Excepts from VRNet Lecture series

On Scarcity In the Modern Economy

Or

Why do we still have jobs when we have Fab’s that can utilize nanoengineering to manufacture things?

This is one of the fist questions generally asked in Collegiate level economics. Before the advent of nano-scale engineering and assemblers Scarcity was the primary determinate of all economic activity. This is still true today. However, we live in many ways what has been described as a post-scarcity economic environment. Individuals still buy and sell goods, but the most important determinant for adding value is no longer labor, but rather efficiency of design. However, this still does not tell the entire story. While assemblers can rearrange common atomic structures into more useful strata, they cannot assemble the atoms themselves. So Carbon is still carbon, silicon is still silicon, palladium is still palladium.

This is the fundamental root of modern scarcity: uncommon material. Adding value is no longer simply adding a mine to a parcel, as a mine can be assembled and disassembled automatically. Rather it is the need to acquire atoms that are not naturally abundant (barring cyclotronic atomic fusion which is energy intensive and this does not really address the problem satisfactorily) and the ability to create a plan for their assembly that will meet demand.

So while it is effortless to fab a chair, or a concrete house from dirt, it is nearly impossible to fab a flexi screen from dirt. You need a few more essential ingredients, and thus demand.

Advertisement

ReStore Neural Mapping Insurance!

Into Extreme Sports?

Living the life of danger mining asteroids for rare earth minerals?

About to go off on a long expedition to who knows where?

Your child entering Military Service?

Worry no more! Because with ReStore Neural Mapping services, we can record an anagram of the algorithmic state of your neural structure, allowing to bring your unique mental algorithm back from the beyond! For a mere 1000 credits ReStore will save your mental patters so that you can have your mental algorithm and memories restored to any compatible synthFlash or Organic neural strata (not included in service).

Worried that this will only be a copy? Then enhance your neural nanonic interface with a wireless NeuralFlashDrive! Your current mental map can be forked an saved continuously within a small memStore so that in the case of catastrophic injury your mental state will be completely interrupted! Also works with most major brand cyberehancements! Only 50,000 credits!

Order ReStore for your mental safety. Today!

The story of the ‘Rubato’

The story of the ‘Rubato’ (musical term: Rob the time, or set your own tempo)

The Rubato was commissioned during the first production of the Shinzuku Class of Light Assault Transports in 2226 at Koi Shpyards, New Nippon at the behest of the Colonial Marine Expeditionary Force. She saw service for 30 years as a recon mech dropship for the marines, seeing action notably in the Ross 128 incident, and deployed against the Williams Cartel in the Beta Oort quadrant. She received both the alpha electronics and beta armament refits in 2235 and 2241, before being decommissioned, stripped of military grade hardware and electronics, and auctioned as a civilian transport in 2251.

The Rubato has served under three captains in her time as a civilian vessel. Her original owner was Margal “the mechanic” Platt (service 2251 – 2282). No outstanding warrants or citations exist within ColUnionFedNet from this time period.

Her next captain was officially Margal Platt from 2282-2286, but there is no confirmable biometric or electroforensic data of Margal from this time period. It is suspected that the ship was run by some third party during this time – reinforced by several citations of illegal salvage operations and failure to pay berthing fees at various ports of call.

The Rubato’s current captain is Maggie Platt, biological granddaughter of Margal (see ColUnionFedNetAttachment:https256//SecRegSupAuthID/Registry). The Rubato’s fees are up to date, and registered as an independent cargo, passenger and mail courier, with a class 1 (basic) security clearance for InfoTansClearanceAuth.

(stats to follow)

Rules RC1 now available

Latest RC of the ruleset now available.

Feedback will definitely be appreciated. Lets also make this an open thread to talk about what everyone would like to get out of the game.