Voices in the Stream: Phase 02 (The Eighteenth Shadow) Read online

  119) SSRI: Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor

  120) Synth(meat): Synthetic beef, chicken, pork or fish grown in petri cubes.

  121) Synthamneotic fluid: Artificial birth medium, which precisely replicates the uterine environment and is the basis for the popular, extracorporeal embryonic growth movement among women.

  122) Tangi-gram: NAUS slang for a tangible hologram. Tangible holographic technology was patented in 2069 by Austrian optics physicist, Jens Frankel. Projecting tangi-grams and their associated 180 degree visuotactile environments requires the fastest superframe computers available, bridged with molecular resolution, triple-lensed holoprojectors. These systems additionally require synced access to dedicated, high density solar arrays and/or a fusion based power source. The programs are biometrically encrypted to the operator and cost millions of digidollars to purchase. It is this latter condition which makes private ownership by all but the wealthiest individuals impossible. One widely known cultural exception is amongst the world of hackers. Many hackers will construct their own solar arrays and program their own tangi-grams, avoiding the upfront cost of proprietary purchase by programming their own avatars. In the mainstream NAUS economy, tangi-grams are used primarily in two industries: avatar based surgery and virtual prostitution.

  122A) TeaHC©: Concentrated adult beverage produced by OneThread© Beverages that contains the THC equivalent of a single vapor joint in liquid form. Available at your local grocer in pomegranate, blueberry and citrus flavors.

  123) THC: Tetrahydrocannabinol, or more precisely its main isomer (−)-trans-Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol [(6aR,10aR)-delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol], is the principal psychoactive constituent (or cannabinoid) of the marijuana plant.

  125) Titanalum: The most expensive metallurgic substance known; an alloy derived of titanium and aluminum which is then coated with a thin layer of bionic graphene. Used almost exclusively in the military cyborg industry for chassis construction.

  126) Transhuman: This term refers to individuals who have experienced spikes of evolutionary advancement. These citizens manifest varied advanced abilities from cognitive telepathy and ESP to accelerated strength quotients and sensory capabilities such as night vision or long range hearing.

  127) Tricyclic Summit Theory: A mythological urban construct widely discussed by civilian members of academia which posits that by combining quantum computer processors, fusion power and the Adler Code programming language, a cyborg is capable of attaining a mammalian level of autonomous intelligence, memory and consciousness.

  128) Vaporjoint: See E-joint.

  129) VCSW: Vision Certified Social Worker.

  130) Vidorb: Cybernetic visual receptor or “eyeball” capable of thermal imaging, target contrast enhancement, tracking, telescopic magnification, holotransmission, holoflage projection and microscopic enlargement. Normally vidorbs are associated with cyborgs, however they can also be surgically installed in a human being to replace a damaged eye or to counteract blindness.

  131) Vision: The socialist philosophy of living in environmental harmony with the Earth and fellow humans, whose basic tenant is that citizens of a healthy society have nothing to hide from one another. “Vision sees through the archaic need for privacy.” The most contentious aspect of Vision is the prohibition of alcohol as it is posited that the drug is detrimental to the fabric of society. The concept of Vision was created by The Architect.

  132) WarmCoure©: A company which produces a line of form-fitting winter active wear that radiates heat across the skin in order to maintain a comfortable body temperature. WC shirts and pants are powered by micro-graphene batteries woven into the clothing’s fabric in strands the width of a thread.

  Jon Lee Grafton

  Copyright © 2017 Jon Lee Grafton Books

  All Rights Reserved.

  About the Author

  JON LEE GRAFTON is a science fiction author living in the great state of Kansas. He writes about cyborgs, surveillance, environmental dystopia, artificial intelligence and the American drug wars of the future.