“I’m with the Guild, and the Guild’s with me. If I ever try to run away, may I run to my grave”.

-Part of the Guild’s initiation oath

The Guild is the biggest criminal organization on the planet, with chapters and businesses all over the globe. This organization operates akin to a Corporation, but with even higher levels of secrecy. While corporations are usually known for advertising their products and services, the Guild discretely offers theirs to selected individuals who make contact via the deep web and through several layers of protection.

One of the most noteworthy aspects of the Guild is its Grid, probably one of the most complex, deadly, and beautiful grids in existence, with over one hundred layers of protective ICE, several higher and lesser AIs, and thousands of automated bots. The sophistication of its engineering and architecture is almost unrivaled amongst equivalent organizations. Many corporations and government agencies have tried to break into it, but none have succeeded. The Grid’s strength comes from the unbreakable loyalty and dedication the Guild’s runners have for the organization, as they zealously maintain it and would never reveal any secrets that could be used to harm it.

The Guild’s members are usually inducted when they are very young, and the grooming process begins when prospective members are in their early teens. The Guild’s recruiters use sophisticated algorithms to find youngsters with potential for running and reach them as early as possible. This way, the prospective runners are raised in an environment of luxury while being taught loyalty and respect for the organization, something they take extremely seriously.

There are no publicly known cases of runners leaving the Guild, only rumors. Theories are that if anybody leaves, it would not be on good terms. Members of the Guild will always have the resources needed to thrive and live a comfortable life, no matter where in the world they are. However, working for the Guild means being obedient and doing things many other runners and most ordinary people wouldn’t do. Guild runners operate from facilities known as “caves” that the organization provides, stocked with state-of-the-art hardware and software, safely under the protection of the Guild’s Grids. Members have access to all sorts of sophisticated equipment, despite not actually owning any of it.

Guild runners like to spend all the money they make in exclusive nightclubs and resorts or buying expensive clothes. Aesthetically, members are perfectly groomed and place great value on deluxe clothing and accessories. Guild runners tend to wear expensive suits and watches when making public appearances and on business, and top-of-the-line urban wear when on leisure time. These style choices serve both the member’s comfort and the image of the Guild as a whole, inspiring respect from some, and fear in others. Even if the Guild doesn’t have an official uniform, all their members agree that they should dress both luxuriously and with class.

“What’s the point of doing something if you don’t do it with panache?”.

-Maker saying

The Makers are Cryptorunners obsessed with creating and inventing the best hardware and software possible and expressing their creativity through their inventions. They are creative and curious people by nature and are constantly trying new things. Makers are often self-initiated, simply drawn towards experimenting on their own at the beginning and later on joining in with like-minded runners in order to stimulate each other.

Makers prioritize the quality and usefulness of their creations while making sure their looks and aesthetics in The Grid are as original and awe-inspiring as they can be. In situations where other factions might favor brute force virtual attacks or discrete hacking techniques, Makers go the extra mile and have their creations do the job and make a loud statement on their own at the same time. They all share the same passion and drive for building things, although some are more ready to share their knowledge than others. Makers usually believe in the open-source philosophy, making all their knowledge available to fellow Makers. However, some members of this faction are exceptions and are quite overzealous and protective about what they make.

Makers have no interest in being celebrities themselves and prefer to keep the spotlight on their creations. The common Maker approach is usually letting their code and inventions do the talking, instead of bragging with empty words. Makers usually wear practical clothes, sturdy and durable, with many functional pockets. They also favor goggles and protective gear in order to make their building processes safer. Makers usually do not favor commercial implants out of the box, but instead are known to tinker with them in order to customize and enhance them and sometimes even make their own from the ground up.

The Maker community is driven by self-improvement, curiosity, and the belief that knowledge should be accessible to as many people as possible in order to advance technology. This is the reason they run and rob corporations of their secrets in order to make available as much information and resources as possible.

Who are they

The Cryptorunners are the soul and purpose of this project. They are unique pieces of masterfully crafted digital art, but also the characters that will live in 2112's universe.

They represent hackers of the 2112.run universe that run against the biggest corporations in search of money, fame and justice.

How they are created

From a technical point of view, they are procedurally generated NFTs living in the Ethereum Blockchain, and not two of them are equal.

