| adhikar |
Tracts of land that only trueborns possess. The more adhikar a trueborn owns, the higher their status. Only trueborns are allowed to own adhikar. |
| annexed brain |
A partitioned section of a GEN’s brain that the GEN circuitry accesses and utilizes as storage and computational space using datapod uploads. When GENs are created in the tank, their brains are partitioned to create the annexed brain and bare brain sections. |
| Assignment |
The “job” to which a GEN is Assigned. According to the Humane Edicts, GENs are to be Assigned to a job to which they are suited, i.e., one that utilizes their genetically designed skill set. |
| Assignment specialist |
A trueborn responsible for uploading the appropriate information for a GEN, both for their first Assignment and for subsequent Assignments if their situation changes. |
| bali |
The earring worn by trueborns in their right earlobe that identifies their status. High-status wear diamonds, demi-status wear emeralds, and minor-status wear sapphires. A genuine bali can detect the DNA of the wearer and will be rejected by the body of someone who is wearing it illegally. |
| bare brain |
The section of a GEN’s brain where ordinary memories of experiences and study are stored. It’s effortless for a GEN to retrieve memories from this section. They must learn to access their annexed brain to retrieve data and programming from it. |
bhimkay  |
The meter-high spider that is at the top of the arachnid food chain on Loka. A bhimkay can easily bring down even an adult-sized drom. Trueborns use electrified fencing to protect their drom herds from the bhimkay. |
| Brigade |
Loka’s police force. At least one Brigade is assigned to each sector within Svarga. |
| crèche |
A daycare center for lowborn children. The cost of the care in the crèche would be deducted from the pay of the lowborns. |
| datapod |
A thumb-sized device used to upload and download information into GENs. It is also used to interface with hardware such as computers. |
| demi-status |
A class of trueborn lower than high-status and higher than minor-status. They’re affluent, but not as wealthy as a high-status. Demi-status trueborns hold 32 of the 160 seats of the Lokan parliament. |
| dhan |
The currency on Loka. |
| DNA Mark |
The official name for the GEN tattoo. Each tattoo is unique for a given GEN. |
| drom |
A camel-like six-legged mammal that roams the open scrap grass plains. The native droms are about the size of a pony, and therefore more vulnerable to the bhimkay. The genetically engineered version of the droms are the size of a large earth cow. |
| enforcer |
A member of the Brigade. Largely comprised of minor-status trueborns who have lost their adhikar and would be demoted from trueborn status to lowborn if not for their service as a Brigade enforcer. Each Brigade includes one or two GEN enforcers for duties such as physically handling GENs and delivery of GEN tack (clothes and equipment) for GEN Assignments. |
| extendibles |
Metal pins that extend from a datapod when it is activated. When the datapod is applied to a GEN’s facial tattoo, the extendibles pierce the skin and link with the GEN’s internal circuitry. |
| GEN |
A Genetically Engineered Non-human. Using mostly human DNA and some animal DNA, each GEN is created with a specific physical or mental ability. They are gestated in a tank. |
| gene-splicer |
A trueborn genetic engineer (likely minor-status) who designs and creates GENs. Gene-splicers also use the tank to correct trueborn abnormalities, but a gene-splicer with that position would likely be a demi-status trueborn. |
| Grid |
The Monitoring Grid that tracks every GEN on Svarga. It has two modes—active tracking where the software searches for particular GENs to check that they are where they belong and passive mode where the GENs’ locations are read and stored in a database for possible later use. |
| healer |
An uneducated GEN medic of sorts. They use mostly folklore and dubious, untested methods to treat their GEN patients. |
| high-status |
The highest level of trueborn. They are lavishly wealthy and hold 120 of the 160 seats of the Lokan parliament. |
| Humane Treatment Edicts |
An agreement reached two decades before the start of Tankborn. The Edicts specify how many hours GENs are to work in a day, give them one rest day a week off, forbid physical abuse, and require a safe and sanitary living space. Trueborns tend to follow the Edicts as it suits them, many ignoring them entirely. |
| jik |
An extremely derogatory term for a GEN. Used largely by trueborns. |
| Judicial Council |
The judiciary branch of the government on Loka. The JC adjudicates laws passed by the parliament. This includes passing judgment on GENs who break trueborn laws (such as straying outside their radius or disrespecting trueborns). In these cases, they decide if a GEN should be realigned and reset as punishment (if a Brigade enforcer hasn’t already done so). Trueborns have many ways to both avoid judgment by the JC and avoid any punishment if they’re found guilty. |
| Kinship |
A secret group of trueborns, lowborns, and GENs whose goal is to secure fair treatment for lowborns and equal rights for GENs. |
| kit |
Derogatory term for a young GEN. |
