, servicing the thousands of part time and full time Transwarpians.

Note: these people are only tangentially related to the Medieval and Renaissance communities that are associated with Nomads.

35) The Cabin

This is your classic VR Cafe. There is a small four table cafe up front. It sells stimulating drinks (for after) such as coffee and NRG, but calming ones for before. (Oh and try the Apple Bars to settle your stomach before you go in.) Still Patches are also available here, for those that twitch. There is a small rotating rack of Virtual Goggles and Tiaras, looking much like a big sun glass rack. The somewhat friendly staff is usually bored.

You buy some time at the register. They give you a ticket. The ticket will let you into the back hallways, which has twenty six or so doors. The ticket will open one door. Behind each door is a dimly lit narrow room with one lounging chair, a small built in table with bolted down dream caster (a VR netbook... allowing your to cast ... to find a VR servers to hook into) and a few cords (all for the various common VR hookups). The rooms are surprisingly well ventilated and climate controlled for a VR cafe. This and the well maintained couches help make it a popular stop.

Before you get any ideas, there are serious cameras in the hallways that are not net accessible. There are panic monitors in each room.

36) Complex Shoppe

The Complex Shoppe is a nutrition center. It sells a variety of vitamin, mineral, amino acids, various microbes for intestinal health, and complex biologic molecules, to enhance the biologic self. It includes a huge selections of lotions, pills, and notions, to enhance physical beauty and health of questionable scientific worth.

In more sci-fi worlds it will sell slurry of proteins, carbs, and fibers that will be appropriate to zeno or exo/splicer biologies (Man, I need the fiber.. but I ain't munching that much grass, so I get a green slurry.) There is a 'icecream-like' dispenser adjacent to a cooler that dispenses the goos. You can also buy Goo and Goo Powders for home use.

In Cyberpunk worlds, it will also be your touch point for biologic enhancement home kits and maintenance chemicals for your bio enhancements. So you need performance enhancers of any stripe, this is your place. If you need a saturation to make your genetic upgrade work efficiently (or to overcome that side effects of the process), this is your place. Usually, if you hang around long enough... you can find someone who can hook you up with a grey clinic for a variety of splicing needs.

37 Fraimecz Luggage and Sports

The Junior and Senoir Fraimecs run this store. On the left side is a traditional luggage store. It smells of worked leather, shines of various chromes, brushed steels, and reflective plasteels, and is full with a variety of bags, backpacks, frontslings, cases, and chests.

What spaceport luggage store would not have Gear Boxes? Gear Boxes are the standard slotted boxes that fit into most spacer cabins. It is the Stellar Union's regulation size for personal effect to be carried on board - 30cms (w) by 100 cms )(l) by 100 cms (h) (though they come in different heights so you can stack smaller units in the slot designed into the cabin/bunk).

Gear Boxes and lots of things are moved through stations on roller boards. These things are ubiquitous in ports, on stations, and anywhere around ships, much to the distress of many a manager. These things have three sets of two wheels (one in the center and one in the back and the front). The boards are usually 15 x 70 x2 cms and made of anything, though many are synthwood. (Many have a toe line or a connector/hole for a tow line to be connected)

The boring ones are on the left side. The exciting ones are on the right. In stations, space ports, and urban areas, these became prevolent. All of these places have smooth floors and lots of ramps. It was only a matter of time before someone got the bright idea that they could move themselves on one. Riding them became a spork sport, something dumb yet fun. Now they make decks for the rollarboards that are made to look good and be ridden.

Junior's half of the store deals with the spork versions. He has forty or so decks in stock. He sells ones that are rippled for better grip. He sells them with mag lines (so your spacer slippers will (magnetically) stick to them. He has better quality wheels. He also sells personal bump gear (elbow pads, knee pads, and light helmets (because spacer helmets are really overkill while in atmo). He can get a polynyline kinetic (impact) suit fabricated for you in about 30 minutes, if that is what you want. Like all sporked sports, riding a rollerboard has a good chance to harm the rider (unless they are wearing an impact suit). Of course most people don't wear them.

If the darn things weren't so useful for moving cargo and stuff, most stations would outlaw these things.

38) Burly Bill's Beautiful Beverages (originally started as sroll entry, grew to be its own submission...)