They are split into five different factions, and each faction has a minimum of three different base models. This allows us to offer at least 15 different mini collections in one. Accomplishing a level of variety that is not usually seen in generative projects.

What can they be used for

The Cryptorunner NFT is the key that gives you access to the entire 2112 transmedia experience. It will allow you to play the upcoming on-chain minigame alongside participating in all the community-based Events, which are also rewarded.

In the future they will also give you priority access to newer NFT collections, events in the physical world, and more.

“Decentralizing the currency should only have been the beginning. We’ve got to decentralize the government, decentralize power, decentralize resources. The whole thing.”

-d.r10t’s manifesto.

The Punks are a group of mostly lower-class, disillusioned, angry young runners. Though there are some old-school, hardcore, older Punks, most of their members are under 30 years of age.

Punks have no real vertical hierarchy, as they despise authority in every form and fight it wherever they find it. However, they do organize horizontally, often in small, local cells that join with other similar cells whenever the cause needs them to.

Some may think that the Punks are simply teenagers acting out, but in reality, their behavior is the result of a more profound interpretation of the world they live in. These people have been raised in a world of scarcity where the majority has very little and a few have almost everything.

This disparity in economic wealth, the apparent lack of future wellbeing for their generation, the absence of adequate measures taken by the world governments, and the overall decay of the moral, ethical and spiritual fabric of society has led the Punks to understand one thing: this game is rigged, the system is corrupt and will never change. The only alternative is to run it to the ground and build up from there, with a less greedy and unjust idiosyncrasy.

Punks are unashamed and unapologetic in the expression of their disconformity. They have less interest in aesthetics that simply try to be beautiful and are more drawn towards styles that have a message behind them.

They usually cut and dye their hair in the fashion of the punks of yore, with aggressive styles dyed in neon green, magenta, and cyan. They don’t mind being seen, as they feel society should be made aware of them and “deal” with their disconformity. The classic combat boots and plaid fabrics have been refurbished and redeployed on the newly available technology.

The Punk movement has a strong sexual component, as they understand that the only thing they really own are their bodies and that consensual sexual pleasure is one of the few pure, untainted positive things left in this world.

The Punks are not into running because of the monetary rewards, although they certainly welcome every cryptocoin they can get. Their drive is one of genuine rebellion. They actively search for instances of corporate or government oppression and fight it, often planning attacks that yield no rewards, simply because they want to hurt the system.

Notable Punk activities include altering school textbooks in order to spread what they believe is the truth about companies and authorities and erasing the debts random civilians have in order to free them from oppression and hurt the revenue of the corporations that profit from keeping common people down.

Every Cryptorunner in the world identifies themselves with a Faction.

The factions are deeply rooted in the values and ethos of each Cryptorunner, that is why technically each Cryptorunner’s faction is determined when the character is minted, and cannot be changed. The minted characters will be distributed equally among the existing factions.

With the implementation of world-changing events, you can expect new Factions to be born in the event that new characters need to be minted.

Anyway, we will always keep the uniqueness of our Genesis collection through their distinctive art style and characteristics that only they will have.

From a gameplay point of view, each Faction will grant specific bonuses to their members and will have access to specific items and game mechanics.

“It’s a dog-eat-dog kind of world. If you wanna eat, you gotta be a Dog.”

-mensch.frame, Stray Dog referent.

Any runner that doesn’t fit in with any other faction is labeled a Stray Dog, whether they want to or not. Although some runners are Strays from the beginning of their careers, most of them are runners who used to be part of other factions and decided to go solo for some reason. This is why most Stray Dogs are older, more experienced runners.

Having no allegiance means they are more flexible with what they are capable and willing to do, but being a jack of all trades means that they are also masters of none. They are more versatile than any other faction and thus feel like the most balanced one. This also means they miss out on the bonuses and perks of being part of specialized organizations. Personality-wise, Strays have no problem with expressing themselves however they like. United by a work philosophy, each one is pretty much free to be who they feel they are.