| lev-car |
A form of transportation that uses a suspension engine. Like a sedan in size and carrying capacity. They are electrically charged. There are also micro-levs (like a sports car), multi-levs (like a small bus), and pub-trans (like a large bus). |
| Loka |
The barely habitable planet where the refugees from earth settled. Loka has four continents, but only Svarga is suitable for humans. The others are polar Virynand, earthquake-ridden Utul, and volcanic Peralor. |
| lowborn |
A class of humans who are born of a mother but do not own adhikar. The poorest among them are somewhat nomadic and live on the outskirts of trueborn-only sectors, often where the sector borders GEN-only sectors. The more prosperous lowborns are merchants or factory supervisors who live in mixed sectors with minor-status trueborns. |
| medic |
A trueborn physician. A high-status medic would treat high or demi-status trueborns. Lower status medics would treat minor-status trueborns or possibly lowborns if they had the funds to pay. A demi-status medic might also be required to work in a GEN sector. |
| minor-status |
The lowest class of trueborns. If they’re smart, they become technology specialists in some computerized area (such as the Grid) or teachers. If they’re not deep thinkers, they work in bureaucratic jobs or serve in the Brigade. Minor-status trueborns hold 8 of the 160 seats of the Lokan parliament. |
| nurture mother |
A nurture mother is a GEN female who has been genetically engineered to nurture young. They might be Assigned to nurture GENs in their home sector or another, or possibly nurture lowborns. Trueborns would be cared for by lowborns. A nurturer could be male (nurture father). GEN siblings within the same home are nurture brothers or nurture sisters. |
| plasscine |
A processed form of plassfiber that is used to make cheap furniture and other home items, clothing, jewelry, etc. |
| plasscrete |
A processed form of plassfiber that is mixed with a cement-like mineral native to Loka to create a very strong material used for construction. |
| plassfiber |
A naturally occurring mineral on Loka that is mined from the western side of a mountain range called The Wall. Plass is analogous to a solid form of petroleum and can be processed similarly to provide an energy source (it fuels the electrical grid on Svarga). As plasscine, it can be molded into furniture and even fabric for clothing. Plasscrete and steelcrete are used in construction. |
| rat-snake |
A spider creature with a rat-like head and a thorax that’s long and flexible like a snake’s. |
| realignment |
The first step before resetting a GEN. Realignment erases the GEN’s current identity by both wiping the annexed brain and disrupting neural pathways in the bare brain. The bare brain isn’t damaged by realignment, but all memories are essentially destroyed. |
| reset |
The process of creating a new identity in a GEN after their previous identity has been wiped away with a realignment. |
| sector |
A portion of a territory. Of the 106 sectors in Svarga, 63 sectors are defined as trueborn only (restricted to high-status and demi-status trueborns), 28 are mixed (minor-status trueborns and lowborns allowed) and 15 are GEN (GENs only). |
| sekai |
A hand-held reader and networking device. |
| sewer toad |
A small toad-like arachnid (it’s about the size of a large grapefruit) that prefers wet, dank places. It loves polluted rivers. |
| seycat |
A six-legged feline, about 12 inches at the shoulder, with a striped pelt and large tufted ears. Rat-snakes and sewer toads are seycats’ favorite prey. They’re very fierce and although they are sometimes kept as pets, they can never truly be domesticated. |
| shockgun |
A weapon carried by non-GEN Brigade members. It disrupts the central nervous system. Depending on the setting, it can simply incapacitate an individual or kill them. |
| sket |
Slang for skill set. |
| skill set |
A GEN’s special skill or ability. Using human and animal DNA, the skill set is genetically programmed into a GEN in the tank early in the gestation process. |
| Social Benevolence |
Social Benevolence, or SB, is responsible mainly for lowborn welfare. As a consequence of the lowborn insurrection in 359 (13 years prior to the start of Tankborn) the parliament passed laws creating Social Benevolence to placate lowborns. |
| steelcrete |
A processed form of plassfiber that is mixed with iron and other minerals to create an extra-sturdy material used in larger, taller structures and for especially secure places (e.g., prisons). |
| Svarga |
The single habitable continent on the planet Loka. Svarga is divided into five territories and each territory into sectors. |
| tank |
The gestation tank that is used to gestate GENs in lieu of a woman’s womb. The tank is also sometimes used to correct trueborn abnormalities or injuries. |
| tankborn |
A derogatory term used for GENs. GENs do use this term amongst themselves. |
| trueborn |
The ruling class on Loka. They are born of a mother and posses varying amounts of adhikar to establish their status. The three status levels are high, demi, and minor. |
| warren |
The large apartment complexes in which GENs are housed. |
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