Transhumanity may seem spoiled for choice when it comes to criminal justice, with innovations such as psychosurgery, minders, and freemen morphs, but ethics and politics complicates most situations.
Psychosurgery can alter many of the traits that lead to criminal behavior, and while many justice systems allow for voluntary treatment as a form of rehabilitation, involuntary editing is a powerful taboo. Post-singularity technology makes secure physical imprisonment difficult, and on most habitats it is seen as a waste of resources. Egos could be paused and stored as a form of imprisonment, but this seems like dodging the issue by palming it off to an unknown future.
The most used forms of punishment are restitution and exile. Restitution is not always enough, and societies that send their criminals to other habitats don't make many friends, and so some of the groups fond of that option have created Exile.
Exile is a simulspace server in an isolated main-belt orbit. Those whose societies no longer want them, and would otherwise have only debt, imprisonment, or editing to choose from, can volunteer to be uploaded there in lieu of other punishments. Each prisoner is given a portion of Exile's processing cycles and loaded into a simulspace under their sole control, sufficient for satisfying realism. Prisoners can link their simulations to socialize, try create their perfect life, or request therapy and/or psychosurgery for rehabilitation and eventual release.
Showing posts with label criminals. Show all posts
Showing posts with label criminals. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 28, 2015
Thursday, April 23, 2015
113. Grandfather Wang
Grandfather Wang's early history is fragmented and incomplete, fragmented by the losses of the Fall, and incomplete because of its secret and criminal nature. He was not born to wealth or power but was an orphan, homeless, surviving on the street. He had a talent for lies, persuasion, and meeting people, and talked a local boss into giving him a position. His rise from there was meteoric, as he accumulated money and connections.
During the Fall, he used his political and criminal connections to secure an early evacuation to Mars, but left behind his sizable fortune. He found himself increasingly left behind, finding it difficult to contribute to transhuman crime, but with the rise of reputation economies his refined social skills were more useful than ever. It was eventually decided that it would be useful of him to "retire" to a scum swarm.
His contribution to the swarm has been Wang's, a combination speakeasy, gambling hall, brothel, restaurant, and opium den, built to mimic classic styles, with lots of wood, flickering electric or gas lighting and employees in appropriate attire. Grandfather Wang enjoys running his businesses with no fear of law, enjoys the atmosphere he has created, and uses his position to network with interesting and powerful passengers. Wang's has been welcomed, seen as a classy, slightly campy but refreshingly low-key approach to vice services. His use of the swarm as a base for smuggling is considered almost endearing, and the scum overlook the fact that his temporary employees often resemble recently wanted criminals.
Grandfather Wang may not fully understand the post-singularity world, but he should not be underestimated: age has only refined his cunning, and he knows exactly how easy it has become to mend broken bones. He has gained and lost a fortune and lived in both extreme poverty and extreme wealth, leading to an attitude of indifference towards money, but great concern for reputation, an attitude that serves him well among the scum.
"Wang" is probably not his real name.
Mechanics
Morph: Ruster
Motivations: +Triads, +Personal Career, +Leisure
COG 15 COO 15 INT 15 REF 15 SAV 25 SOM 15 WIL 15
MOX - INIT 6 SPD 1 LUC 30 TT 6 IR 60 DUR 35 WT 7 DR 53
Active Skills: Beam Weapons 35, Clubs 45, Deception 73, Fray 35, Infiltration 60, Intimidation 75, Kinesics 65, Networking: Autonomists 65, Networking: Criminals 75, Networking: Hypercorps 75, Networking: Media 55, Networking: Ultimates 55, Palming 45, Perception 45, Persuasion 75, Pilot: Groundcraft 45, Unarmed Combat 75
Knowledge Skills: Interest: Criminal Groups 45, Interest: History 35, Interest: Nightclubs 55, Language: Cantonese (native) 85, Language: Mandarin 55, Profession: Distribution 45, Profession: Haggling 63, Profession: Smuggling 45
Reputation: @-rep 100, g-rep 100
Implants: Basic Biomods, Basic Mesh Inserts, Cortical Stack, Enhanced Respiration, Enhanced Hearing, Enhanced Vision, Medichines, T-Ray Emitter, Temperature Tolerance
During the Fall, he used his political and criminal connections to secure an early evacuation to Mars, but left behind his sizable fortune. He found himself increasingly left behind, finding it difficult to contribute to transhuman crime, but with the rise of reputation economies his refined social skills were more useful than ever. It was eventually decided that it would be useful of him to "retire" to a scum swarm.
His contribution to the swarm has been Wang's, a combination speakeasy, gambling hall, brothel, restaurant, and opium den, built to mimic classic styles, with lots of wood, flickering electric or gas lighting and employees in appropriate attire. Grandfather Wang enjoys running his businesses with no fear of law, enjoys the atmosphere he has created, and uses his position to network with interesting and powerful passengers. Wang's has been welcomed, seen as a classy, slightly campy but refreshingly low-key approach to vice services. His use of the swarm as a base for smuggling is considered almost endearing, and the scum overlook the fact that his temporary employees often resemble recently wanted criminals.
Grandfather Wang may not fully understand the post-singularity world, but he should not be underestimated: age has only refined his cunning, and he knows exactly how easy it has become to mend broken bones. He has gained and lost a fortune and lived in both extreme poverty and extreme wealth, leading to an attitude of indifference towards money, but great concern for reputation, an attitude that serves him well among the scum.
"Wang" is probably not his real name.
Mechanics
Morph: Ruster
Motivations: +Triads, +Personal Career, +Leisure
COG 15 COO 15 INT 15 REF 15 SAV 25 SOM 15 WIL 15
MOX - INIT 6 SPD 1 LUC 30 TT 6 IR 60 DUR 35 WT 7 DR 53
Active Skills: Beam Weapons 35, Clubs 45, Deception 73, Fray 35, Infiltration 60, Intimidation 75, Kinesics 65, Networking: Autonomists 65, Networking: Criminals 75, Networking: Hypercorps 75, Networking: Media 55, Networking: Ultimates 55, Palming 45, Perception 45, Persuasion 75, Pilot: Groundcraft 45, Unarmed Combat 75
Knowledge Skills: Interest: Criminal Groups 45, Interest: History 35, Interest: Nightclubs 55, Language: Cantonese (native) 85, Language: Mandarin 55, Profession: Distribution 45, Profession: Haggling 63, Profession: Smuggling 45
Reputation: @-rep 100, g-rep 100
Implants: Basic Biomods, Basic Mesh Inserts, Cortical Stack, Enhanced Respiration, Enhanced Hearing, Enhanced Vision, Medichines, T-Ray Emitter, Temperature Tolerance
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