Stray Dogs are loners by nature, but they are also known to cooperate amongst themselves, as long as their interests do not conflict. Whenever Strays choose to socialize, they like to hang with others who share their creed of profit and self-reliance, both physically in bars and pubs favored by mercenary runners, and virtually in dedicated forums, servers, and chatrooms. Many of the younger Strays like to frequent these places in order to get advice from more experienced Strays who don’t really see the young Pups as serious competition. A digital booklet called “The Cryptorunner’s Pocket Guide” written by a legendary Stray Dog has circulated in recent years. The text seems to be directed to young runners who are starting out, although it is believed it was written for someone in particular and it simply went viral.

Strays are mainly interested in being the best at what they do and cashing in the biggest contracts they can find. Some are driven by a desire to reach the almost mythical status of the few runners who lived long enough to retire. Others actually have families they need to support. More than a few are wanted by enough adversaries that they need to stay off the grid and have as few connections as possible. Some hardcore Strays who are wanted by authorities, corporations, and even factions alike are homeless by choice, making use of public networks to blend with the crowds and attract as little attention as possible. Some call these Strays Ronin Runners. Still, they all try to get the most important and best-paid gigs, each in its own fashion, but true to the competitive spirit of the Stray Dogs.

Because each Stray is mostly on its own, their equipment is usually not as sophisticated or new as the runners from other factions typically have. Most factions have people dedicated to developing hardware and software for their special needs. Strays have no such luxury and they depend on whatever they can get on the secondary market, what they can scavenge and what they can steal. There is a quite lively market of specialists who work mostly with Stray Dogs retrofitting and adapting whatever equipment they have, turning odds and ends into somewhat cohesive gear. This is why most Stray Dog equipment and gear seem to be heavily worn, beaten, and sometimes rusted. If the gear was stolen from some group and has any recognizable logos, Strays usually vandalize them in some way, mocking the original owners.

The Cyphers are human runners that are allegedly in contact with beings from the planet Syrinx through encoded cyphers called “Enigmas”. They maintain contact, trading technology and code with them, often in exchange for doing their bidding. Not much is known about the Syrinx race: their planet is on the edge of the galaxy, too far away for humans to visit. However, the space probe that first informed humanity of this planet’s existence, Cygnus X-1, was knocked by an asteroid and ended up crashing on the surface of Syrinx. All the Enigmas and all other communications appear to be sent from this probe and bear an unforgeable digital signature.

Runners in this faction are varied, but they all share some common ground: they all have been contacted by the Syrinx and have solved different Enigmas which make them believe they are special and “the chosen ones”. This recruitment technique leads most Cyphers to believe that they are superior to other human beings.

Once the first Enigma is received and solved, Cyphers must install a proprietary implant in order to receive further communications without interference, among other functionalities. This implant, known as “the Glass” due to it being installed on one eye and making said eye look glassy, was developed by the first human believed to have been contacted by the Syrinx and the one person who appears to have the most direct contact with them: the runner coincidentally called GL4SS. This implant is always noticeably prosthetic unless it is covered. It is also quite painful and dangerous to install, as it connects to various nervous clusters that other implants avoid due to health and safety issues. Outsiders have suggested that some Cyphers suffer from hallucinations and psychosis because of the implant. Other’s claim that those mental ailments are in fact a requirement for selection. Whatever the case, some Cyphers decide to take a medication called Cranium to retain more control, while others choose to let the implants fuse with their minds unimpaired, believing this is what the Syrinx would prefer.

Some Cyphers decide to undergo the implant procedure because they truly believe that they should follow the Syrinx instructions, while others are not so interested in being servants as they are in the challenge of the Enigmas. Lastly, there are those who only have in mind the technological rewards that come with being a part of the Cyphers. Regardless of the initial reason, Cyphers tend to get themselves increasingly lost in the mysteries of Syrinx. The challenge and the purpose provided by the Syrinx often become the main axis for the life of the Cyphers.

The mysterious approach the Syrinx have in their communications and the secrecy surrounding their origin has turned the Cyphers into some kind of cult. They organize in groups in which the one who has received and solved more Enigmas outranks the others, meaning all Cyphers should be subordinates of GL4SS, who is the self-proclaimed head of the Children of Syrinx. Rumours seem to indicate that some Cyphers sacrifice their own identities to the Syrinx in exchange for knowledge, renouncing most possessions and devoting themselves to solving and studying the Enigmas. There are reports of Cyphers even disappearing physically, but remaining active in cyberspace. There are other cases in which Cyphers claim to have been selected for ascension and later on have disappeared entirely without a trace. However, there are also those who attempt to maintain their individuality and try to not get involved with the more fanatic wing of the faction, concentrating instead on just solving the Enigmas to reap the rewards.

