Technology

Cybernetic Enhancements

On the other side of humanism, there are augmented humans - sometimes referred to as cyborgs. While this is a term sometimes playfully (or not so playfully) applied to even those using nanites to change their hair color, it usually refers to those who have replaced lost limbs or other body parts with mechanical ones. This doesn't always mean an upgrade; cost and availability are factors.

However, there are also those who undergo the surgery for cosmetic or performance reasons. This is much more expensive and difficult to obtain, unless you're willing to go low-end and black-market (read: illegal), risking all manner of infections, problematic systems, and even rejection of the enhancement by the body entirely. The latter, of course, is possible in any case, even with the most above-board doctors and high-end equipment. But it's certainly less likely if you aren't getting your hands replaced in a back-alley by a man with a questionable veterinary school certificate. 

Non-enhanced sport is heavily regulated as well, and though there are enhanced leagues, many considered the move to be a bigoted decision - especially since the enhanced games tend to draw a more excited, if not more dedicated viewership. Less legitimate outlets like fight rings tend to get shut down as quickly as they start, but have a decent following among the seedier crowds.

Overall, though, there tends to be a social stigma attached to having cybernetic enhancements. These responses run the gamut from outright volatile to much more subtle and ingrained, as any prejudice does. Necessarily, those with such enhancements often hide them in public to avoid persecution - but some prefer to flaunt their augments with pride, never mind the potential repercussions.

Pōmaika'i a Sila Specific Technology

Each member of the crew is equipped with their own personal datapad that's all set up for the job they do. That said, each datapad can access each account with a simple sign in system that acts as a failsafe in the case of lost or damaged datapads. 

Communication between crew members is most often done via comm bracelets. They're a simple piece of technology, basically a glorified walkie-talkie, made to be worn around the wrist but could easily be fastened anywhere convenient, like a belt loop. They can be activated with a simple voice command, or by intentional touch, and are intended to quickly relay information or requests - "Charlie, come to the bridge please." Or "Can I get another set of hands in engineering?" 

Personal phones can be used for private conversations - via text or call - and because phones run off the ship's signal, they work in space. Interstellar phone communications while on the ship are done via recorded audio or video, like sending data packages back and forth, and take a while to reach the receiver. While on any larger space station or planet, phone calls can happen pretty much in real time but usually with lag depending on how far the message is traveling. 

Communication and information between ships is sent via directed 'beams' providing secure transfer from one ship to the other. Wider-range calls intended to hail all nearby vessels is also possible by switching to a broadband frequency.

For reference, the technology aboard the Pōmaika'i a Sila is comparable to Firefly or Star Wars. A Coalition military ship or the ship of someone rich would be comparable to The Expanse or Star Trek. 

Phones & Tablets

Phones really haven't changed much in the last few hundred years and physically are quite similar to our smartphones of today. They still have apps, texting, camera, etc. though the quality of all of these things has increased along with the advances in technology. 

The most noticeable differences between the models often comes down to aesthetics and whether someone wants to pay extra for a snazzy futuristic look or would rather a basic workhorse model. Just like the phones of today, payment plans are always an option. 

iPhones are still around, as are Samsungs, and good old Nokia made a strong comeback with its particularly hearty models that can take a beating and keep on ticking. Nokia also makes a completely waterproof model that's very popular on Paradise. 

Tablets - more often called datapads - are also still around and, like phones, haven't changed all that much. They're often used for work or school, where children still learn penmanship on their surfaces, but have many entertainment and leisure applications as well. Most still prefer the conveniently smaller size of their phones for on-the-go use. 

Space Gateways

In lieu of FTL travel, space-folding technology was developed by the Coalition to make communication and travel between inhabited worlds simpler. Each gateway is like a bridge with two ends and only two ends--a manmade wormhole powered by Mercury Crystals. 

A Gateway Honeycomb is a collection of multiple gateways--essentially clustering the gates together in an organized way instead of having many different gates each with their own independent structure floating around in the same star system. Plus, one Honeycomb is a lot easier to regulate and toll than two dozen individual gates. The tolls are viewed as necessary to maintain such a complicated gateway system, but depending on your destination, gateway tolls can get pretty expensive. 

The gateways, armed with impressive double scanners - one at the beginning of the wormhole and one at the end - also act as a weigh station to discourage smuggling and the cargo scanned must match what it's declared. Vessels will occasionally be stopped and randomly boarded and, even if they aren't, the number of bodies scanned must match the number of people registered as either passenger or employee on the ship. 

Gateway Honeycombs often have a nearby space station that offers mechanic services, refueling, and restocking options to ships traveling long distances. 

Weapons

While Boundless Sky is set in the future, it's not the far flung future. Most modern weaponry is still projectile-based, relying on various forms of propellant depending on the device. Electromagnetically powered railguns provide heavy defensive and offensive capability for ships and structures alike - their normally large size requiring substantive space to house them. Smaller, similar tech has been adapted for personal use, though it's typically far less powerful.

More old-fashioned, combustion-based weapons are also fairly common throughout the 'verse, though more so in areas where the appropriate propellants can be cheaply and easily obtained. Metal slugs are the most common projectiles used - usually lead and lead-based alloys with jacketing made of a secondary metal or alloy such as copper, but sometimes other heavy, dense metals are used where they are more prevalent. 

However, with progressive advances in technology, so too have weapons become more advanced. Although they are much less common, pulse weapons harnessing the power of the Mercury Crystals have the ability to fire laser-like beams or "pulses" of energy. Due to their use of Mercury Crystals, they are much more expensive than standard firearms. As a result, they are most often found in the use of the military, or high-end security droids.