Public opinion is divided regarding how real the Syrinx are. Some believe they exist in the form of aliens from outer space, or some other supernatural being, while others say they are simply a figment of the imagination of a crazy cult. There is a middle ground opinion on this subject that speculates that the Syrinx are in fact something or someone masquerading as aliens in order to control all these Cryptorunners. However, the fact is that the Cyphers have some technology that is unbelievably advanced and nobody can quite explain where they get it from.

The Cyphers push themselves to the limit and are more open to having implants than other factions. In their view, devotion to solving riddles is more important than physical looks or wellbeing. Cyphers can look like cyborgs, as they enhance their bodies trying to be more efficient at decoding Enigmas and unveiling the mysteries of the Syrinx.

Some unchosen people try to contact the Syrinx directly, without receiving an Enigma, but there is no known successful case.

The Karaguchi Conglomerate holds a monopoly on most of the world’s food and drinking water supply. After the Solar Wreckage and global warming left large parts of the planet unavailable for exploitation and its resources out of reach, it became apparent that having access to food and drinking water would be more valuable than ever. The KC was founded in Osaka by young chemist Masashi Karaguchi with a mission of making the most out of the limited natural resources that the island of Japan possessed. The combination of the outstanding technological advancements Karaguchi achieved, the growing global need for food and drinking water alternatives, and Karaguchi’s ties to the Yakuza made the conglomerate grow at a dizzying speed.

The company engineered crops that required less water and nutrients to grow as well as making incursions into cultured meat in order to produce meat for human consumption without the need of devoting space to cattle. The political pressure to maintain the economic growth and the company’s connection to the Yakuza forced the government to relax the legal requirements regarding food quality and the hygiene standards for laboratories and production sites, making the company even more profitable. The wide availability of food on Japanese territory made Japan’s economic recovery faster than that of other countries. However, this dependency on cheap food only strengthened the KC’s grip over the Japanese government. Eventually, the KC forced the government to legalize the cloning of non-humans, a process Karaguchi developed to simplify biological experimentation. Some also speculate that this extended into the exotic animal cloning business to service the demand of their ultra-rich clientele. The cloning technology has not been made available to anyone else, and the United Nations’ Bioethics Council heavily opposes its use, though other companies have shown interest in it. The social controversy revolving around the use of this technology has been growing stronger and stronger. The company is currently expanding to territories outside of Japan and Eastern Asia, where its political influence is weaker and is facing some pushback from competitors.

The KC is also responsible for developing cutting-edge water filtering technologies. These technologies mainly focus on recycling water contaminated by human activities, both industrial and non-industrial. There are rumors that the KC has developed a process capable of turning seawater into drinking water, but has kept it secret in order to keep the price of their bottled water products high. There are also claims that the KC sends potentially harmful products made in facilities with substandard hygiene conditions to regions of the world it intends to extort or hurt, causing diseases and malnourishment to its people. The KC denies these rumors and claims the studies that suggest their products cause cancer are inconclusive and biased. However, the fact remains: only countries that have stood up to the KC in any way have suffered these abnormal rates of diseases associated with malnutrition among their population, such as scurvy, cancer, infertility, parasites, and jaundice. Citizens of countries blacklisted by the KC can be often be recognized by the scars and marks left by the Conglomerate’s products: scorbutic gums, yellowish or greenish pigmentation of the skin, and carcinomas.

The KC holds on to its roots and tradition. Their logo is a red cherry surrounded by cherry blossoms, which is similar to the Japanese flag, and the roofs of their buildings are reminiscent of traditional Japanese temples. The inner walls of their offices are decorated with paintings of rice fields and rivers, all in stereotypical Japanese style.

Their main headquarters in Osaka are divided into two separate sections: the front building is the modern part of the HQ and serves as the commercial offices and main research facilities. Access to this building is for employees and contractors only. Behind this first building is the Karaguchi sacrosanctum, a five-story high pagoda located in the middle of a zen garden. The garden is accessible only via a bridge that connects with a landing pad on the back of the commercial offices. This jewel of classical Japanese architecture is both the main personal dwelling of the Conglomerate’s CEO and a place where private meetings are held with the upper management and the most important guests. The pagoda itself is built from a special polymer that resembles wood and also carries nutrients from the rain and sun into the roots of the garden.

Although the pagoda is located in the middle of Osaka, it proves to be virtually inaccessible. A swarm of weaponized drones oversees the movement around the building and makes sure no unauthorized entities are in the area. If any threats are detected, the swarm organizes each of its members to neutralize them.

It’s widely believed that the Wardlord family has been turning a profit on war ever since the middle ages. Duncan Wardlord discovered very early that it was easier to accumulate power and wealth by selling weapons and armor, instead of doing the actual warring. Most other noblemen thought him mad when he married his eldest daughter to the village’s blacksmith. History proved them wrong.

What started as a blacksmith in a castle making swords and shields for his father-in-law grew into a global behemoth of weapons manufacturing: Wardlord Defense Industries makes 65% of all weapons on the planet (85% if the illegal secondary market is taken into account) and holds defense contracts with almost every existing country.

WDI’s Research and Development Department has a larger budget than most countries’ GDPs and is responsible for some of the most important technological breakthroughs: undetectable plastic single-bullet handguns; bullet-resistant flexible fabrics and bullet-proof vehicles; ground-to-ground missiles; and weaponized drones. WDI has also invested a significant amount of resources into developing armor-piercing knives and blades. While WDI has developed chemical and biological weapons in the past, recently there have been hints of joint projects with a major medical corporation to work on more specific and deadly products, as well as cutting-edge combat implants. WDI has also been linked to an African company specialized in producing robots and automatons, and it is thought they are working on several joint products. WDI also has quite an exclusive line of products related to EMP fields and weapons that disable electronic devices. If it has kill potential or bullet-deflecting capabilities, the odds are WDI has people working on it.

WDI also provides what they call “defense solutions”, which is a euphemism for mercenary services. If a government needs to suppress its citizens or to fare war without openly sending its armies to fight, they can hire WDI’s elite professional soldiers to do their dirty work for them. WDI caters to governments, dictators, drug lords, or simply ultrarich people who either have a need to attack others or are paranoid about being attacked themselves and are willing to pay large sums of money for protection.

Wardlord Defense Industries is a sober organization, with a brutalist sense of aesthetics. Their main offices, located in the Autonomous City of Greater London is a fortress-like building made in concrete and steel. Above ground, the building houses the administrative headquarters and warehouses of the corporation in the upper levels, while the 100-meter deep basement contains the less public aspects of the organization — its manufacturing and testing facilities. These headquarters and their surrounding area are guarded by a complex system of defensive weaponry called Titan’s Web. The full capabilities of this system are not publicly known, but aerial imagery suggests that WDI’s main offices would be more than able to intercept and repel rockets and missiles, as well as resist a frontal assault. Given the company’s reputation, some theorize that Titan’s Web has functionalities not entirely within the scope of the law.

The center of the courtyard is mostly occupied by what appears to resemble a massive chimney. When asked about the purpose of this structure, company spokespersons have explained that it is part of the ventilation system which cools the fusion reactor that provides energy to the whole building. However, the hollow pillar appears to also serve as some sort of communication tower, which fuels some of the more radical theories about the chimney and its relation to Titan’s Web.

In the world of 2112, the countries, states, and regions are not exactly as they were in the early 21st century.

Different world-changing events took place, modifying the geopolitical landscape and creating new forms of government and organization previously unseen.

From decentralized coalitions to corporate nations, the political reality in 2112 is as complicated as always, or even more.

S&S does not have the long history that other large mega-corporations are known for. The company started its meteoric rise less than 20 years ago when twins Emma and Renate Schäfer decided to put their combined medical and business expertise to work in a joint venture. Renate was a prominent medical researcher and Emma had a natural gift for branding and marketing. The company started out making experimental painkillers and palliative treatments for the pandemic of 2095. The initial products were highly effective, but each of the twins held equal shares of the company and Renate was reluctant to make profit a priority, declaring on more than one occasion that her products should help humankind as a whole in the long run and not merely make her rich. She was nominated for both the Medicine and Peace Nobel Prizes but asked not to be considered for either.

After a few years, Renate retired from public life and from the S&S board of directors. She hasn’t been seen in public for over a decade and she announced her retirement in a recorded message. Emma immediately took over the position of CEO and the company began to change its business strategies and research priorities. S&S started focusing on developing and aggressively marketing opioids, painkillers, and performance-enhancing drugs. These highly addictive drugs were first introduced as part of new medical cocktails for common ailments, but after a few years, the company began selling them as separate more potent products, at an increased price.

With both the masses and the elite hooked on their products, some because they had an actual need for treatment and others because they were addicted to their recreational use, S&S lobbied the Unified Swiss Commonwealth of European States into relaxing the quality requirements for drug manufacturing and legalizing almost all recreational drugs. The company then started developing cheaper, less pure, and more harmful recreational drugs to keep the masses dependent on their products, while offering a premium safer line of drugs to its richer customers. At the same time, S&S started building and managing drug rehabilitation centers all over the globe, offering people the chance to break free of their addictions. However, the rehabilitation’s costs are so out of reach for most people that they often end up being indebted to S&S for decades to come. On some occasions, the company has offered to reduce the debt of those who accept to take part in medical trials as subjects.

Shortly after securing this apparently endless stream of revenue, S&S started heavily investing in researching and producing high-tech prosthetics and genetic manipulation technology. Some of these enhancements are aimed to augment physical performance and are popular amongst athletes, soldiers, and the like, while others offer connectivity to technological devices, such as neuronal implants which allow the user to interact with computers and other devices without the need for any peripherals. Although some are so dangerous that they require regulation, S&S products have no problem finding their way onto the black market, often straight off of the assembly line, but under other brands and with lower quality. The company has been accused of using its products to interfere with its customers’ bodily and mental autonomy and has been on trial for these accusations more than once. All cases have been dismissed in a matter of minutes due to obscure interpretations of the law which absolve S&S of any responsibility. All the judges involved in the cases so far have been seen receiving complimentary implants and recreational premium drugs after the rulings. The laws that forbade this type of behavior were repealed in previous years thanks to the lobbying S&S had done.

Conspiracy theories seem to imply that S&S is constantly trying to secure human test subjects for its R&D Department and that they are ultimately involved in human trafficking. Some even imply that the company has been trying to secure cloning technology that would provide them with nearly endless test subjects, even though they publicly have taken a position against the legalization of cloning. The company does have an agreement with a London-based defense company that has several contracts for managing private prisons that allows S&S access to inmates for testing. Whether or not the defense company is legally allowed to make use of their prisoners in this way has been the center of a lot of debate.

S&S’s buildings and uniforms all share a minimalistic aesthetic, often in colors that project a hospital or health clinic look. Their main office in Zurich is a domed sleek white building. This building houses the company’s main laboratory, where the company carries out its drug development, experimental research, and equipment production activities. This lab rivals the most advanced genetic manipulation facilities. At the bottom of this immense workplace is a pool of antiseptic and refrigerant liquid, which is pumped throughout the building’s walls by the main energy core, a lustrous radiant orb that gives life to the whole operation. Suspended above the cooling liquid hangs a catwalk, flanked by vats of cryogenic liquid with test subjects inside. The content of the vats is cataloged as “organic material” and no other details are available.

Most S&S personnel sport lab coats, scrubs, or PPE made of hydrophobic material to prevent stains and contamination. A filthy appearance is considered valid grounds for dismissal within the company. This strict dress code and the constant threat of discipline give visitors and employees alike the feeling that they are in a place where they should always keep their voices and head down so as not to invite punishment.

Corporations are the new government. They won’t tell you openly, but we all know that.

The Corps are everywhere, in every decision, and every movement you make. Whether you are asleep, awake, or in the limbo-state of the network, they are there.

Some Corps are small enough to look harmless, but they are most likely part of a much, much larger scheme. The “Mega Corporations”, the ones that truly own everything. They hire the best they can get, although some of the real best don’t have a price tag. And even if their AIs protect part of their networks, there’s always a Corpo Runner in there, and where there’s a human, there’s the possibility of human error.

Corporations are not invincible, they “bleed” as the living organism that they are, and what bleeds can die.

ADEG is the largest producer of entertainment and also the owner of several of the world’s biggest news outlets. The company started in the Nueva Buenos Aires settlement under the name Telecommunications and Digital Media (TDM). It was founded soon after millions of citizens had to be relocated due to the rise of the sea level and the flooding of most coastal cities. The company started as a small news outlet that attempted to do serious journalism in a country ridden with corruption and poverty in the middle of a climate disaster. While this integrity earned it some respect, it did little for its financial growth.

After Pablo Mariano Timaréns joined the company, first as host of his daily stream La noche de Timaréns, later as VP of Programming, and currently as CEO, the company changed direction and began to focus on creating simple-minded entertainment, making this its prime source of income. While all other media outlets were busy showing the corruption of the authorities and the heartbreaking images of the flooded coastal cities or the thousands of dead people and broken families, Timaréns decided to give people a place to escape reality. His show contained light humor and showed attractive people dancing and performing, an instant hit with a nation trying to stop feeling the hurt of their reality. Rapidly after Timaréns was appointed VP of programming, all the group’s content descended into either tawdry and cheap entertainment based on sexual exploitation and shallow humor, or into overwhelming sensationalism plagued with clickbait. Not only did the group’s profitability skyrocket, but also its an influence on public opinion. No matter how implausible a story was, if the company ran with it, a large percentage of the public would believe it. This has remained the norm, not only in the surviving American continent but also worldwide.

Once Timaréns took over the role of CEO, he changed the name of the company from TDM to ADEG and conducted a series of aggressive mergers with other media companies all over the globe, consolidating them into a single group under his leadership. He also began to acquire smaller technology-oriented companies and invested heavily in developing a new VR-haptic hybrid entertainment system, one that could stimulate users to the point of making their brains think they were having a real experience. After this system was commercially rolled out and people embraced it, ADEG introduced what they call “pleasure NFTs”, consumable Non-Fungible Tokens that can be exchanged for sensory experiences that are difficult to achieve in the real world, such as tasting exotic or expensive food and drinks, riding amusement park rides and even realistic sexual activities. This way, ADEG controls the most popular and addictive social media on the globe. Given that the NFTs are consumable and often the only chance common people have of enjoying certain activities or products, they have become an important part of ADEG’s revenue stream.

ADEG not only turns a profit on the traditional model of viewers and advertisers, they also charge politicians and public figures exorbitant sums to portray them in a favorable light. The group is indirectly responsible for influencing the outcome of elections and referendums in every major country. Celebrities also pay to keep their secrets out of the news. This way, ADEG has managed to keep many known figures in their pockets, threatening them with exposing them if they don’t do as they are told. Some say that ADEG still does serious investigative work, but instead of investigating corruption to expose it, it investigates personal affairs to extort individuals. The terms and conditions of use of their entertainment system give ADEG almost absolute control of its user’s personal data, which they then sell for profit to other companies.

ADEG also produces propaganda for several dictators and has covered up major scandals in order to protect those who can afford it. Another service offered by the company is the policing of social media on behalf of these regimes, pinpointing individuals who speak out against their governments so that they can be reeducated or silenced.

The group’s main office is in the center of the former Argentine Republic, in what is now known as Nueva Buenos Aires City. The building is an ode to the art déco aesthetic, an excess of gold and exuberance. 70 stories high, heavily decorated on both the outside and the inside with sculptures of muscular figures posing in all their glory. The logo of the company resembles a Venn’s-diagram with a circle in the middle which looks like an eye. The company’s official website states that the eye is a reference to the company’s dedication to showing its viewers and consumers the reality in which they live, but their commitment to keeping always its gaze on the future to come.

“Zebra Synthetics has a single mission: perfection. Yesterday, we made the first steps on artificial intelligence autonomy. Today, we already produce the implants, automatons and AIs that assist humankind in every field. Tomorrow is coming, and we will stop at nothing to make it flawless.”

— Owatha Hlengiwe, CEO

Zebra Synthetics was founded 80 years ago, in 2032, by pioneer artificial intelligence programmer Nabinala Mabte, who received the Turing Medal for Excellence in the Field of Robotics in 2030 for developing an AI that could run an entire large freight company, from its infrastructure and logistics to its finances, after having observed the previous human management for only 3 weeks.

The funding that came with this award allowed her to carry out the research needed to install similar AIs onto robotic bodies and frames. More current and updated versions of this technology are common nowadays, and serve humankind in many aspects and industries. Some say a modern iteration of the freight company’s AI is currently running ZS’s HQ, but the company has never confirmed it.

Zebra Synthetics’ headquarters are located over the city of Mwandez, in the Sahara Desert. This part of the continent received new life when the flooding and rising sea levels allowed life to thrive where it used to be impossible.

ZS’s main facility is called Monolith, a pyramid-shaped arcology that stands over the city, supported by huge pillars covered in thick cables as wide as trucks that sink deep into the ground.

The factories in which the automatons and robots are built are located at the base of the pyramid. Higher up are the labs where research and development are carried out, the living quarters for ZS’s employees and their families, and an area devoted exclusively to employee’s relaxation. The top of the pyramid is dedicated to the CEO’s apartments and office. Rumors say that there is another area, a top-secret enclosure called The Sarcophagus: a huge server room where the arcology’s physical mainframe is.

Monolith has a formidable defense system, with only one entrance reachable by land. This access point serves as an entry for trucks loaded with prime materials. All movement in this area is heavily monitored by automated turrets and security personnel. Higher levels of the pyramid have docking bays for flying vehicles to land and for freight airships to load finished automatons before distributing them to their final destinations, which is why the surrounding air space is under ZS’s total control.

The pyramid is covered in massive solar panels which power the whole complex. The surplus of energy produced provides electricity to the rest of Mwandez. Given that the city was formed around the arcology, it’s safe to assume that the sharing of resources is not intentional on the part of ZS.

Mwandez has a complex relation with Monolith. Its main economic activity is being one of the world’s most important markets for rarities and special technological items. The products here range from antique vintage items to cutting-edge machinery made in Monolith, most likely brought to the market illegally.

Aside from suffering the noise pollution caused by the airships that constantly fly over the city, the people of Mwandez are subject to breathing in the fumes spewed by the immense exhausts of Monolith’s factories, which are not only harmful in themselves, but can also cause sandstorms. Mwandezians also feel envious of the luxury those who live in Monolith seem to enjoy, while they are dependent on scavenging the arcology’s wastes in order to make a living.

Monolith employees have the best legal salaries known on the planet, due to the company’s intention to only hire the best of the best. This has led many parents who live in Mwandez to try and force their children into becoming ZS employees so that all the family can move into Monolith and have a better life.

Another important aspect of how Monolith and Mwandez interact is the area situated the closest to the arcology. This part of the city is called Zone 9, and is a somewhat liberated zone. Local authorities don’t dare to attempt to control an area so close to Monolith, so the streets of Zone 9 are crowded with mercenaries, scavengers and corporate thugs, all often heavily armed. The tension between ZS’s armed personnel and those who live or visit this zone is high, but it supports what has been until now a delicate peace.

Also in Zone 9, and located under the base of the pyramid, is The Underlith. Hidden behind the jungle of thick cables that go into the ground, away from the city and in what seems a blind spot or a neglected zone by Monolith’s surveillance, some squatters have taken residence here. Given that the base was the first part to be built, is not strange that security here is weaker than in other places. It is a wild place, ripe for scavenging and shady dealing. Most citizens stay clear of it, but some think it’s only fitting that people of Mwandez live off whatever they can take from ZS.

Apart from Monolith, ZS has another important facility: Mandala Horizons, in Delhi. Mandala Horizons is a huge arcology decorated with mandalas and flowers, where both the most powerful intrusion programs and defensive ICE are developed. It’s well known that some of the world’s most complex, effective, and beautiful Grids are designed here.

Having Monolith and Mandala Horizons under its control, ZS develops both the best AIs used in cyberspace and the state-of-the-art automated androids that assist humans in the real world.

The company’s automatons, often called simply Zebras, are classified into several groups and types depending on the complexity of the tasks they are able to perform. The most common and massively produced model is the type Z, which was the first one to be built and it is currently on series 7. These Z-7 models are the most common android assistant and can be found in stores, front desks, and other customer service settings all over the world.

The company has also made enormous advances regarding high-tech cyber-implants that enhance the user’s physical and perceptive capabilities. However, there are rumors that seem to indicate that the Monolith facility is employing unorthodox research methods, including human experimenting, in their development of new and improved AIs and robots.